After some complaints from fans of this blog, I've decided that I needed to stop postponing... so here it is, brand new post.
(To keep it all tidy, I will probably make more of them, just to be sure not to mix ideas and concepts. And I will tell you everything, don't worry. :-)

Sunday 8 Nov was Rememberance Sunday. We did not know (because we are not British, and, as explained previously, we don't care about Armistice Day and all that very much in the Czech Republic), and therefore we were surprised... well, more than once.

We wanted to go for a walk. So we boarded a bus. Which did not quite go the expected route. In fact, it seems that the main road from where we live to the city centre was closed, and the bus was diverted... through some unknown and obscure streets... seemed pretty odd, we expected to go to Manchester, and for few moments it seemed like we were going who knows where.

But we have seen a tiny military parade! People in military uniforms, everyone wearing poppy of course, marching through one of the streets. With music. And when the bus finally arrived to the city, and we came to the war memorial (that one behind the city council), we have seen a biker gang there (but not like hell's angels, no Harley Davidson and stuff, these people obviously ride scooters!) with some flowers and things. And an old man who seemed to be soldier himself during that time. Seeing that man, walking with sticks only but putting his sticks aside just to be able to stand at attention and salute to the memorial, that was actually pretty emotional.

And then all the poppies everywhere. I guess this is genuine British stuff. Since maybe half October, everyone was wearing poppies. Plastic ones of course, because poppies are no longer flowering in Oct / Nov. This whole thing is called poppy appeal, with the Royal Infantry (and maybe also someone else) raising money for modern war veterans (people coming back from Afghanistan etc.) and their families. Seems that here it is sort of obligation to buy one, and contribute,So I got one myself, just to be more 'British'. (I got one with added value, made of red hi-viz material, so that when I attach it on my backpack, it's going to make me visible to cars. Or at least I hope so.)

Then, 11 November was the Armistice Day.

I did not know what exactly to do, so I went to see the guy from the office next to mine to ask him about what is expected. He explained to me that there would be a gunfire at 11 am (except that here in Manchester it's a fake because Manchester does not have its own gun), and that people are expected to keep 2 min silence. Well, he said, it was not obligatory to do this, no one has to do anything he does not want to do, it would be just fine not to make any loud noises during these 2 min, just show some respect. Then, after two minutes, there would be another gunshot and that would be all.

So I decided to do like British people, and I actually really held the 2 minutes of silence. Like everyone else in the office; it was very interesting to actually hear no noises. We are really many there, so you can always hear someone talking, moving things, walking around, making phone calls etc. But not on 11th hour of 11th day of 11th month.

After that there were loads of  plastic poppies everywhere, all over the city. They could be seen around every single war memorial, no matter the size. Everywhere. Seems that British people really mean it when they say they want to remember the war!

After all this, people seem to be slowly removing their poppies from their clothes etc. (But not suddenly, some are still wearing them, especially those who have purchased the more expensive metal ones.

Interesting!