The National Service of Remembrance is held at The Cenotaph
The National Service of Remembrance is held at The Cenotaph

Remembrance Sunday - Thankfully a beautiful warm, sunny and still day for the remembrance services and for me to spend the morning washing my Range Rover. Then to watch the TV memorial service at the Cenotaph and later to the remembrance service at St James’s church where Debbie was there as a uniformed brownie. I took Di and the girls to see Mum and Dad between times and my poor Dad declines quickly on a day seemingly all about death. There have now been about 3 million visitors from East to West Germany since last Thursday after 10 new openings in the wall have been created. Only 18,000 want to emigrate.

A really beautiful warm, sunny and still day as the fitting background for the countless remembrance services held up and down the country in the open air. Awake late with Di, staying put in bed until Della came in and she beat a retreat. I spent the first half hour in the conservatory looking after plants and fish until breakfast was ready. Di called me then for fried egg, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had so much paperwork to do but, with such a fine day in prospect, I just had to work outside. I washed the Range Rover to my standards which are more exacting than those of Daniel. I had first to watch the TV memorial service at the Cenotaph that started with the two-minute silence and then took an hour for the 8000 ex-servicemen to complete their march past.

Lunch at 1pm and, later, I took Di and the girls to see Mum and Dad. Poor Dad goes down-hill by the day and even finds the signing of forms very difficult. His nephew and wife were there this afternoon, who we had not seen for 20 years or more. At least times like this bring us closer together. I tried to talk to Mum about the future plans for Dad’s funeral arrangements, but we will do this properly at a visit to the Hayling View sometimes this coming week. Staying very late, we had a big rush to come back and change in time for 6pm remembrance service at St James’s Church. Debbie was there as a uniformed brownie and it was quite emotional with Dad being so close to death. Later I sat and read four books on death and funerals and made less of the things I would have to arrange. A very sad and stressful day with death the only subject of it which was a pity that such weather was lost.

The news today, apart from the remembrance services, is all about Germany. There have now been about 3 million visitors from east to west Germany since last Thursday of which only 18,000 want to emigrate. 10 new openings have been created, or are being created. This development is stunning political commentators on both sides of the divide. East Germany is now to have a special congress to consider their future.