91Èȱ¬

The two minutes ofÌýsilence is observed in tribute to those who have fought, and in all too many cases given their lives, in wars and conflicts across the globe and through the years.

Although a communal act the silence is also intensely personal and will invoke different feelings and different thoughts in us as individuals. We may recall the sacrifice or loss of a particular loved one or relative, or simply wish to take a moment to remember all of those who have had to face or suffer death in war and conflict, through no choice or desire of their own.Ìý Death in circumstances that we can hardly begin to imagine and hopefully will never have to experience.

This year is the 90th year in which we will participate in this unique act of Remembrance, first observed on 11th November 1919 on the first anniversary of the Armistice which brought the First World War to an end.

King George V said when announcing that first two minute silence "I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of the Great Deliverance, and of those who have laid down their lives to achieve it. To afford an opportunity for the universal expression of this feeling. There may be for the brief space of two minutes a complete suspension of our normal activities. I believe that we shall gladly interrupt our business and pleasure, whatever it may be and unite in this simple service of Silence and Remembrance."

Times may change but the feeling expressed appears to resonate now as it did then.

Share your silence

As part of the 91Èȱ¬'s 1918 - 2008 : Ninety Years of Remembrance commemoration 91Èȱ¬ Tees would like to know what the two minute silence means to you, and who or what you think about during that period of reflection.

We would like you to share with us the memory of those you remember, whether from the First World War or subsequent wars or conflicts, and their stories and the reasons which motivate that remembrance.

You may have been involved in war or conflict yourself and have particular reasons to remember as a result - please let us know how you in particular feel at this time of Remembrance.

We would also like to know if you feel the two minute silence is still relevant and important and why.

To let us know your thoughts please complete the form below.

The replies, as well as being displayed on this page as our own interactive memorial, will also be featured on Mike Hill's Sunday morning programme on Remembrance Sunday 9 November between 6 and 9am.

If you live outside the 91Èȱ¬ Tees area don't forget you can still listen to that programme live and for seven days afterwards through our Listen Live and Listen Again features on this website.

Your memories

I think of my father and mother and my father in law. Originally I came from Kent and settled in Redcar with my wife who was born in Grangetown. My mother during the war was a spot welder at the Vickers Armstong foundry in Dartford and she used to weld the tails on the 500lb bombs. My father served as did my father in law the full six years duration of the Second World War, my father was Royal Tank Regiment then seconded to the long range desert group for the duration as he was fluent in speaking German. My father in law was Royal Artillery and they both spent a lot of the time in North Africa and Italy with my father in law spending some time in Burma.

The most unusual things about our fathers is that they actually met during the war in Alexandria, with me from the south and my wife from the north and coming together as a family after all these years was so wonderful and the odds of two men knowing each other during the war then their children bringing them together must be very unusual so as you can imagine this was great for us to see them sharing old memories laughing and crying has made our marriage very special. So as we hold hands and keep the two minutes silence together thinking of our parents it is very special to us, and also for the fallen who gave their lives so that we may spend our lives in a country free and safe that we thank you for.

Russell Wellard


I come from the generation of people who learned about the great wars primarily from a school text book or enthusiastic teacher who could bring the history to life. But I am also a part of an ever decreasing proportion of the population who heard snippets of personal reflection and information from my grandfatherÌý - him having served in the second world war. It was not so much what he told me of the great war but what he didn't tell me which resonates and makes the two minutes silence very important to me.

He would mention rationing, conditions in the army, the camaraderie and god times they had. It was usually in a rather bland and jovial manner with very little emotional content and the topic was changed fairly quickly. As I get older and reflect on the content of these conversations now I realise that there was much he didn't want to perhaps recall or remember again. So I am left with the realisation that I don't really know much of what my grandfather experienced during the Second World War. It is precisely this reason why the two minutes silence is incredibly important so we never loose contact with what the individuals who served in the great wars (or any war for that matter) went through or are going through today. The question I ask myself in the two minutes silence is; Is war ever really worth it?

Steven Leightell

I remember not only the dead who gave their lives but also those who did not willingly give their lives, but whose lives were taken from them. The British men killed in World War 1 have been described as "lions led by donkeys". I cannot remember who said that - but it conveys the meaning that the lives of many millions were lost because of the decisions by generals, who squandered their lives. The same sort of careless concern for their well-being is demonstrated by the lack of foam in the Hercules aircraft that might well have saved the lives of the 16 soldiers in Iraq - killed when their plane was hit by small arms fire. It is demonstrated in the lack of information about areas of mines, lack of ammunition for military policemen killed in an ambush in Iraq who were under resourced, and in many other ways men and women are killed because they lack appropriate equipment to protect or defend themselves. It is demonstrated in the poor housing provided for many service families in Britain.

I remember those who lives were greatly damaged by their deaths - wives, children, parents and others, for I have known many close relatives of those killed in wars whose lives have been immeasurably changed by their deaths.

I choose to wear a white poppy as well as a red one. The red one raises funds for the supportive work of the Royal British Legion in caring for ex-service men and women and their families. The white one raises funds for the Peace Pledge Union. The white poppies were created in the years after the First World War by wives, mothers, sisters and sweethearts of men killed in that war - as part of a witness to find ways other than killing to resolve national and inter-national disputes.

I want the act of remembrance to be also a commitment to find ways to resolves differences and difficulties by better ways forward - searching for understanding, justice, truth, respect, negotiation, willingness to adjust.

Michael Wright
Chairman of the Middlesbrough Council of Faiths