Thursday, March 6, 2014

World War I Centenary: Living Remembrance Floral Carpets

This was the first World War I Remembrance function to be held in New Zealand.  We went to view them on Friday (28th February) when, after a short ceremony, the flowers were strewn in the river on the outgoing tide.

It was followed by music provided by the Whangarei Youth Orchestra.  Another enjoyable evening.











The colour of the flower carpets was amazing considering they had been made about 4 days previously.  It was a beautiful evening.

I found it quite poignant as my husbands 96 year old cousin died that week.  Her father sailed off to World War I when she was still a baby and died from pneumonia a matter of days after arriving in England

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful displays, and petals in the river, what a stunning and unforgettable way to finish. All those years ago, no antibiotics for any infections, and maybe no hospital nearby for him either. Sadness all round in memories. Thanks for sharing Susan. Hugs, Jean.

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    1. I think there were plenty of hospitals but no antibiotics would have been the problem. The sad thing is that her mother remarried and didn't have much to do with the family after that - we only "discovered" this cousin about 30 years ago.

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  2. I like No 5; the man with the floral shirt and medal.

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  3. The displays are beautiful. Wasn't it sad that M's cousin never got to know her father. My uncle died in the first world war - he was just 16 (lied about his age apparently) It was a terrible time.

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