Remembrance Day 2020

[sandall]

Just had the first feeler for my regular Remembrance Sunday gig, which usually involves a small brass band, a scratch choir, a parade & march-past by hundreds of Scouts & Guides of all sizes, Army & RAF cadets, TA, old soldiers, et al, a large collection of the great & the good & a sizable crowd. As far as I can see the band is a maybe, the choir is a no-no, as is most of the parade, though a back-of-an-envelope sketch suggests that it might be possible to get maybe 200 socially-distanced uniforms onto the available grass (they usually pack like sardines into only about half the available space).

 

History suggests that not losing face may count for far more than common-sense & safety, so I am seriously considering declining this one, if only for the safety of me & crew. Has anyone here started planning their event this year yet?

[kerry davies]

Since to most of those who attend it is a social occasion and a chance to meet up "down the Legion" for a few beers I would be very careful about involvement. None of my many close relatives who have seen service, often active, would dream of going. My brother goes when they pay him to go as a member of the police band. (Never been a copper but the pay is great!)

 

I very much doubt if restrictions on outdoor gathering numbers will be relaxed enough by November to allow even 200 to gather together. Even so I think I would personally give it a swerve this year.

[ninjadingle]

Are you in a position to offer a live stream of the service? Perhaps an offer to stream the laying of the wreaths, last post and 2 minutes silence on a local community Facebook live page? Could be a good way of getting them to think of how to do this in an acceptable way and be seen as a proactive contributor to things rather than abandoning them. Unless you see it as a ball and chain round the neck and want to get rid!

[sandall]

Funnily enough there is no Legion involvement in this one (they run their own at a different war memorial) - the parade is largely yoof, & the only old soldiers are the local Gurkha community, who aren't strong drinkers. It's the main Borough service, so the Council run the service & wreath-laying & a local TA squadron run the parade, march-past, etc, as a sort of community-engagement project. I could probably persuade the notional organiser of the Council side to cut it down to pre-recorded bongs & bugle-calls, with a couple of prayers (in which case I'd be happy to do it), but she won't have the casting vote, it's a big event for a lot of gung-ho group leaders & there are lots of egos involved.

 

I'm not sure there's much mileage in streaming. Remembrance is one of those events where you either watch the Cenotaph on TV or you attend your local one - I suspect most of the spectators are there because their little (& big) darlings are in the parade.

Edited August 25, 2020 by sandall

[sandall]

Just had the first feeler for my regular Remembrance Sunday gig...….. Has anyone here started planning their event this year yet?

From the response so far it would appear not.

[adam2]

A plan being considered near here is for one representative only from each relevant group to walk up to the memorial and place a wreath. Having placed the wreaths, those attending will stand facing the memorial, but keeping two meters apart. After observing the customary silence, a small band will then play suitable music.

 

Members of the public not representing any particular group are welcome to attend, but will be asked to keep further away then is the norm.

 

 

 

[david.elsbury]

Just had the first feeler for my regular Remembrance Sunday gig...….. Has anyone here started planning their event this year yet?

From the response so far it would appear not.

to be fair it seems this forum has been really dead t last few months. Not sure if people have moved elsewhere or are just busy

[GridGirl]

We had all ANZAC Day services/ceremonies/marches scrapped this year for the first time ever. To be fair, we were just coming off the end of lockdown. But there was almost no kickback - instead of the dawn services which are normal, it turned into a nationwide “stand at the end of your driveway at dawn” instead. It just made more sense.

[Biskit]

Strangely I had just been thinking this morning about my annual remembrance parade gig and what the possibility is of 'something' happening. Mine sounds rather similar to that described by the o/p. I haven't had any official word yet (and was starting to wonder whether to chase them up now or give them a bit longer to see what happens - I know I'm free and the gear is available so in that sense I don't need a long lead-in). I'd also concluded that the band is possible, communal singing probably out, but the largest risk being large numbers of people turning up, regardless of any theoretical limits or distancing plans. On balance, I think the whole thing seems unlikely this year.

 

However... I recently found out that my local RBL (who also organise the Remembrance Sunday event) recently held a small, low-key wreath laying ceremony on VJ day. Ok it wouldn't usually draw the crowds, but nonetheless a ceremony was held, and I've seen photos of a small gathering around the war memorial. So I guess we shall see...

[Junior8]

I'm not sure there's much mileage in streaming. Remembrance is one of those events where you either watch the Cenotaph on TV or you attend your local one - I suspect most of the spectators are there because their little (& big) darlings are in the parade.

 

I suspect you are right. My grandfather who served in France 1916-18 and my father whose dad was killed at Dunkirk, having responded to the radio call for reservists to rejoin, wouldn't go near what they thought was a fairly hollow civic ritual. Neither had any great opinion of the RBL either.

 

 

 

[kerry davies]

The British Legion writes that there will be a Whitehall Cenotaph ceremony but that everything else is undecided until later in the Autumn. As yet I don't think it is worth chasing up any group that is associated with the Legion and I doubt if the independent groups will be prepared to be out of step with the majority.

[paulears]

I think that as a supplier, and thus a distanced participant, if asked I'd happily quote and do it. My usual team would also jump at the chance. I've decided that my approach is to trust the organisers, who usually have to take local authority input anyway to get necessary permissions. If the authorities, with their scientific advice input deem an open air event safe, I am confident I can keep myself safe, and keep my people safe too. So often in our events, we 'strand' and operator in a booth or small tenty thing and surround them by barriers anyway as the normal way of operating. I'm not seeing any significant risk as it's rare for technical ev ents people to get close to anyone - perhaps with the exception of people fitting personal radio mics or in-ears. This clearly needs additional protection but we can do this.

 

I cannot think I'd turn down income now unless the event was unsafe - if the participants can parade safely, that's good enough for me.

 

I doubt veterans will be worried about this at all. Those not well will not take part, those fit and healthy will look at what the event is about and make a decision. If a veteran decides they wish to participate, then the tiny risk I face is almost embarrassing compared to what they've been through.

 

Clearly - it's individual choice, but I am not going to just say no without considering the real risks.

[sandall]

I cannot think I'd turn down income now unless the event was unsafe - if the participants can parade safely, that's good enough for me.

If I was your age, & I needed the income, I might feel the same, though my faith in the various organisations having the capability of running a safe-on-the-day event is limited, A simple wreath-laying, with Big Ben & live or recorded bugle calls is one thing, but a parade with marching band & a static band & choir, both needing micing up, speeches & prayers from a lectern & 2 MCs with hand-helds, is something else. I have to use public transport every few days, which makes me very aware that one unthinking idiot could put me on a ventilator (or even leave my widow with 45-years worth of sound & lighting gear to dispose of). On the other hand it's a gig I have done for many years (much longer than most participants) so I really don't want to walk if I can avoid it.

[paulears]

We're closer in age than you think!

 

I don't have much faith in anyone protecting me, other than me, to be honest! Clearly if you are vulnerable, then isolating is the most sensible step, but what makes me think now is that for year, we've all been doing our own risk assessments to protect ourselves from danger, but now we hand this over to a homogenised, statistically balanced scientific generic danger statement.

 

I've just decided to risk assess my work activities based on the up to date advice, existing science and practical circumstances. I'm confident with what I do, and have determined there could be a small risk when the plan gets modified while it's working, but I can handle it. It worries me when people drop below my safe risk assessment, potentially impacting on me, but often, the pre-assessed risk in practice is less. For example, droplet contamination. Masks stop the nasal and mouth ingestion, but the eyes are another route, and eye protection is much rarer. Faced with the problem of no gloves, because the three pairs were used up quickly, and the necessity to pop an IEM into a singer's ear, because my instructions just didn't work - I decided that if I approached from the rear, I could pop them in for her, with acceptable risk, and with santised hands before and after, this amount of touching contact was acceptable. A blanket ban on this kind of thing seemed too OTT for me. With the correct approach, I think my procedure was safe. Maybe with another person, I would not have risked this - I don't know.

 

Self-protection comes first, then the danger to others from our actions. I firmly believe that it's possible to be safe with appropriate precautions.

[abbotsmike]

Looking at your location... is it on a roundabout near a town centre by any chance?