Beacons have been lit across Thanet for the Battle’s Over remembrance event

The Margate beacon Photo Frank Leppard

Beacons of Light were lit across Thanet last night (November 11) as part of a Battle’s Over event.

The ceremonies, marking the 100 years since the end of World War One, saw more than 1,000 Beacons of Light lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK overseas territories.

Photo Frank Leppard

The lightings at 7pm followed a day of Remembrance services and a weekend of events at the Poppy Proms in the Park in Broadstairs.

1 Comment

  1. I like this. Particularly the idea that “the Battle’s over”. It’s a better version of our usual commemoration themes which tend to stir up great sadness(understandably) but then mix it in with lots of flag-waving nationalism and lots of military marching bands etc. Which, when we think about it, was the main cause of the 1914-18 slaughter in the first place. Governments all over Europe building bigger and bigger war machines but never feeling safe because all the rest were also building bigger war machines until the paranoia got so bad , finally, one of them, Germany, cracked and suddenly advanced to the west and the east as they were feeling surrounded.

    The idea that “the Battle’s over” emphasises that we should stop all the mistrust and blaming and start co-operating because if we don’t , there will be wars all over again. Don’t believe me? Then just ask the nearest extreme Brexiter of your acquaintance what they think about French or German or Polish people and then listen to the bigoted poison dripping from their mouths! We have to find a way of moving on from the knee-jerk “blame the foreigners” explanations for our problems and regain the spirit of co-operation. It is in everybody’s interests.

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