The London Daily News

04 November, 2009 08:44 (GMT +00:00)

Respect November 11th

Londoners should remember the sacrifice made by war veterans as Armistice Day looms.

by John Kennedy

Here I am on the 3rd of November 2009 listening to reporters from London radio stations talk about the Christmas lights being turned on in Oxford Street and Regent Street W1. Well excuse me what about respecting the 11th of November and sparing a thought for the many fallen in present, past and recent conflicts, what about these stores placing poppies on their buildings rather than Christmas decorations at the beginning of November.

In fact we haven’t even had the chance to let off one or two fireworks but they certainly have in Afghanistan, I’m sorry to all of you if I sound like a spoil sport but we have a very important date in our nations calendar and that is Armistice Day which falls on the 11th of November every year. So is it really much to ask large stores and shopping areas to just respect this day by not turning lights and decorations on when it is clearly not the Christmas season. We must all remember that families here in the United Kingdom have lost loved ones recently in operations in Iraq and the current operation in Afghanistan and the rise of corporate Christmas which has now taken over the month of November should be a worry to us all.

We ask the public to show respect, we ask the nation to honour the fallen at cenotaphs across this great nation the very least the corporate world can do is respect and honour the date of the 11th of November by not turning the Christmas lights on until after this date. So please wear a poppy with pride and just wait till this date passes before you decide to go Christmas shopping for maybe then if the tills don’t start ringing until the 12th of November the retailers may well have a change of heart next year.

John Kennedy is a black cab driver and regular contribtor to BBC London 94.9FM

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