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THE two-minute silence held in remembrance of our war dead has entered our culture as an elegant, poignant act, almost a ceremony without ceremony, whose observance has grown in recent years.
So natural is a moment's silence to mark a loss that it is easy to forget that the commemoration does not date back to ancient times. It had an unexpected birthplace too. Held to commemorate the vast numbers who had been killed in the First World War, the first official two-minute silence was observed in Cape Town - and it wasn't even on 11 November.
The act of remembrance was initiated by South African author Sir Percy FitzPatrick, a famous son of the Empire and creator of the Jock of the Bushveld children's books. He had been deeply affected by the loss of his eldest son, Major Nugent FitzPatrick, who had been killed by a stray shell at Beaumetz, France, while serving with the South African Heavy Artillery, on 14 December 1917. Sir Percy had witnessed the moment's silence in a Cape Town church that marked the publication of South Africa's first casualty list in 1916. He never forgot it.
The town's mayor, Sir Henry Hands, subsequently instituted a pause following the firing of a noonday canon on Signal Hill, and it was this that inspired Sir Percy to go a stage further. On 14 December, 1918, four weeks and five days after the Armistice, Cape Town held the world's first two-minute silence.
Sunday morning started off with a quick ride down to the beach to watch the sunrise, after which my fascination for graveyards took us to the final resting place of this well known writer and soldier and his son.
First though, the sunrise from the pier.
Then off to Barkley Bridge
Below which I found this animal trap. Interesting.
Looking up - Dorothee
It's really sad to see this. Places like this bring back so many childhood memories ...
And then on to "The Lookout"
The view.
Grave of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's son-in-law.
Sir and Lady Fitzpatrick
"Lady Fitz"
There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding.
Another view.
We then headed to Kirkwood for breakfast.
Breakfast.
Returned to PE via Addo, and were home by 13:30 after a very pleasant ride.
So natural is a moment's silence to mark a loss that it is easy to forget that the commemoration does not date back to ancient times. It had an unexpected birthplace too. Held to commemorate the vast numbers who had been killed in the First World War, the first official two-minute silence was observed in Cape Town - and it wasn't even on 11 November.
The act of remembrance was initiated by South African author Sir Percy FitzPatrick, a famous son of the Empire and creator of the Jock of the Bushveld children's books. He had been deeply affected by the loss of his eldest son, Major Nugent FitzPatrick, who had been killed by a stray shell at Beaumetz, France, while serving with the South African Heavy Artillery, on 14 December 1917. Sir Percy had witnessed the moment's silence in a Cape Town church that marked the publication of South Africa's first casualty list in 1916. He never forgot it.
The town's mayor, Sir Henry Hands, subsequently instituted a pause following the firing of a noonday canon on Signal Hill, and it was this that inspired Sir Percy to go a stage further. On 14 December, 1918, four weeks and five days after the Armistice, Cape Town held the world's first two-minute silence.
Sunday morning started off with a quick ride down to the beach to watch the sunrise, after which my fascination for graveyards took us to the final resting place of this well known writer and soldier and his son.
First though, the sunrise from the pier.
Then off to Barkley Bridge
Below which I found this animal trap. Interesting.
Looking up - Dorothee
It's really sad to see this. Places like this bring back so many childhood memories ...
And then on to "The Lookout"
The view.
Grave of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's son-in-law.
Sir and Lady Fitzpatrick
"Lady Fitz"
There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding.
Another view.
We then headed to Kirkwood for breakfast.
Breakfast.
Returned to PE via Addo, and were home by 13:30 after a very pleasant ride.
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