The red patch at the bottom are paper poppy petals. After the service, we were all given petals and asked to scatter them, remembering that each one represented a young man's life.
In France it is very unusual for remembrance events to have any religious content, because of the complete legal separation of church and state. The Friends of Lochnagar are able to have a Christian service because it is a private event on private land. The field was bought by an Englishman and turned into a memorial in 1978, so this year we were celebrating 30 years of this particular event.
It was beautifully done, both dignified and informal, and a real act of inclusion and reconciliation. There were wreaths for groups and individuals, for people killed in other First World War battles, for the animals who served in the conflict, and for some German soldiers. The Lord's Prayer was said in English, French and German. We had never heard of this place, or the service there, until our friends told us about it. They had learned of it in turn from a friend who is the translator. We felt that it is something that more people should be aware of; the crater can be visited at any time, and all are welcome at the service every 1 July. When I can get to a "proper" computer, I will put a link to their web-site
