Today is the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. On September 3^rd, 1939 the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, made a radio announcement that in view of the fact that Adolf Hitler had ignored the ultimatum for Germany to withdraw from Poland, which it had invaded two days previously, our country was now at war with Germany.

The war was to last for nearly six years costing the lives of millions and causing the unprecedented destruction of cities and towns throughout the world including, of course, virtually every city and many towns in our own country.

Will there be any commemoration of this date? I doubt it. Some of the broadsheets may make some reference but probably not the tabloid press and mainstream television, obsessed as they are, by footballers and the antics of so-called “celebrities”.

 I know that we should try to forget the past, forgive our enemies and get on with the future but the Second World War is still recent history and there are millions of people in this country, living still, who were affected by that war. Some may be surviving servicemen and women and others may have been children during the war years. Some will have suffered greatly and others not so but the point is, for as long as there are those who remember should we not, as a matter of simple respect, make some form of acknowledgement?