Today I was honoured to be again the mayor’s official photographer for Ramsgate Remembrance Day. The services were pared back this year, because of Covid 19, but Raushan still laid a wreath at the Destiny War Memorial in Albert Gardens, and then another one at the war memorial in Ramsgate Cemetery. As did members of the Ramsgate Royal British Legion.
There is something incredibly poignant about Remembrance Day services. It seems to take place at an apt time of year, when winter is making itself known but hasn’t yet taken over. There is a fragility in the air, and a battle between life and death around you, which seems to match the occasion. Almost all of the participants this year were elderly, which makes the occasion more poignant. It reminded me of going to a funeral, when not only do you mourn those whom you have come to pay your respects to, but also those who were there at the last such gathering, and whose absence is now sadly noticed. But at the same time you’re happy to see those who have come, and to have survived another year yourself. So there is a blend of sorrow and joy. I love photographing the events. It reminds me of how my dream job would be to be a political photographer, capturing a leader during their period in office. I hope that one day Raushan becomes our Prime Minister – I know she would be a good one! And that she’ll remember me when she is.