Definitive proof the British Public is brilliant...

[brightonrock]

Today is the funeral of 99-year old war veteran Harold Percival. As he had no close family, an advert was put in the paper, inviting people to give him a proper send off. 500 strangers have turned up in the pissing rain to pay their respects. Wonderful scenes

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I feel a little uneasy about people going to funerals of someone that they didn't know, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think you will find a lot of them were ex servicemen who wouldn't let one of their own go without a good send off.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I think you will find a lot of them were ex servicemen who wouldn't let one of their own go without a good send off.

I'm not having a go, it just seems a little odd to me.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I'm not having a go, it just seems a little odd to me.

Surely it's no different to smiling at a stranger. We're all in this together.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Surely it's no different to smiling at a stranger. We're all in this together.

A funeral is for someone to pay respect to the departed and think about their life and shared times - in my mind, anyway - if you don't know the person, it seems rather pointless. Perfectly harmless and maybe a nice thing to do nonetheless.

 

[macky]

Nice gesture. Shame he had no one when he was living

 

[Thunder Bolt]

A funeral is for someone to pay respect to the departed and think about their life and shared times - in my mind, anyway - if you don't know the person, it seems rather pointless. Perfectly harmless and maybe a nice thing to do nonetheless.

I didn't think you were having a go, but you have touched on the reason why service & ex service people would go. He had served his country and other veterans can pay respect to that.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I didn't think you were having a go, but you have touched on the reason why service & ex service people would go. He had served his country and other veterans can pay respect to that.

Fair enough, if you have a connection, even if you don't know them, then I can see that. Not something I would do, that's all.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Nice gesture. Shame he had no one when he was living

He never married or had children, he also led a nomadic existence travelling around either Australia or UK - in other words a bit of a free spirit who preferred his own company - it was his choice. He had distant relatives he would stay with from time to time throughout his life.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24889924

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I feel a little uneasy about people going to funerals of someone that they didn't know, but maybe that's just me.

My mother would do this if she thought there was not going to be many people there.

 

[melias shoes]

Not just any ex serviceman. He flew on the Dambusters missions.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Not just any ex serviceman. He flew on the Dambusters missions.

Think the article I read said he was ground crew.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I think you will find a lot of them were ex servicemen who wouldn't let one of their own go without a good send off.

Yep, the local branch of the Legion or some such ex servicemen's association put the message out, knowing that plenty of them would feel exactly that.

Such is the power of social media that it went a bit viral, I remember seeing it at least four or five times over the weekend on people's Facebook or Twitter timelines.

But yes, under normal circumstances (ie not someone with Harold's background and history) it would be extremely weird and a bit grief-touristy to go to the funeral of someone you didn't actually know.

 

[melias shoes]

Think the article I read said he was ground crew.

You may be right but said on the news this morning that he was part of the mission. I stand corrected if wrong.

 

[theboybilly]

A funeral party consisting of a Priest and two blokes with spades......I can't think of many things more sad.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

A funeral party consisting of a Priest and two blokes with spades......I can't think of many things more sad.

Depends on the individual, I suppose. There are probably one or two people in life who deserve little more.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You may be right but said on the news this morning that he was part of the mission. I stand corrected if wrong.

Ground crew were vital in keeping the planes going. Team work.

 

[melias shoes]

Ground crew were vital in keeping the planes going. Team work.

Is the correct answer.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I would guess there were an awful lot of folk at Princess Di's funeral that, in Tricky Dicky's terms, didn't know her.
But why criticise anyone turning up to a funeral of someone they didn't know - it's all about respect - you don't have to have known someone to respect them.