Remembering Gallipoli.

Well - Betty is looking good. She's spruced up inside and out, all we need now is someone to come and look at her and take a liking. But it's not happening, despite the fact she's showing at the top of two very good websites, and is being seen by a lot of people. Maybe I'm expecting too much, it really needs someone who wants to do what we have done, and maybe there are not a lot of them out there!





Yesterday David and I went into town by train to the Anzac Day parade, it takes about an hour to get there after it stops at every lamppost. But it's better than driving any day, parking would be difficult any day and there would be none available at all on Anzac day.
There must have been about half a million people lining the streets, they were 12 deep outside Flinders St Station, where we were stood. We were right opposite St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, on the corner of Swanston  and Flinders Streets, in the older part of the city.



The parade started at 9am, just before we arrived, and went on until 12-30, with not a lot of space in between. There were thousands marching, including many young people and children, many of whom wore their grandfather's and father's medals from the two world wars.
There were also many veterans, some from the second world war, of course they must have been in their late eighties to have fought then.
Often they had to be supported by younger members of their family, but they were determined to march.

Vietnam Veterans were very well represented, as were the later wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition the current forces were out in force, there is a navy training ship here and they also were on parade, and very smart they were too.
A large contingent of RAAF passed us, most of them carrying the Aussie flags.

 There were at least twenty  bands, local brass bands, children's drum bands, school bands, as well as military bands. Some of them went round up to four times, including this drum band,  joining the parade at intervals of about three hundred metres.

 I did get a bit nostalgic when the brass bands came past, I've been in so many of these parades over the years. Maybe I may be at the Remembrance Day parade this year at home.

 There were mounted troops too, dressed as for the first war, nice too see them honouring the old contemptibles.
Anzac Day is to commemorate the landing at Gallipoli, 98 years ago on the day,they have a dawn service as that's the time that the first landings took place. As with a lot of the battles of the first war, the Australians and New Zealanders were thrown into a bloodbath, and after a number of days they were forced to retreat, with huge numbers of casualties.






Dave and I had a great time, the crowd was very friendly, cheering and clapping the older veterans, and the young children's bands. Children and shorter people were pushed to the front, so that everyone could see, and there was no pushing and pulling as we see with some crowds. Everyone was so good natured.









A number of old vehicles were also in the parade, some military and some just old, from between the wars. But all carried veterans who waved to the crowds.





After the parade we took a walk along the river Yarra, it's changed a lot since I last did it thirty years ago, as has the modern skyline of the financial district.
There were buskers and street artists along the south bank, including this chap who was painted as a gargoyle, and he was good. He was great with the kids, not at all frightening.
Once again I will leave you with a couple of pics.......