A great start to the day at the Dawn Service in Wellington, with the largest crowd I have seen there. The service of course follows the traditional format, but this year, partly because of where I was standing, I found the the rifle volleys were unnerving. That noise, and the danger and tension it represented, assaulting you all day for days on end must have been horrific. 

Mid morning,  I attended the Brooklyn RSA’s service at Brooklyn School. I went to this for the first time last year, and it is a true community event.  The parade, pictured includes all the local brownie, guide, cub and scout groups as well as St Johns.  The service is led every year by Richard Smith from the Salvation Army, and this year’s speaker was a visiting Salvation Army Major from South Africa.   The highlight for me was the poems written and read by pupils from St Bernards and Brooklyn School, which show the talents of some bright students and  some very detailed and clever teaching of the Gallipoli story.   

I have come to appreciate the ANZAC Day services more as I have gotten older. It is a good day to reflect and remember.  As the morning service programme said today it is also for hope.  Hope for a peaceful future.