THIS Sunday, an old man in a wheelchair will attend his local Royal British Legion service of remembrance. It is a picture that will be repeated around the country, but Harry Patch is very special. Aged 109, he is the only surviving veteran of the First World War to have served in the trenches in France. He is the last of the last.
As each moment passes, the memory of that great conflict fades a little further into history. With Scotland's last First World War veteran dead, there are now only three alive who fought for their country in that great conflict.
The war that was
supposed to end wars is about to slip from memory forever. But while a living testament remains, we have a duty to listen and learn.
Harry Patch, who is from Somerset, was called up for service in 1917 and within days was plunged into the horror of the Western Front.
These are his memories: "I came across a man ripped from shoulder to waist by shrapnel. He was beyond all human aid. He said 'shoot me'. But before I could pull out the revolver, he was gone. When he died he said just one word 'mother'."
A few weeks later, it was Harry's turn to suffer. Crossing No Man's Land with three pals, a rocket exploded. Only Harry survived. "September 22nd, half-past ten at night, that's when I lost them. That's my Remembrance Day".
What makes his words so poignant is the fact that for nearly a century, Harry Patch said nothing about his war.
Ninety years ago, while the conflict was raging, the soldiers known as the War Poets first lifted the lid on the horrors in the verses they wrote while being treated at Craiglockhart Hospital in Edinburgh.
But for men like Harry Patch it was too hard to find the words to describe what they had seen. Only now, as one of the last survivors, does he feel a duty to speak out as the final voice of a ghost generation.
He takes that duty seriously and earlier this year even travelled to France to visit the battlefields and cemeteries. At his remarkable age that must have taken super-human effort. All he asks us to do is remember.
The spirit of remembrance started in the aftermath of the Great War as the nation struggled to cope with the enormity of the loss.
In some villages, a third of the men had gone to war - and never came back. Hardly a family in Scotland was left untouched.
Remembrance Sunday and the two-minute silence developed to honour their memory. As the last Great War veterans leave us, commemoration has never been so well observed. Perhaps that is because, while one chapter may be closing, the sacrifice continues.
As Harry Patch silently remembers his three comrades from 1917, closer to home an Edinburgh couple will be reflecting on a loss much more recent.
Gem and Bobby Wright will stand in the Garden of Remembrance on Princes Street on Sunday and think about the son they lost in a conflict still under way, not distant in the mists of time.
Corporal Mark Wright, pictured left, was killed in Afghanistan last year while trying to save fellow soldiers caught in a minefield. He showed remarkable bravery and was posthumously awarded the George Cross.
Few people will ever earn a medal, but we can all show our gratitude. Wearing the poppy and observing the two-minute silence is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the sacrifices made for us by those we will never know. Mark Wright died too soon. Harry Patch by rights should have died with his friends 90 years ago. Both made sacrifices in our name. Whether the conflict then or now can be justified isn't the point. Remembrance is above politics; it is about honouring those who are always willing to go where few of us would be able to follow.
Scotland has always produced some of Britain's bravest and finest soldiers. This Sunday we have the chance to honour them for a just a couple of moments. They put their lives on the line. All we're asked to sacrifice is two minutes. Surely that can never be too much to ask.
Bus lane blitz the wrong direction
ON November 5, Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade dealt with 826 firework and bonfire related call-outs between 6pm and midnight.
Among them, a call-out to a rogue bonfire in West Pilton where yobs pelted the crew with fireworks. In total, nine appliances came under attack on Monday evening.
However, on the same night at 6.25pm, Lothian and Borders Police had four officers pulling over drivers who had crept into the Queen Street bus lane just before it comes to an end.
As I'm sure they would have pointed out, the bus lane is exclusively for buses up until 6.30pm.
But come on - for the sake of five minutes on Guy Fawkes night, wouldn't they have been better employed chasing neds who lob fireworks and attack hard-working fire crews?
Giving the voice of youth a chance
A FEW weeks ago a group of young people were brought together to discuss what they want from life in Edinburgh in the future.
Some came from a state school, others from a fee-paying school. Despite different backgrounds, they shared similar views.
One common area of concern was the way the media portray youngsters and fail to give them a proper voice. To redress that, next week I'm handing the column over to a pupil from each of the schools. Good luck to them, and enjoy a column from a different perspective.
The full article contains 962 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
