No garlands

ANYONE wandering through the ivory towers of Central last week could hardly have missed the sight of businessmen with paper poppies pinned to their lapels.

Meanwhile down at Statue Square on the 11th hour of the 11th month, it was business as usual.

I wandered down from my office in Central to find a memorial service that didn't happen.

When the Star Ferry clock struck 11, there were five of us silently looking at the fenced off Cenotaph without so much as a wreath at its base.

I guess my four companions hadn't heard that the service is now held on Sunday, the memorial is now conveniently set-aside for another day to accommodate our busy working schedules.

The problem is that when you remove the sense of 'moment' from an event, you diminish it to the extent that the Cenotaph stands without a single garland on Armistice Day.

In Australia most of our war monuments are inscribed: 'Lest we forget.' JOHN HARRIS Discovery Bay