Lest We Forget

An exhib­i­tion of per­sonal WW1 mem­or­ab­ilia at the Imper­ial War Museum (sur­roun­ded by traffic just south of the river, bey­ond Water­loo).  Very well laid out and dis­played and abso­lutely fas­cin­at­ing. Just the right mix of text and arte­facts, pho­tos etc.  And proper recog­ni­tion of women and eth­nic minor­it­ies who served, and of those who stayed at home.  Some very poignant and mov­ing stuff — the last let­ters of men to their wives and chil­dren, writ­ten in case they should die; the tele­grams which announced a death; the accounts of the moth­ers, sis­ters, sweet­hearts who received them. 1 in 10 of men between 18 (I think) and 45 from the UK were killed or ser­i­ously wounded ( I must check that, may have mis­re­membered) but a huge num­ber. No won­der Edin­burgh in the years after WW2 was full of eld­erly spin­sters and widows.

Also a gal­lery of Holo­caust paint­ings — quite appalling.