Remembrance Day Message from Thame’s twin town of Sinaia

AS Thame gathered for a Service of Remembrance, friends of Thame from the town’s twin town of Sinaia, in Romania, sent a heart-felt message to the people of Thame.

The Mayor of Thame Ann Midwinter with two ‘Tommies’ during the Service of Remembrance in Thame on Sunday (10/11/19) -Parade video HERE and HERE

** More images from Sunday’s Service of Remembrance in Thame, HERE

The message from Sinaia reads:

“MEMBERS of the Socio-Cultural Association, ‘Prahova Excelsior’ and of the Literary Club ‘Lucian Blaga’ have always felt connected to Thame’s cultural realities and are impressed by the way the English people commemorate Remembrance Day.

“We would like to join you to honour those who lost their lives in World War One. At the same time we are impressed how a flower – the poppy – came to symbolise the sacrifice of those who died for their country.

The Heroes’ Cross at Caraiman, Romania

“Recently a delegation of ASPE members participated in the TAL Festival and gave a presentation on the most beloved Queen of Romanians, Queen Marie. This is why we thought it would be important to point out our Queen’s image as ‘The Soldier Queen’ during World War One, the Queen who visited the front line, who went on to the battlefield, who talked to the wounded officers in the grounds of hospitals and who offered gifts to soldiers; the Queen who loved Romania so much, so deeply and who had a significant role in the construction of a war Monument, The Commemorative Cross For The Romanian Heroes of the First World War, also known as the Heroes’ Cross, erected on Mount Caraiman, in the Bucegi Mountains. The monument was built between 1924-1928 at an altitude of 2,291 metres and with a height of 40 metres. It was built to honour the memory of 30,000 Romanian soldiers who died during the battles along Prahova Valley.

“In 2013, the monument was chosen by Guinness World Records as the highest cross in the world.  The legend has it that Queen Marie had a dream in which she saw the Bucegi Mountains ‘being drenched with the blood of heroes’ and she decided to have the monument built so that our heroes will always be remembered. The Cross has been standing for almost 100 years, looking straight down on to Prahova Valley where a wide panorama of cliffs or tall majestic trees unfolds before our eyes.

“We feel that nature echoes our feeling, that the Cross is a promise, a promise to pay our respects to our heroes.

“In 1919, The Cult of Heroes Society was established under the name of ‘Fallen Heroes’ in the War, and in 1927 was renamed as ‘The Cult of Heroes’. Queen Marie wanted to keep alive strong memories of all Romanian Heroes who died in World War One.

“On this commemorative day, 11.11. 2019, the ASPE board of Directors and Lucian Blaga Literary Club from Sinaia, twinned town with Thame, would like to bring a pious thought for the English and the Romanian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their countries.

From Claudiu Istrate
translated into English by Felicia Mirza – coordinator of cultural relationship ASPE-ATS