December 21 2008 marks the 20th Anniversary of this outrage.

We will never forget Lockerbie and those that lost their lives twenty years ago tomorrow, especially Anthony Hawkins and of course David Gould. (there was someone with the same name as me on the plane)

Today being the twentieth of December we decided to go a day early as it being the 20^th Anniversary tomorrow we thought it would be hideous there. And I think we were right in our choice as we can see their “low profile event” includes a stage, a press gallery overlooking the garden and ropes to keep the common people from encroaching upon the dignitaries…in other words a re-run of the dog’s diner they made of the 10^th anniversary. On that day the flowers laid at the wall of names before the ceremony were thrown into a council skip so that the flowers of the dignitaries could be seen alone honouring those that died. They wanted us to line up in a queue and give our flowers for them to place wherever they wanted. We came back late at night and found our flowers and moved them.

This time we wished for the flowers to be placed under Anthony’s plaque on the ground and to remain there at least until 2 pm tomorrow when the ‘low key event’ takes place. Year after year the ordinary folk like us of Lockerbie come and silently read out all the 270 names and place our floral tributes that we have made up locally under the names of those that we honour. They are never from us but from the families themselves. One of our Cards this year read “Anthony, Remembered forever. 20 years, but loved forever. From .....” David’s had similar sentiments. From the number of tributes already there it was clear that many will be staying away from the glare of the cameras and microphones of the media tomorrow. They have been coming simply in their ones and twos during the last few days and have carpeted the ground before the wall with flowers…simple expressions of a grief they will inwardly feel for the rest of their lives; a grief they share with those from 21 countries that died that night above our town, a grief they wish to express privately and with dignity.

Tomorrow the Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries and Galloway along with the American Consul and the Member of Parliament and the Member of the Scottish Parliament will all lay their carefully made up wreaths under the spotlights and the cameras. But somehow the single rose left by a thirteen year old girl on the grave of Joanne Flannigan with the simple message…”I would have loved to have met you” melts my heart the more. Had she lived Joanne would have been thirty this year…even a parent of children herself.

This is one image from the Thundergarth rememberance Room near where the cockpit ended up. There is also a special tapestry with the explanation of how and why it was made beside it… which reflects the warmth that is still felt by the residents of this town towards all those who lost their loved ones twenty years ago.

I hope you can forward this onto to anyone that you are still in touch with so that they know they will never ever be forgotten.

With our love

David & Liz