flowers at a fatal road accident

[glenis]

when did the habit of leaving flowers at the site of a fatal road accident start? i'm sure i don't remember it in the 70's / 80's

[andy-hughes]

It began with the death of Diana Princess of Wales. If you recall the news footage, the road outside Kensington palace was acres deep in bouquets, and the 'flowers' response continued during the funeral prosession. from that day on, people have left bouquets with messages at scenes of tragedy.

Similarly, no-on let off fireworks at midnight on New Year's Eve until the Milennium, and now it is an anual custom.

[gary baldy]

I agree with AH but then is when the trickle turned into a deluge. I would agrue you can trace this modern phenomenon back to the Hillsborough disaster.
People left 'tributes' on the pitch at Hillsborough and eventually half the pitch was covered. When they had to move them to play football people started leaving them at Anfield.
I could launch into a long rant about this (it really annoys me) but i will just say it is all part of what i call 'conspicuous compassion' - where people's so called 'grief' is displayed for all to see with no question of taste or dignity.

[woofgang]

I think that it predates Diana's death. I remember flowers being left where the policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was shot in 1984. It has also been a custom here in Hampshire for longer than that.

[dzug]

It was a custom in France and Spain (and possibly elsewhere) before it became common here. Maybe the result of more widespread travel?

[ludwig]

I think glenis is asking specifically about roadside flowers to mark a car accident, not other types of floral tribute.

First time I saw flowers at the roadside was on holiday in Italy in 1993. I only started seeing it in the UK perhaps a year after that.

[gary baldy]

woofgang- yes you are right. There is permanent memorial now where WPC Fletcher was shot isnt there. Didn't Michael Winner lead the campaign to get permanent memorials to police officers killed in action?
Its one of things that sort of creeped up on us and now is getting ridiculous.
Manchester City Council announced recently they would remove them after a month and everyone kicked off so much they backtracked.
There was a story recently where a animal carcass was found in a black binliner in Liverpool but the police were unsure what the remains were at first. Before they discovered it was a pig someone had laid flowers at the spot where the binliner was found.

[KebabMeister]

I think it goes back a long time. There was a particularly nasty road near to where I lived and there were always flowers on the roadside to remember those that died. I do remember flowers being left for my Mother's friends son who was killed and that was in the late 70s.

Here in Germany people often donate to the local council and they put up a large cross or a crucifix (with peaked roof over it) as a rememberance which I think is a great idea.

[dotjhawkes]

1966, County Road , Ormskirk, a 10 year old girl was killed crossing the road, she was in my primary school class, her name was Vera, flowers were left for years afterwards on anniversaries.

[dotjhawkes]

What year was Marc Bolan killed? There were flowers left near that tree straight away.

[woofgang]

sept 16th 1977

[Octavius]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1607218,00.html

An article for you to read.