MY daughter and I have been away for the weekend, staying with friends in London.

While there we took the opportunity to visit the ceramic poppy display in the moat at the Tower of London.

It is another activity taking place to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

It is an amazing sight but more importantly it is thought provoking when you remember that each poppy marks a loss of life – there are 888,246 ceramic poppies in the moat and the number continues to grow.

We were also lucky enough to get tickets for the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games.

Over 400 service men and service women from 13 nations, casualties of war, competed.

They showed the world how the strength of the human spirit can overcome adversity. Watching them was truly awesome and humbling.

It made me think of our council year that has, at times, been extremely stressful but cannot be compared with the situation in which these young men and women find themselves.

Their response to adversity and commitment to life is a lesson to us all.