As the Last Post ended, thousands of people standing in Trafalgar Square fell silent for 2 minutes at exactly 11am as they observed Armistice Day, commemorating the cessation of hostilities between the Allied Forces and Germany in World War 1, at 11am, 11th of November, 1918.

I could hear Big Ben ringing in the distance. Even the traffic around this monument halted. The red London buses paused alongside, their passengers peering out to see what’s going on. The traffic lights alternated between poppy red, amber and green several cycles but weren’t directing traffic.

A surreal moment in what is one of London’s busiest tourist spots.

The famous fountains weren’t spouting this morning either, but became a translucent resting mantle for thousands of red poppy petals, thrown or scattered gently by the guests, school children and amazed tourists alike.