Welshman’s heartfelt message to Continent
A CARDIFF man whose face was projected on the white cliffs of Dover has spoken about why he gave such an emotional message.
A video of Sid Daw, 95, was projected onto the white cliffs to mark the UK’s departure from the European Union.
In the message, Sid gives a heartbreaking message to other EU countries, in which he expresses his grief at the UK leaving. The video has now been viewed more than 850,000 times and has gone viral online.
When we spoke to Sid about his new fame, we discovered an utterly charming man.
When we said we had seen him on the white cliffs, his first response was: “I am not jumping off, am I?”
He added: “All I want is peace for my children, my grandchildren and my greatgrandchildren. We don’t want any more of these silly wars.
“I was in the infantry for five years and spent time in Berlin.
“There was a chap I met in Holland and I was in touch with him from 1944 till he died the year before last.
“I have family in France, Germany and Holland.
“I always said that my favourite Continentals were the Germans. The German people suffered so much during the war and people forget that.”
Our conversation was then cut off by a knock at the door.
“I am on my way! I am on my way!” he shouted, before adding “I have to be careful when I walk.”
Born and bred in Adamsdown, Sid was spotted by the anti-Brexit group Led by Donkeys, who made the video after he read a poem at the World War I centenary in November.
“My dad died when I was 11 and I was a butcher’s boy in Clifton Street,” he said.
“At 15 I started at East Moors Iron and Steelworks. I was a blast furnace man right up until its closure was announced in 1978.”
This is Sid’s full message that was projected on the cliffs:
“I’m Sid, I am 95 years of age and I am a World War II veteran.
“What I would like to say to you now in Holland, and Germany and France, Belgium and everybody, this is a message from the white cliffs of Dover and Britain.
“I feel very, very sad about it all because I don’t know which way things are going.
“First of all, I am Welsh, and I am British, and I am European, and I am a human being.
“So let’s all think of these lovely cliffs. Look from your side to this side and see these white cliffs and we are looking across at you feeling we want to be together, and we will be together before long, I am sure.”