Honey had been prompted to make the suggestion as he had been angered by the way in which people had celebrated with dancing in the streets on the day of the Armistice, and believed a period of silence to be a far more appropriate gesture in memory of those who had died at war. He also drew upon the experience he had in a train travelling in the west of England when the death of King Edward VII was announced, and the five people in his compartment "sat uncovered" for 3 minutes.