As you will see from subsequent posts, I was privileged to attend a re-enactment of one of the first world war's most significant and successful battles at Beersheba in Israel. But, when I arrived in the UK 6 days ago and travelled to Plymouth, I was surprised to find an interesting travelling display that's wending around Britain also remembering the grizzly events a century ago.
I love the city's Barbican area with its grand historic associations. There's the departure point for the Mayflower's departure to colonise what became the USA; and of course there's the Hoe where Drake played his game of bowls as the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel; not to forget the naval dockyards still keeping Britain secure. And my father was billeted at the fort across the harbour during WW2. Off-shore lies the real Eddystone lighthouse - not the ersatz one near Ketchikan in Alaska that I reported on some months back. And a niece of mine, Laura, now has a shop there called 'Gosh and Absolutely' selling lovely craft goods.
Anyway, as we wandered around the district and up on to the Hoe I came across a large display of ceramic red poppies commemorating the dreadful sacrifices made by the military during the war - located at the war memorial itself:
I love the city's Barbican area with its grand historic associations. There's the departure point for the Mayflower's departure to colonise what became the USA; and of course there's the Hoe where Drake played his game of bowls as the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel; not to forget the naval dockyards still keeping Britain secure. And my father was billeted at the fort across the harbour during WW2. Off-shore lies the real Eddystone lighthouse - not the ersatz one near Ketchikan in Alaska that I reported on some months back. And a niece of mine, Laura, now has a shop there called 'Gosh and Absolutely' selling lovely craft goods.
Anyway, as we wandered around the district and up on to the Hoe I came across a large display of ceramic red poppies commemorating the dreadful sacrifices made by the military during the war - located at the war memorial itself:
AS
2 comments:
Thank you for the post. My granddad was billeted on Gibraltar and my great uncle Eric died at Monte Casino. I have a photo of the Montague family with their mum and dad. It really brings home how my great grandmother must have felt with her son's away fighting.
*Great - grandmother called Clara. My great Uncle Arthur was a driver down the docks. Went for a medical and came back to find his colleagues had passed away. That must have a been a dreadful blow to him.
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