Many of you will know that epitaphs of the First and Second World War are a keen interest of mine. The power of the words and the history behind the CWGC headstones is something I've written about many times before and I'm often found Tweeting various inscriptions which have caught my eye both at home … Continue reading ‘One day I will find the right words and they will be simple’
This week saw the launch of the CWGC Gardening Then & Now campaign, highlighting the horticultural history of the CWGC and some of the remarkable personal stories of their gardeners, both past and present. The CWGC has become synonymous with beautiful floral displays and impeccably maintained lawns and though each of their 2,500 or so … Continue reading The Flower Power of the CWGC
When we think about remembrance and The Great War, our thoughts naturally turn to the men who rest in the Silent Cities of the Old Front Line. And of course so they should, but it is also important that we think about the wider impact of the conflict and those men who I feel are … Continue reading The Forgotten
This grave at Essex Farm caught my attention as I wandered quietly among Them last weekend. It's the grave of a young lad, Private Philip Phillips of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. I was drawn to the grave as I so often am, by the inscription which reads: 'He weakened my strength in the way he … Continue reading ‘He weakened my strength in the way he shortened my days’
In September I took a friend over to Flanders on a day trip and we stopped at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing. The village of Ploegsteert (Plugstreet as it was known to the troops during the war) lies to the south of the town of Ypres, close to the French border. For the majority … Continue reading ‘If I fall I shall have done something with my life worth doing’
Lucy Betteridge-Dyson 