It's behind you......!

A lovely unexpected phone call this morning from old friends C and P who were visting Hexham - could we meet. With a bit of rearranging it was possible and we had coffee together at the Queens Hall cafe. It is always lovely to see them.

Then off to meet L before we went to Newcastle to buy mount board for our photography. Just before I returned to the car I captured this photo of the statue at the end of Beaumont Street in Hexham. I've take a few photos of this fine chap before, but always had something else to blip instead. The bird has not been inserted!

This statue was unveiled in c1910. It shows a Boer War hero striding forwards and holding binoculars. It has the inscription 'TO THE MEMORY OF A GALLANT SOLDIER GEORGE ELLIOTT BENSON LIEUT. COLONEL IN THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY WHO WAS BORN AT ALLERWASH MAY 24TH 1861 ENTERED THE ARMY MAY 1880 AND AFTER SERVING WITH DISTINCTION IN THE SOUDAN CAMPAIGNS OF 1885, 1896, 1898, AND IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 1899 - 1901 FELL WHILE COMMANDING HIS COLUMN AT THE BATTLE OF BRAKENLAAGTE OCT. 30TH 1901 HE IS BURIED WITH THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED WITH HIM THE UNRETURNED. ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION'.