A window to give thanks

After two days of self imposed rest, I was out doing a recce for the Festival Tree Walk today. It is only 5 miles, but we needed to be sure of the route, having changed it from the original.

We are still going to be in Allen Banks, but we have cut out some of the difficult sections and have re-routed through Beltingham. There is an ancient yew tree there, said to be over 700 years old, and this will interest the walkers.

Inside the church I photographed this stained glass window. I have never stopped to read what it says before. It was commissioned by the parents of Muriel Bowes-Lyon after she survived a serious road traffic accident in 1904. This would be one of the first serious accidents in a car.

It reads: To the Glory of God and A Thanksgiving for sparing the life of Muriel Bowes-Lyon from her father and mother (sic) Deo Gratias 1904.

I had to do a bit of searching, but eventually found the accident recorded in the Teesdale Mercury on Wednesday, August 31st 1904. "The car, whilst descending the hill, was upset and smashed." The three female passengers were all injured and the driver was unscathed.

Muriel had concussion and was taken to a nearby cottage. The rescuers thought she was too seriously ill to move further. The others, with fractures etc were moved to the nearby Ridley Hall, the home of the Bowes-Lyon family. She made a full recovery.

I wonder what it felt like to come to church on Sundays and see that enormous window.

Beltingham church has a small, private graveyard for the Bowes-Lyon family. There is another graveyard for everyone else.

My extra is one of the many interesting graves around the church, with a few branches of the ancient yew in the background.

It was great to be out in the fresh air.

On the way home, Bill, (the tree expert) and I had one of those "small world" moments. It turns out that he had a 10 year long relationship with one of my medical school class mates, until she died in a diving accident a few years ago. Tragic for someone who was very fit.