....We Will Remember Them

It has been a most beautiful day, it dawned warm and the sun was soon warming the village, burning off the morning haar and enticing young and old out and about. The twins disappeared down into the field and played contentedly their laughter heard from the garden as I pottered. I was skating; coaching a lot later now the holidays are upon us. As I stretched I could see one of the coaches giving me a sceptical look she skated over and had some serious words about my lack of enthusiasm!!!!

I didn't really enjoy the session and unlike me I left the ice as soon as the session was over not staying on to free skate. I had the camera with me as usual but I didn't see anything I wanted to shoot so I wended my way home. The twins were hyper, their boundless energy astounds me and the pool was duly filled for them, there were shrieks of delight and loud splashes as they continued their horseplay.

I had a shot in mind but when I headed out I found the foliage on the trees was now too heavy and as opposed to framing the composition they partially obscured it. My default was to head for the river, so often my saviour. As I drove out of Houston heading from Langbank I saw the Houston War Memorial with the sun starting to dip and decided to see if I could get a decent shot, inspired by a shot my friend sent me from a walk they had taken last evening in the fields, red with the poppy blooms.

I have always been interested in the stories of the wars. the real stories of the ordinary men who went to fight for King and Country, a great adventure that was to turn out to be a horror like nothing they could imagine. At remembrance day we oft hear the verse

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

It is an extract from a poem by Laurence Robert Binyon, called For The Fallen, I love the war poets work, words written first hand not censored by the War Office or by the Leaders of the day, but this is a poem that leaves me cold, for the simple reason that Binyon refers to England mourning her dead across the sea, The sacrifice of men the length and breadth of the UK and from the wider commonwealth seemed diminished by these words although I know I am being a pedant it was just how it struck me but these words were poignant in the late evening light fell behind the memorial. The colours from blues to oranges as the sun faded appealed to me tonight.

I hope you enjoy the shot, best viewed large I suspect.