Home  >  World War 1

Category: World War 1

August 20, 2020

National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire – beside the river

Our next amble was from the Naval area up beside the River Tame to the railway, then back in the direction of the ‘Shot at Dawn’ memorial, which we’ll do in the next blog. Here are a selection of the memorials we passed. I ought to know more about the trees and the wildlife. ‘Every which way’ is the British Evacuees Association Memorial. It was unveiled in 2017 and the sculptor was Maurice Bilk. “Through the deliberate distortion of the figures; reversed hands and some torsos twisted 180 degrees, the memorial conveys some of the anxiety and confusion the...
Categories Railway History/Staffordshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
August 20, 2020

National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire – RAF, Far East, Land Girls and Navy

Having visited the Millennium Chapel, we started to explore the grounds. There is no way I will do all the memorials, so we will have a selection of them. The gardens are lovely, and there is a good variety of planting. I like the Alder Tree, although the Arboretum seems cut off from Alrewas by the A38. Access to the Arboretum by public transport is appalling. The RAF Halton Apprentices Memorial Garden has a centrepiece representing the wheel badge. The base in Buckinghamshire, was open in 1912 when forces from Aldershot needed somewhere to practice the defence of London...
Categories Personal/Staffordshire/World War 1 Comment: 1
August 20, 2020

National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire – Millennium Chapel

We haven’t be able to visit churches for the last few months, and I am aware that I have still not blogged my two or Derby Cathedral. On Saturday 1 August we went to the National Memorial Arboretum. Our friends Rob and Anne have sung its praises, but we were not convinced. We decided to pay a visit. We were very glad we did. We booked at 10, and the queue was well organised. The Arboretum was the brainchild of Commander David Childs CBE and planting began in 1997. The National Lottery paid 40%, and the public matched it....
Categories Staffordshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
February 2, 2020

northernvicarwalks – January 2020 (everything else)

I started the year with a 7 mile walk – into town via Chester Green and back via Markeaton Brook – and on 3rd I did 5 miles which included a wander past Darley Abbey Mill. A bit more over the next few days. On Saturday 11 I followed some of the paths opposite the University which I had not done before. The following day I had the afternoon off and went to Rotherham to visit the South Yorkshire Transport Museum. They run a connecting bus from the station, but I missed it and therefore had a walk along...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/Northumberland/Railway History/Trams/World War 1/Yorkshire Comments: 0
February 1, 2020

Tadcaster, North Yorkshire – St Mary

Hannah (our daughter) now has a house in South Milford, North Yorkshire. As the bank of mum and dad have helped, I think that owning property in Yorkshire makes me a Yorkshireman! Anyway, we have new churches to investigate. St Mary’s Tadcaster is on the north side of the town, next to the River Wharfe – SE 485435. It looked lovely in the afternoon sunshine on Friday 10 January 2020. The benefice website is http://www.stmarystadcaster.co.uk/ . On 27 January they are still advertising the Christmas services, but at least they have a church guide page at http://www.stmarystadcaster.co.uk/atour-of-st-marys-tadcaster.html. Once again...
Categories World War 1/Yorkshire Comment: 1
January 31, 2020

Acle, Norfolk – St Edmund

We are having a few days in Norfolk to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. Friends Rob and Anne drove up for the day and we walked down into the village. The girls took up residence in the tea room while the boys went and explored St Edmund’s church – TG 641203. There is a website at https://www.abychurches.co.uk/ – Acle and Bure to Yare benefice, lots of churches to visit. It is also worth mentioning Simon Knott’s site – http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/acle/acle.htm  The church is on the corner in the middle of the village. Nice view from the south side, and a...
Categories Norfolk/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 0
November 1, 2019

Birmingham – Hall of Memory

On Saturday 19 October I was allowed an escape day. I started with my flu jab, then caught the train from Duffield to Derby and on (on a packed Cross Country train) to Birmingham. I eventually managed to escape from New Street (how could they make such a mess of a station rebuild?) and walked to the Library of Birmingham. Why does Birmingham have a stunning library when in Derby they closed a beautiful Victorian library and handed everything else over to community control? The Library is hosting an exhibition called “Watt in the World, the life and legacy...
Categories Birmingham/Railway History/West Midlands/World War 1 Comments: 0
October 26, 2019

Eglingham, Northumberland – St Maurice

Eglingham is north of Alnwick – and I think I have always confused it with Edlingham, a church I have visited several times. Today I went in to St Maurice’s church – NU 106 194. The church has a page on the village website – http://www.eglingham.info/st-maurices-church-eglingham – and there is a tourist trail which was produced back in 2013 at https://www.glendalechurchtrail.org.uk/gct_eglingham.html  (the leaflet for this was also in church, and there is an information board too). It’s a nice walk into the churchyard, past a rather nice lamp, and through into a plain and “much restored, but picturesque” church...
Categories Evetts' windows/Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 2
October 22, 2019

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 8 – Whatstandwell to Belper

It has been a long time since I walked any of the Derwent Valley Mills Trail. Monday 2 September was a lovely day, and I didn’t want to work on a Monday. I caught the Transpeak bus north to Whatstandwell station, and started walking south. Always seems wrong to arrive at a station by bus! The bridge over the canal looks rather fragile, and the lack of boat traffic means there is plenty of weed in place. It is a pleasant walk along the canal, with the railway next to you. Although sometimes busy with walkers, today I saw...
Categories Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 0
October 6, 2019

Alvaston, Derby – Parish Church

Sunday 1 September 2019 and I was invited to an evening service at what I thought was called St Michael and All Angels at Alvaston as All Christians Together in SE Derby were going to sign a Covenant. (You can see the comment below when John the Vicar tells us about the naming). I drove up to the church – SK 392333 – and the bells were ringing. I never thought I would miss church bells, but I do. Here there are six, all made by Taylors of Loughborough, and being rung very well before the service. Their clock...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comment: 1