Finding another way
Last year, as we gathered in church for our annual Act of Remembrance, John Hawker playing The Last Post and Reveille from the choir stalls to mark our two-minute silence, who could have imagined that this year we’d be in such a different place? With churches again open only for private prayer during November, our usual Service of Remembrance could not go ahead.
But at times like this it’s a case of ‘find another way’.
Which is where the amazing staff and pupils of Stamford Park Junior School enter the picture. Last year, if you remember, we invited them – and some parents came too – for their own special Act of Remembrance on the Friday before our Sunday service. They brought with them poppies that they’d made themselves in school, and they created a wonderful Field of Remembrance for us in the corner of the church garden by Murieston Road. We had no end of comments from folk in Hale who were moved by this striking installation.
Well, the children at Stamford Park have been busy again. They and their teachers came to the St Peter’s garden to plant their commemorative poppies on Friday afternoon. And as they came up to plant them, class by class, their teachers read out all the names that appear on the War Memorial in church.
Last year’s Stamford Park Juniors packed out the church for their service, which was very moving. This year they had to stay outside in the garden – but their Act of Remembrance was just as powerful, and we were all blessed with fine weather and even sunshine!
The poppy field will stay as a memorial throughout the Remembrance season.
So, if you can, do come down to visit – and to add poppies of your own. Such small, private Acts of Remembrance, in the little corner of our garden made special by our local schoolchildren, will mean we can look back on Remembrance Day 2020 and say, yes, we found another way.
Revd Kaz
