For the Fallen

Swanvale Halt doesn't have a proper War Memorial; all it has is a set of panels in our church's Lady Chapel with the names of the dead carved on them. But only the World War One dead; nobody ever got around to updating them. Last year it seemed a shame to me that anyone who wanted to remember Swanvale Halt's war dead should have to go to Hornington on Remembrance Day, so this year we tarted the event up a bit. I copied out the World War Two names from the old memorial book and popped them on the walls, and yesterday morning after Communion the children were marched into the chapel, laid a wreath, and one of the churchwardens who also just happens to be a trumpeter played the Last Post. 'The shall grow not old', National Anthem and everything. Tears in eyes, lumps in throats. A deceased member of the congregation has left us a legacy: perhaps we can get the remainder of the names added for next year.