Christmas 2018 -StJosephs

The church Christmas 2018

Memorial Sunday at St Josephs Lymington

There was a two minute silence held in memory of the lives lost in World War One which ended 100 years ago ...
here are some pictures marking the event ....

A Day to my self - A poem by Clifford T Ward

A Day To my self
see you tube link ...

https://g.co/kgs/5cQ7jo

(please cut and paste if link fails)

Clifford T Ward was a school teacher who spent time teaching abroad in places like France. He played guitar and wrote music and he sent some of the songs back home to his distant wife who remained in England whilst he worked away.

Whilst working in a French school as an English teacher, he was due a day off and was trying to decide how to spend it.
Visiting the art galleries of Paris or a trip on the river bank perhaps??...but instead he decided to visit the mass graves of the fallen soldiers, in France.
Whilst walking among the graves he was moved to write this song and the words form a love letter back to his wife in England. The words paint a picture of his time there feeling lonely and wishing like the WWI soldiers he was back home in England amongst the lanes and birds he loved so much.
He goes on to realise at least he will return to England and see his loved one but many of the dead who filled the graves around him, did not even get the chance to say goodbye...dying so far from home.
The lyrics of this song reflect a moment in time where a person tries to relate to what happened to those taking part in the great war and thinks on how lucky he is to be able to return home to his loved ones whilst the dead soldiers never got that choice. The words are very haunting.....

It was odd that at one point the video was blocked on you tube but now it appears to be back .....let's hope it remains.

------------------------------------------

Clifford T Ward did return home to his beloved England and his wife and later died aged 57 on 18th Dec 2001 from pneumonia and a long battle with multiple sclerosis near Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

He was better known for his hit song "Gaye" released in 1973. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Art Garfunkel and Ringo Star....

On the B Side of the single Gaye he wrote a love letter in a song to his wife in the mode of the reputed English poet Robert Browning (1812-89) and in honour of the poet he called the song "Home thoughts from abroad"

Clifford T Ward remains one of the most under estimated and overlooked poets of modern times....his lyrics paint a picture of images worthy of the great poets of the past.

If you get a chance look him up on you tube and enjoy the poetic genius of his other songs such as "Scullery"

100 years on ....

A Painting from Vicky to remember those lost in the great war ...with the words of Sir Winston Churchill 

Lest we forget....100 years ..WW1 ended

The war to end all wars ...and since then  an estimated 187 million + have died from wars....World War One destroyed 8,5 million lives on the battle field and 13 million civilians a total of 21.5 million people. However, the immediately following 1918 influenza epidemic (spread by battle fatigued, returning soldiers) cost a futher 50-100 million deaths.
It is said that the war that caused the far greater loss of life was WorldWar II which removed more than 60 million people. An estimated 50 million of those were civilians The total dead made up 3 percent of the worlds population at that time.
Since 1918 and the end of world war one, the world has been subjected to over 30 major wars and conflicts......a terrible terrible waste of life.