Sunday 20 September 2009

Just a Broken Ornament

It was just a glint of light that caught my eye that led me to look more closely at this grave. Resting at its base was a porcelain figure that had seen better days. It had suffered damage - loss of the head and an arm. I still found it captivating and I started to ponder. It was obviously loved enough to continue to leave it on display but, like all these things, created a mystery. Why, when something like this shatters, is there no sign of the shattered head and arm. Has someone taken it? Did a relative take it home? Why was it not repaired? Remembering the broken but repaired broken angel or the damaged statue of a boy posted on The Graveyard Detective, I wonder what happened to the bits?


Lonely Bear


I wandered into a Gloucestershire church which was, unusually these days, open to visitors. I was struck by this lonely looking bear waiting for someone to give it a hug. I did!

A Tree at Last!


It seems an age since I last got close to trees. Have they missed me? Well, I think they have! I encountered this tree creature in Gloucestershire. I am not sure whether it is suffering from a hangover and is that a dewdrop hanging from his snout. What do you think?

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Glorious Dead?

As I sat in a traffic jam on the Promenade in Blackpool this evening, I looked right and noticed the magnificent war memorial obelisk. I could see the words writ large upon it: 'In Memory of our Glorious Dead'. It triggered a memory from visiting hundreds of war memorials over the years - most of them bore the same inscription. My question is: Why describe them as 'Glorious Dead'? Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?