A Thought for those who came before

It is a sobering time at present with all the recollections of the First World War and in many ways humbling.

I knew my grandfather well as a lad he often took me off school to watch the cricket at Edgbaston and meet legendary players like "Tiger Smith". He also taught me to play chess. He never spoke about the war. His elder brother had fought in the Boar War and had died in South Africa. His other brother Alec (my great uncle) was gassed during the war and although he survived long enough to have a daughter he died as a result of his injuries. Within a year Alec's wife died of consumption leaving an orphan child who was a great friend to my mother.

My grandfather was an artisan, cabinetmaker, painter but his most creative work was carving. I still have his boxwood paintbox from 1911.

So at these times it is a good thing to remember and realise how brave ordinary men/women can be.