Oh! My goodness! I thought I knew what I would be seeing here but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of hectares of cemeteries, so many young lives lost and needlessly wasted. We placed and photographed around 70 poppies and then spent a little time with Ronald (OH uncle) a laminated photo and OH father’s greenstone pendant (Ronald’s little brother, who was 5 when he was killed and some sand from his local beach) around his grave. We are now in Dieppe and we have just one more poppy and cross to lay for my great uncle who was killed in the Dieppe raid in 1942. I feel so honoured and grateful we have been able to do this but I’m looking forward now to putting on a very bright and cheerful pair of capris and just running. ❤️ Happy running everyone. X
The Runs Will Wait: Oh! My goodness! I thought... - Bridge to 10K
The Runs Will Wait
It really does make you realise the enormity of the sacrifice these young men made for their countries doesn’t it and, equally, the senselessness of war. So moving!
Hard to convey to anyone who hasn’t seen it. And still so moving so many years later. Good to go, I think - I remember our visit so well. When world leaders get bellicose, I always feel they should be sent to walk up and down the rows ....
Now, on with your runs!
So, so sad. All those brave men, boys and civilians. And their families ... I couldn’t bear the thought of one of mine going off to fight ...
Now get those running shoes on and have the deep heat ready for after 😊😊 it’s my new scent 🤣🤣🤣
I know Bridget, just babies some of them, those running shoes of mine have been calling me and I look forward to Deep Heat as never before. Its my new fix. 🙂
Hope you are coping ok, it must be a difficult as well as inspiring thing to do. I visited the WW2 cemeteries when in Normandy recently. They are also incredibly moving.
Think I’ll treasure this forever Coddfish. We went to pay our respects to my great Uncle Sam who was killed in the Dieppe raid. It was chucking it down but here were four men from the CWGC strimming weeds and mowing the lawns. I made sure I thanked them I think they do an incredible job. Every cemetery we visited was immaculate.
A truly sobering sight Lexi. It does hit home how much sacrifice was made. It brings renewed understanding of the loss that has brought about the great way we are able to live today, but so often forget and we even complain at times. Thank you for sharing your experience. A tribute run in bright capris could be great too. Big hugs! 🤗❤️
Thanks Fab, its been an incredible experience I’ll never forget ❤️
There are so many people who will be grateful for what you have just done in their behalf. Well Done Lexi. Enjoy that run!
So evocative.... and as you say, time to pause and reflect xx
Wen you run again, carry those young men and women in your heart... run for them
With joy!
What a wonderful thing to do. My first visit to France included a visit to the American Military cemetery. The sight of white crosses dotted on the landscape, like marks on graph paper will never leave me.
Back in Ireland, in my local graveyard lies a young man who died in France in WW1. He had emigrated to the USA for a better life, and found himself called up in the American draft a few years later. He died in action a month before the end of the war. Brought back here and was given a full US military funeral. You can imagine what that must have been like in rural Ireland in 1918. He is buried under a healing tree, where pilgrims come for healing.
It is said that when politicians fail to have success in domestic policy, they go to war. In war, they can declare success. If only they walked these cemeteries and looked at the human cost. There is no success in human terms.
Time for a run! Use the emotions to drive you forward!
You have put it so eloquently Teresa. How very sad and what a waste of life and for what. My great uncle whose grave I visited today was also born in Ireland, emigrated to Canada in 1924 and died on the beach at Pourville in 1942. ❤️
Your great uncle and his generation will appreciate your thoughtfulness. The role of many Irishmen fighting for their adopted countries is one that is largely underplayed I think 💚
This is such a special act of remembrance that you have carried out and will be gratefully appreciated by the families you have represented. I visit the Etaples cemetery every two years as part of a school trip with 9-11 year olds. Out of all the lovely things they experience like making croissants & sand sailing, they always want to spend longer in the cemetery and can't believe there are over 11,000 graves. We run up and down the sand dunes near where we stay afterwards to cheer ourselves up - it works! Hope you have a good run - a celebration of life. Enjoy the rest of your hols! x
Thats so lovely Slinky, what a fantastic thing to do. Running really does help doesn’t it to let off steam? Off to Paris tomorrow, but first there’s the small task of finding the rental car entrance at Charles de Gaulle. Gulp!
Have a wonderful time in Paris & take care driving in the centre! I'll be on a ferry to France early tomorrow morning for our family hols. 🇨🇵♥️
Have a lovely holiday, sounds just lovely. ❤️ We were the recipients of a bit of French road rage today, he tooted and tooted and tooted, following us, gesticulating out his window and yelling rude words. Well at least I think they were, can’t speak French! 😂 Sometimes ignorance is bliss. 🖕Et tu Monsieur!
It's very sobering isn't it? I went with my parents a few years ago to visit the grave of my Great Granddad, such a moving experience. They were all so young and sacrificed such a lot for us.
It brings me to tears with pride Lexi and your visit.❤️
Truly the greatest generation ever, unselfish ultimate sacrifice and kindness and wanted the best for the next.
👊💥🏃♀️⭐️💪👏👏
How very moving. I would really like to go and see these cemeteries and really understand what is so difficult to visualise and imagine. And, most importantly, to pay my respects. What an honour. Did you arrange the trip yourself or use an agent?
It was amazing madmother, we had planned to visit partner’s uncle who was killed in1918 and had organised to make and take a cross and poppy to his grave, but on being told that there were 70 other New Zealanders in the same cemetery and a couple of other ones, who hadn’t been visited we volunteered to make more and photograph each one for relatives in New Zealand who will never be able to make the trip over. We arranged the trip ourselves and it really has been an honour.🥰
We will remember them.........
It’s very sad indeed, it makes you feel like bursting out crying as soon as you see it laid out before you, proof positive of so many lives lost You consider the scene replicated all over the world and it hits home just the enormity of the loss of life
I made it to my uncle’s grave in Arnhem last year. No family member has ever visited. I found that hard to understand, but folks back then didn’t have the money or wherewithal for foreign travel. His younger siblings hardly knew him. He was off to fight as soon as he was old enough and never came home. My mum adored her brother and spoke of him all the time. I had to visit! It just burned in me. I did it! I was able to take pictures, lay flowers, attend the annual commemorations and bring back mementoes of the trip to show to his surviving sister, my aunt who is well into her 80s now
I am going back there next month. We found another relative in the same cemetery, and the grave of another local man at Oosterbeek. We took photos and were able to hand them to his family via the Airborne Association.
I’ve since found that another man from my home town is buried at Jonkerbos, so before we go we’re going to see if we can find his relatives to let them know we’re going
I wanted to run while I was in Arnhem but the traffic scared me to death. i’m Going to have another go though 🙂🏃♀️
Ah! misswobble thats a lovely thing to do and just how fantastic that you were able to share all your mementoes with your aunt. We were in Dieppe yesterday visiting my great uncle’s grave and I think I am the first to visit his grave too, all his family were from Ireland and fairly poor and the Canadian family all gone apart from a niece, my cousin in Bolton has her email address and is going to send her some of our photos She is in her 90’s so I’m thrilled we were able to do this. While we were at the cemetery, there was a couple, who hadn’t lost anyone but were from Saskatchewan which is the regiment my uncle was in and were just paying their respects. Thought that was a lovely thought. Safe travels and safe running next month. 🏃♀️🏃♀️
PS I haven’t run for almost 3 weeks, combination of bad back and the last two hotels being bang in the middle of town and traffic very scarey. We’re back in the UK late on Saturday and once we get to our next stay, the capris are getting an outing, mo matter what, my running gear is the cleanest item of clothing in my suitcase. 🙁
I tried to run down by the river but found they let cars down there so it was more like a car park 🙄. The footpaths were taken up by restaurant tables, and dodging bikes and motorcycles was more than I could stand
We think my uncle was seconded to a Canadian outfit but we don’t know why It was good to see and hear from veterans from Canada, USA, and Poland - all very elderly now. It’s harder and harder for them to return each year for the commemoration at Arnhem but it’s the 75th this year so they’ll get there if humanly possible 🙂. Paras rain down from the sky as they would have done It’s going to be very moving 😢
That would be an incredible sight misswobble. I watched part of the D Day commemorations and some of the vets doing tandem jumps. Brave, amazing men even now. 👍
Yes they are 🙂. My BIL wants to jump but he was struggling to get insurance as he’s too old apparently
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