It was a pleasure to join the students of Aldridge School, Cooper and Jordan Primary School and Whetstone Field Primary School at their Act of Remembrance earlier today.
The service was deeply poignant in bringing together students from the school, veterans and representatives of the Royal British Legion. As part of the service the children unveiled their Field of Remembrance of 70 crosses to commemorate and honour the 70 people recorded on the Aldridge Cenotaph.
As part of the service I read the Poem ‘Perhaps’ by Vera Brittain, written in 1916, the poem is dedicated to her fiancé Roland Aubrey Leighton, killed at age 20 by a sniper. Vera Brittain was 21 at the time of Leighton’s death and had accepted his marriage proposal barely four months earlier.
‘Perhaps’ by Vera Brittain
Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,
And I shall see that still the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain,
Although bereft of You.
Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet
Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet,
Though You have passed away.
Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,
And crimson roses once again be fair,
And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,
Although You are not there.
Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain
To see the passing of the dying year,
And listen to Christmas songs again,
Although You cannot hear.’
But though kind Time may many joys renew,
There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You
Was broken, long ago.
The service was extremely moving and I would like to add my thanks to all of the staff and the students at Aldridge School, Cooper and Jordan Primary School and Whetstone Field Primary School.
