We’ve been in St Ives today for the Pages of the Sea event initiated by Danny Boyle to commemorate 100 years since the Armistice was signed and WW1 came to an end. It was one of thirty such events on beaches around Britain today. My choir was singing. Several of us wore white poppies which symbolise two important things. The white poppy is to remember ALL the dead, those of all nationalities caught up in the horror of war as soldiers or civilians and to show our commitment to working for Peace.
St Ives when we arrived
Flowers left at low tide to be taken as the tide came in
The sand art at Porthmeor, courtesy of WildWorks. Captain Edward ‘Teddy’ Hain (15 August 1887 – 11 November 1915)
Waiting for the tide to wash away the image of the soldier
Being washed away by the incoming tide
One of the soldiers being remembered today and, on the back, a beautiful and very moving poem written for today by Carol Ann Duffy
St Ives as we were leaving
Other beaches in Cornwall had sand drawings of soldiers too.
Lieutenant Richard Charles Graves-Sawle. On Porthcurno Beach
On Perranporth Beach. Photo by Naomi Smith
commonprose
December 21, 2018 at 4:52 pm
What a moving observance of the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. Love the placement of flowers to be washed away by the sea. Favorite image here, though, is the view from above of the sand art face being washed away by the tide. My material grandmother’s fiance was killed in this way less than two weeks before its end.
commonprose
December 21, 2018 at 4:53 pm
….killed in this war…..
Mandy Rolleston
November 12, 2018 at 9:17 pm
So lovely to see this blog, thank you Sally. I was on the beach at Pembrey South Wales and thought of you all across the sea and said my own farewell to family past….and love to all my friends and family now. Thank you.
mybeautfulthings
November 12, 2018 at 10:06 pm
What a beautiful and respectful way to commemorate the end of that dreadful war. I’m glad you found a beach too.
saymber
November 12, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Reblogged this on my page – no more words, just love. Thank you Sally.
mybeautfulthings
November 12, 2018 at 8:17 pm
Thank you. Love and peace to you xx
utesmile
November 12, 2018 at 7:19 am
Beautifully done.
Heyjude
November 11, 2018 at 10:09 pm
At least you had a decent day for this. I was tempted to go to St Ives but then couldn’t face parking and crowds, although it actually doesn’t look all that crowded there. The poem is brilliant, though sadly true. What did all those men sacrifice their lives for. “history might as well be water, chastising this shore…” Thank you for these images.
mybeautfulthings
November 11, 2018 at 10:16 pm
We went by train so avoided the parking. It was busy and some choir people had problems parking. It was busier than it looks as by the time I took that photo, it was all over and people were leaving.
The poem is brilliant, I agree. The whole crowd and choirs read it together at the end and it was very moving. I couldn’t read the last two lines, too choked up.
Heyjude
November 11, 2018 at 10:35 pm
I can imagine.
john zande
November 11, 2018 at 8:48 pm
Been meaning to ask, have you been to the Tate in St. Ives? The building itself looks remarkable.
mybeautfulthings
November 11, 2018 at 10:14 pm
We love the building, some fabulous features like the curved glass wall that both acts as a window and reflects the seascape back to you. We don’t find much of the art to our taste….
john zande
November 11, 2018 at 10:22 pm
It’s the building I was most interested in. BBC did a doco recently on some architectual awards (Best new buildings in Europe 2018, or something along those lines), and it was in the running. Clever little ants behind it.