At the going down of the sun, we will remember them.

As the final rays of light receded from a decommissioned Bofors gun, the scene at the National Memorial Arboretum all but spelt out the Ode of Remembrance.

A serene and contemplative centre of remembrance spread across 150 acres, the Arboretum is both a fixed memorial and a work-in-progress, reflecting the ongoing involvement of British forces personnel who continue to serve across the world.

Spread across 150 acres, the memorials lie within a hushed wooded landscape behind a visitors’ centre with a café, restaurant and Heroes’ Square.

It was my first visit, through I had been given an insight into the ingenuous, ever-changing nature of the memorials with a preview of leading aviation artist David Bent’s exhibition marking 100 years of the RAF, which ran between March and July 2018. David and partner Carole had hosted me at their studio in Swindon to look through the striking, geometric designs ahead of the Tribute 100 display. Visiting for the annual summer prom, we had a chance to stroll among the memorials, including the decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft gun honouring the Maritime Regiment and Royal Navy Gunners. It’s one of more than 300 memorials that give dignified but powerful form to the past sacrifices which have taken place on a colossal scale.

The last rays of sunshine were also falling on the simmering glass memorial for the Royal Navy and associated services as walked around the grounds.

Made of 13 coloured glass panels to the side of a bowed stone figure, it cast shadows that appeared like tall, Trafalgar-era war ships sailing side-by-side.

At the heart of the site is the elevated Armed Forces Memorial, where more than 16,000 names of the fallen are inscribed on the structure’s stone walls.

Hulking bronze statues give muscular presence to their toils.

Blank panels, to be updated yearly, are one of the most sobering aspects of this quietly imposing tribute overlooking the surrounding countryside.

Below us, the Royal Anglican Regiment band was setting up on stage, ahead of a night of music with a strong World War One centenary theme. It was a reminder that the songs would once have been a light in dark hours for the regiments, comrades and loved ones remembered in the grounds.

My wife and I spent over half a day here and came away saddened by the futility of war but impressed and grateful to the countless people of so many nations who had made the ultimate sacrifice in recent war zones.. I had already visited the Arboretum some six years earlier and was struck by the many changes, improvements and additions to this large area that occupies former gravel pits.
Quite well signposted nowadays and with plenty of parking, there seems to be a 'standard' expected parking charge of £3...good value, and needed to help pay for the daily £3,000 upkeep of the Arboretum.
The site covers some 30 hectares and contains around 30,000 trees - many of which looked thirsty after the unrelenting July sunshine and drought. Only the 'lollipop' trees in the central memorial area seem to be watered, and some of the younger trees had clearly given up the struggle to survive. Very sad for an arboretum.
Staff were friendly and welcoming, as were the many volunteers. The shop contained a good selection of maps (£3), leaflets and memorabilia, the canteen/ restaurant was busy and understaffed at the tills and food was in surprisingly short supply prior to the evening concert. The café across the central square was better organised and served good coffee but rather expensive cakes & bottled drinks. There were outside seats and tables.
There is so much to see on this ever-expanding site: we took the land train tour that stuck to the well maintained road paths, lasted around 45 minutes and gave an interesting commentary en route. Strangely there were two places where passengers could get off but were then not allowed back on. The train was well organised and the staff helpful.
After our train trip we explored some far flung sites, following the wooden signpost directions. We regretted not having bought a map as we wandered along the banks of the boundary river, hoping to see some wildlife but even the birds were probably sheltering from the fierce sun. A pretty area that contrasted with the poignant exhibitions nearby.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch and, later that evening, the outdoor concert of patriotic music given by a military band.
A memorable visit to an impressive National Memorial.

As a published poet, writer and artist, Lichfield City with its three spired medieval sandstone Cathedral remains the hub of this Gothic ecclesiastical town, despite
attempts, in March 1643 to destroy it during the English Civil War in 1643.

Nearby, in the heart of Lichfield sits 'The Samuel Johnson Museum’ located on the corner of Market Square, amidst the quintessential Olde Worlde town, this small,

unique museum welcomes visitors from different parts of the world to share its sense of pride and occasion.

I decided to review The Samuel Johnson Museum, because I was encouraged at the behest of my daughter and 8 year old granddaughter who were researching a

school project about the man who compiled the first publication of the English Dictionary.

I could not contain my enthusiasm, Granddad’s do indeed have a place in the order of things. I explained that a visit to The Samuel Johnson Museum was essential if

they wanted to learn more about this influential figure.

They learned that Samuel Johnson was a modest man with considerable literary talents who, and, besides being the author of the First English Dictionary, he had also

written a variety of literary works including His "Rambler" and "Idler" essays that reflected a deep interest in life, especially the way in which men and women should

behave towards each other. As a critic and a scholar, his work on Shakespeare and other writers has contributed to our understanding of their works and their lives.


It is encouraging to listen to young people and older folk alike, sharing conversation about a wordsmith, famed for creating an open literary gateway, and a

ladder to climb on the shoulders of a secular saint who’s richness of word acted as a literary facilitator for others to claim their fortunes, whilst he lived modestly,

writing poetry, philosophical reflections, light hearted banter and parody, sometimes amidst challenging periods of depression and sadness.

I whole heartedly recommend visitors to this homely museum that has the additional advantage of being gratis on entry.

Besides the museum, Lichfield offers many alternative places of historical interest, picnics to be taken alongside the tranquil lakes or a wide range of hostelries, restaurants, cafes, bistros, suitable for most pockets. Not forgetting the wonderful Garrick Theatre.

Ensure you have your camera lens at the ready to capture some of the wonderful sites around this special location.

I hope this review has been helpful to those of you seeking out places of interest and learning; maybe I’ll see you checking out the library at The Samuel Johnson

Museum?

Regards,

PR

Not sure where to begin! We visited on 7th August and found this to be a really moving and thought provoking experience. The NMA doesn't only remember the forces, but other organisations are also represented. We arrived early so booked onto the narrated land train at 10.00am, cost £4 p.p. and well worth it. We hadn't had breakfast but they didn't mind us grabbing a muffin and takeaway coffee and eating whilst on the train. The journey took 1hr 15mins and provided a good overview of the site, giving just the right amount of information and enabled us to decide which memorials we wished to visit in particular.

The 10.00am land train gets you back in time for the Act of Remembrance at 10.50am in the Millennium Chapel. This was their busiest day so far and the Chapel was packed with extra seating provided outside with speakers. There is a loop system for the hard of hearing. This was a lovely service with a 2 minute silence, followed by a half hour talk by one of the Guides explaining the purpose and history of the site.

There are also Buggy Tours and Guided Walks available.

After this we ventured into the Gift Shop and Arbour Restaurant. The Gift Shop is well stocked with interesting products for all ages and price ranges. No tat here! The Restaurant was very pleasant and also had a good range of food and drink at reasonable prices.

The toilet facilites were kept very clean.

All staff/volunteers that we encountered were extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

There are so many memorials but the ones that stuck in our minds were "Shot at Dawn", the Burma and Sumatra Railways, the Royal Navy glass monument and obviously the centre piece, Armed Forces Memorial. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to cover every memorial but that can easily be rectified with a 2nd visit!

One thing I would like to say is that this site is advertised as "Free Admission" and it is. It costs almost £4000 a day to provide free entry. To those people who whinge about having to pay a £3 parking fee or £4 for a land train ticket I think you should visit the memorial that says it all: "Freedom is not free". When human beings have given their lives for this Nation and worthy organisations I fail to see how anyone can object to £3 and/or £4 - shame on you!

I can honestly say I have never been to such a well thought out, peaceful, emotional, beautiful and serene place, especially along the river walk where they have recently witnessed the return of otters amongst the other wildlife.

We had an amazing experience here and will certainly return. The NMA should be proud of what they have achieved on this site so far, and we look forward to seeing the developments as the years go by.

Remembrance has always been important to me and I have wanted to visit the National Arboretum for a while. I finally got the opportunity earlier this month when I visited with my partner on a wet, windy Sunday afternoon.

I checked out the website first (www.thenma.org.uk) and was glad I did because it contains a lot of useful information including the fact that, while admission is free, parking on site is pay and display (£3). The machines only take coins so make sure you have some with you – the money earned goes to support the Arboretum. We were also able to download a voucher from the site for a discount on lunch (offer now closed).

Access to the site is via the visitor centre, although people using mobility scooters should note that (for reasons that are unclear) they won’t be able to take their scooters inside. Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow, although if you are travelling alone and are unable to propel yourself along, I’m not sure what you are supposed to do.

That aside, inside the centre you are greeted by friendly staff who give you an overview of what there is to see plus a site map – useful as the site is large and there are many different memorials. We decided to have lunch in the restaurant before heading off outside – a good decision as, being a Sunday lunchtime, the place was filling up and there weren’t many free tables.

The restaurant offered a good choice of food, from snacks to cooked meals, and we opted for the roast turkey lunch. Without our discount voucher this would have cost us £7.50 each which seemed like decent value to me. Helpings were generous and the food tasted very good. We were too full to have puddings.

Outside, there are 150 acres of landscaped walkways, gardens and memorials to explore. Access is mainly via level paths, although to reach the centrepiece Armed Forces memorial you will need to climb a set of steps or follow a gently sloping pathway. The site is quite exposed and, although there are benches all the way round, there aren’t many shelters, so take a brolly if you’re visiting on a showery day.

There are many memorials to see, all different, all impressive in their own way. We found the Shot at Dawn memorial particularly moving as it commemorates those men who were shot for ‘cowardice’ (and recently pardoned) during the first world war. Many were teenagers when they died. Also impressive was the Parachute Regiment memorial, with its clever parachutist sculpture.

I would suggest you given yourself half a day to do the Arboretum justice and to give yourself time to reflect. We only managed two hours, including lunch, due to the wet and windy weather conditions and felt we needed to come back on a warmer day to take it all in properly. Also, it would be great to see the gardens in full bloom – when we visited the trees and plants were only just coming into bud. I have a feeling that they will look very beautiful in summer.

The National Arboretum is maturing and evolving and, having got off to what seems to be a very good start, I think it can only get better.

In my view this is an important place because it forces you to think about the cost of human conflict. It’s also a beautiful, peaceful place, somewhere in this busy, troubled world of ours to stop, stand and stare.

The National Memorial Arboretum is now in its second decade.
The changes that it has undergone since its beginnings are remarkable.
When I originally visited in the early years, it was a somewhat damp, puddly sort of place that could be very muddy in parts.
It is now well established with good roads and paths and very good signposting. Clearly the place is a work in progress though. New memorials are being built and developed all the time and I fully expect the National Memorial Arboretum to grow substantially over the next ten years.
Currently it occupies more than 150 acres.
In many ways, now is probably the best time to visit while it is not too large to easily find your way around.
You can choose to have a very rewarding visit on both warm and cool days providing you dress sensibly. I would suggest that very wet days are best avoided though.
You probably need to allow at least three hours for your visit, although you could probably get a flavour of the place in as little as two hours. Most visitors will spend a lot more time seeing everything they want to and the time will fly by.
The National Memorial Arboretum is easy to find just off the A38 dual carriageway in Alrewas. It is well signed with prominent brown tourist signs.
There is a large parking area with good sized parking spaces. Parking is pay and display and just £3.00 to park all day. There are plenty of blue badge spaces close to the Remembrance Centre.
The Remembrance Centre is a well designed modern, contemporary and very welcoming space that includes very clean and smart toilet facilities, a spacious reasonably priced and comfortable restaurant, a coffee shop, a well stocked gift shop with unusual and imaginative souvenirs. Helpful and knowledgeable volunteers and guides are plentiful and will assist you with any information you require to help you plan your visit.
Regular events take place and full details are included on The National Memorial Arboretum website.
The National Memorial Arboretum has put a lot of thought in being accessible to all.
The memorials generally commemorate the military, but also commemorate public services and important charity and civilian institutions. They range from the grand and elaborate to the simple and quite humble. Lots are set in peaceful woodland or calm, reflective wildflower glades. It is impossible not to be moved by the power of most of the memorials.
I personally found the Burma Death Railway and the Sumatra Railway Memorials which feature track originally laid by POW's, especially moving. The Shot At Dawn Memorial on the eastern edge of the Arboretum, is guaranteed to make you think about the terrible fate of young, frightened soldiers shot in WWW1 for apparently being cowards.
If this is your first visit, then the frequent Land Train tour (Around 1 hour duration £5.00 adults/£2.00 children) is a really good way to find your way around the site and get an idea of what you want to see in more detail. There is a clear and very informative commentary.
If you choose to simply walk around the grounds then the roads and paths are all level and well maintained and there are plenty of benches to take a rest or simply to sit and contemplate our recent military history.
The National Memorial Arboretum is well worth a visit. It is a moving and interesting place to see. It is not all sad though and aspects are quite uplifting so you will definitely enjoy your visit.
Admission is free and all profits from the parking, shop, restaurant, coffee shop and other events go towards the upkeep of the arboretum.

On Thursday, 27th. September, 2012 I travelled by the 9.45 am London Midland train from Northampton to Lichfield Trent Valley, and then by a small diesel electric to Lichfield City station. I travel first class and the trip was both comfortable and punctual. At Lichfield city station I then took a taxi to the local Record Office to conduct some family research for the period 1783 - 1801, which entailed the scanning of ancient text written on parchments. I was researching my family names of Moreton, Randle, and Hatton. My paternal great grandparents were John Moreton Jnr., and Fanny Randle. I had arrived at the record office at about 12. noon, so after several hours of intensive research of the parchments, I took a break to rest my eyes. I first walked across from the RO to the nearby Gatehouse public house and there enjoyed a very cheap pint priced at only £1.99p. This was a Weatherstone's retail outlet. I could scarcely believe the price. I enjoyed the pint and then walked directly towards the cathedral. It took only ten minutes to reweach this remarkable piece of architecture which had faced the wrath of Oliver Cromwells' soldiers in the mid-seventeenth century during the time of
The Commonwealth when England was a republic in the wake of the regicide of the last king Charles I, who was beheaded after his trial outside Whitehall, London. The cathedral is built in tis attractive local red quarried stone which gives it a unique visual ambience, especially in bright sunshine. The interior is not brightly lit, so be prepared for the sudden drop in quality
light. I only had a short time on my hands so strode clockwise round the cathderal but in that short time was able to see the spectacular medieval glass windows, the burial sites of several famous clergy, some of the cathederal's ancient silverware and related artefacts, and, the inscriptions on the headstones of the cathdedrals clergy who had been buried here. I could imagine a wonderful ambience in the cathedral during either Easter or Christmas ceremonies.
In the bookshop opposite the cathderal I bought several well printed books which recorded the cathedrals history in photographs and text. I also bought a cute teddy bear which wore a jacket bearing the Lichfield cathedral logotype as well as a nicely printed T-towel bearing a graphic of the cathedral. The walkway back to the record office is a pedestrian walkway, so does not have the volume of traffic normally encountered in a city centre, which is an asset as one can stroll peacefully without noise and distraction from cars, vans and lorries. In the immediate area are a wide variety of restaurants, which served Thai, Indian, Chinese and Italin food. There are also several pubs and a hotel from which to choose a beverage, as I had done earlier. The rain held-off, until I departed at 18.00. By 19.45 I was back in Northampton having spent a fruitful and enjoyable visit to this charming city. I think a two day visit would give the visitor a better feel for the city's history and local people. I found everybody to be most helpful and aboveall polite. I will certainly be returning for further family research and to revisit the cathedral and several other local places of historical interest. The city has some fine antique shops. My family research proved fruitful with over forty entries for my related families, of which, all were written on parchments dating from 1787 - 1800 for my families. My next local visit will be to Nuneaton. Geoffrey E. Dxion-Hamilton, editor, Anglo Nordic Times ( Fd. 1976 ).
visit: Thurs. 27. ix. 2012. 0.9.45 am - 19. 45pm gmt bst.

Lichfield City is a pleasant half-hour train ride north out of Birmingham in the Staffordshire countryside, and home to one of England’s great old cathedrals. With its unmistakable three spires (“Three Sisters”), Lichfield Cathedral is a magnificent sight to behold as you approach the historic city center. The environs of the cathedral are a pleasure to explore as is an unhurried walk through the cathedral itself. Lanes leading to the cathedral offer welcoming small-scale cafes, restaurants, and other inviting businesses and attractions, such as museums honoring Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles, and Samuel Johnson, compiler of an important early English dictionary. There is a lovely pond you can stroll beside, pubs offering traditional refreshment, and a village market outside St. Mary’s Church, all just minutes from the cathedral by foot.

The exterior stonework of the cathedral is an imposing dark reddish hue. Its three sky-piercing spires are a unique feature among English cathedrals. It’s easy to spot many interesting and intact gargoyles mounted at various levels on the outer walls of the church, particularly at the east end. Watch out for an especially horrifying one of Medusa’s head. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a session of change-ringing in the bell tower, the cascading sound of bells mightily rolling around upon themselves with subtle, ever-shifting changes of bell sequence. Change-ringing is one of the aural wonders of English cathedrals and never fails to give me goosebumps and make time seem to stand still. Have a seat on one of many benches placed along the perimeter of the cathedral and enjoy gazing upon any of the many different views of this grand edifice.

A wander through the interior will provide you with several hours immersion in a serene yet historical and awe-inspiring cathedral environment. Lichfield Cathedral traces its origins back to the legend of St. Chad in the 600’s. The present cathedral took about 150 years to build and is largely Gothic. It contains all the major styles within that broad category of time stretching from the 1200’s through the 1300’s and beyond. The crossing and western end of the choir date from 1200 and show both Norman Transitional and Early English work. The Lady Chapel and eastern choir are in the Decorated style, and there are examples of Perpendicular style.

The cathedral suffered much damage at the hands of Henry VIII and during the English Civil War so had to undergo quite a bit of rebuilding in subsequent ages, which continues to the present day. Lichfield and the cathedral close were a battleground during the Civil War in the 1600’s. If you look closely at the many carved heads decorating the side aisles in the nave, you can see slash marks on some of them where swords were sharpened during that upheaval!

History washes over you as you explore this ancient building and marvel over the monuments, effigies, stained glass windows, tiled floors, organ pipes, chantry chapels, massive doors, iron and metal-work, the complex tracery, and myriad of architectural features from the smallest detailed wood and stone carvings to the soaring arches, breathtaking ceiling vaulting, and herculean pillars. One of the cathedral’s treasures is the St. Chad Gospels, an eighth-century Gospel Book with 236 surviving folios, eight of which are illuminated. Priceless exhibits such as this along with the vast cathedral fabric that envelopes and transports you make for a profoundly rewarding experience.

There are two cathedral gift shops. Purchases benefit the cathedral and help you remember your lovely sojourn at Lichfield’s “Three-Sisters” cathedral.