The piece of work took place on Folkestone Harbour Station, on Sunday 1st August, 2010 @ 11am., to mark the 96th anniversary of the beginning of WWI.
‘If’ came to mind when I recalled Rudyard Kipling and the loss of his only son, John, in WWI.
If: used to introduce an indirect question…. An expression of desire….
At 11am, red petals were cast upon the line at Folkestone Harbour Station.
Visiting children were given a rose to throw upon the line. The artist’s collection of soldiers’ correspondence, posted in Folkestone during WWI, was displayed along an area of the platform, as were the poems of Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen and others. A visitors’ book contains poignant messages, left, by both adults and children alike.
Flowers were sent from United States of America, & local florists, donated bunches of red roses.
A station windowsill decorated with soldiers' postcards, poems and donated red roses....
Your affectionate son Reg......posted Folkestone 27th July, 1914 -
1917 - Shorncliffe - Friday - My darling kid...... from a Canadian soldier who travelled into the station; two soldiers in his carriage were travelling to Arras...
7th September 1914 - '.......Folkestone is full of wounded soldiers & 'Belgium' & French refugees. Love from Kitty xxx'' poem: 'The Send Off' by Wilfred Owen
letters, poems and nature ........
the pen is mightier than the sword..........
Young children cast a rose on the line, to lie alongside the petals ....
how many days have I stood on this platform and thought thoughts.... to meet these 'soldiers' here on the harbour station.......
a truly emotional and surreal experience for me.....
Looking at the poignant memorial to Private Fred Hardy, aged 22 years... left by a stranger on Sunday 1st August 2010
Wild flowers lie alongside a soldiers' letter; left by a little girl ....
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Au revoir........ and thank you, each and every one for the sacrifice you made.......... always and forever ...... in my heart ..........
