Sunday 31 May 2009

There's always a dark side

My crafty mojo seems to be on overdrive at the moment.
I’ve spent this afternoon working on a Circle Journal layout. For those who haven’t come across them before, a CJ is a blank book which you create. You choose a theme, specify any ‘rules’ and then complete the 1st two pages. Once that’s done you pass it to the next person in the circle, who does the next two pages, and passes it on until it comes back to you, complete.
This is Suzanne’s journal and I’m the last but one to complete their pages. There is only one swap left before we get our completed CJs back. The theme for this one is the end of WW2. The other people’s completed pages are full of hopes and dreams; loved one’s coming back, weddings being planned and so on.
I started looking for images on Google and came across the documents that I’ve used. From those, there was only one way to go – the dark side.
The scroll commemorates the death of Flt Lt Scott (RAF). The letter at top right is a copy of a valuer’s report on a bombed out house. Maybe the most poignant is the miner’s wage slip. It was issued to a ‘Bevin Boy’ on 12th May 1945, just after VE day. He was killed the following week in a tunnel collapse. The white feather ties in with it as many of the Bevin Boys were labelled as Conchies, whether they were or not.
It’s an age old story. The return of the victorious conquering heroes, celebrations of newly won freedom, grand speeches and revelries. But for every joyful re-union there is somebody, somewhere sitting with a heavy heart. I’ve seen it and lived with it, so I guess this is me saying a small thank you to those who gave, and doing my bit to keep their memory alive.

2 comments:

  1. A very poiniant LO there Nigel, i can relate to the heavy hearts amongst the joyfull ones. What a great way of remembering them.

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  2. Well I now know what your page looks like in my journal....looks great!
    That Woman x

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