August/September/October 2014
by Carolyn - 14:11 on 27 October 2014
"Bloodswept Lands and Seas of Red"
We enjoyed a nice long summer with a variety of highlights. On 4th August we took part in three WW1 Commemorations. The first in Farncombe, our local village, the second at Godalming Parish Church and finally a late-night Vigil at Guildford Cathedral with Edward & Sophie Wessex and the great and the good of the area. Lots of Last Posts and hymns, reminding us of Armistice Days with Dad and Nanna Branson. In October Carolyn saw the amazing display of ceramic poppies in the moat of the Tower of London, whilst attending the Water Aid Supporters AGM at Tower Hotel. We also tracked down her grandfather Harry Branson's grave in Hallouin, Northern France and obtained photos, which are now on the Abingdon family grave in readiness for the 100th anniversary of his passing on 8th November.
In August we attended a lovely Baha'í Summer School in west Wales, on a windy cliff top with sea views, with many old and new friends, good food and some learning... it's always a joy to be with the down-to-earth Welsh Bahá'ís. Various summer parties and reunions including a number of Bahá'í and Interfaith activities, Bengal Engineering College Alumni Bar-b-que, and a Battersea Reunion for Bibhas with his friend & compatriot from NASA.
In September we had another week in France where we had lovely weather and were able to see several groups of friends including past neighbours from Cyprus, Carolyn's 60s friend Joy, and Bahá'ís from England and France. The local vicar also dropped in for tea in the garden...
There were two funerals at Arnos Grove during this period - little Tristan's great-grandmother Nirvana Farhoumand, an early pioneer to Tanzania, and Margaret Watkins, a stalwart of the U.K. community.
Bibhas went back to Cyprus after our monthly 'Pepperpot'meeting in Godalming at the end of September and is keeping busy building an exhibition and supporting or arranging a variety of events in the North. Carolyn weighed up seeing all our lovely friends there with the ordeal that is air travel these days and the abundance of activities on the home front, and decided to stay on in Godalming. One unusual event was the Remembrance Service for the young people who died in the Guildford Pub Bombing 40 years ago, in our bedsit days, in Quakers Acre near the Horse & Groom...
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