If you had walked through the churchyard during November, you might have seen the local Scouts and their Leaders busy cleaning the granite tombs and painting the surrounding railings of the Holt family grave up near the Bothy. One of the memorial inscriptions is to Geoffrey Vesey Holt, who was killed in action on 2nd September 1917, aged 19, and is buried in the Bard Cottage war cemetery near Ypres, Belgium. Geoffrey had formed the first Boy Scout Patrol in North Cray and was Assistant Scout Master before leaving to join the army when just 17 years of age.
The 1st North Cray Scouts kindly volunteered to undertake the work as part of their commemorations of the 100 years since the end of the First World War and in tribute to Geoffrey. We would like to thank them all for their hard work and it was wonderful to see the results of their labours on Remembrance Sunday. Next time you are passing by, do go and take a look.
If you are interested in joining the local Scout group (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts), you can contact Nicola via email at otter1stnorthcray@outlook.com.
St James also paid their own tribute to those who lost their lives in service to their country, with a poignant Remembrance Sunday service that saw a full church, including the uniformed groups of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Scouts. Just before 11am we all gathered around the War Memorial in the churchyard to pay our respects by laying wreaths. Finally, at 12.30pm we joined with other churches around the country by ringing the church bells, just as they did 100 years ago at the ceasefire of the First World War.
Hopefully, while in church you were able to look at the fascinating collection of photographs, books and letters that had belonged to Anne Kelsey’s father who fought during the First World War. It was amazing to think that the items were over a hundred years old. Thank you, Anne, for sharing such a personal insight into your family.
By the time you read this, Reverend Ren will have returned after her three-month sabbatical. Welcome back, we have missed you!
Maxine Heath, Church Warden