ever since I can remember sunsets have been a fascination.. over 70 + years. My grandfather was blinded at the Ypres [WW1 ]hand grenade landed on top of wall they were sheltering behind, lost 5 fingers and half o 1 hand and eyesight! As a 3 year old plus [ back then just after the war at 3 ] used to walk the 500m to his house . In the winter month's mostly, had to describe "in detail" the sunsets to him. The night before his blinding had been an amazing sunset, the pools of water in the bomb craters etc looked as if they were full of blood! but the colours in the sky were fantastic he said. Next day was rain and clouds, the odd sniper, odd shouted obscenity to the enemy and occasional german grenade [ trench's were mostly less than 100 yds apart, But german grenade could be thrown almost 50 or so these yards … ALLIES ONE LESS THAN 30! Wiz' avatar and tonights fantastic blood red sunset that lasted over 15 mins took me back … how lucky are we to be alive at a time and an age when all around us it seems to be trying to squash us! at the going down of the sun ……..
Vivid memories for you, my avatar is a Cornish sunset taken earlier this year from my hangout near Perranporth, snapped with my little phone, thought I'd change the avatar as I was fed up with the pink panther.
I waited years to see a whole variety of all the "names they give sunsets" my most vivid and no camera at hand was burnt paper! this time of the year they are mostly red [ pinks ] no other colours due to low angle of the sun! at the moment the sun bearing from my window is about 235 degree's [ convieniently between the V of 2 rooves] it will go to about 230 then next end of summer go to about 340-345 degrees. My study is pointing due west 270 degrees in the window I have a 60cms wide sliding black panel currently fully left! Cornwall "west" coast from Porthcurno up along north coast brilliant for mid summer sunsets this time of year goes round to south coast!
JGF - fascinating about your grandad - mine was at Ypres too - in the Monmouthshire Regiment. He wouldn't talk about the war much at all - he got rid of his medals as soon as they were awarded - he tried to erase all memories of that time. I'm in awe of that generation of people and what they had to endure - I've had it cushy compared to them. He only told 2 'stories' ...... on day 1 in the trenches one of the soldiers who had been there for some time said to him 'right sonny - if you want to see home again, keep your bloody head down and NEVER EVER volunteer..!' The other story was when he was hiding from shelling in a ditch by a road. Once the shelling stopped, he and his mates crawled out of the ditch and started walking along the road towards wherever it was they were all going. All of a sudden in front of him a young 'Tommy' crawled out of a ditch and it was his younger brother who he hadn't seen for years!! He died in 1978 - I would love to be able to talk to him again, as an adult, but like I said he didn't like talking about the war and those stories were the only ones my dad managed to get from him - he must have seen hell. My sister has spent some time researching to try and find out more of what he did but information is pretty sketchy at best.
i still have my grandfathers medals (military cross won at passchendaele) officer comissions and other telegrams etc on the wall at home, he enlisted as a fusilier in the northumberlands in 1915 and finished as a captain in 1922 after 4 years aiding in cleaning up the battlefields, all that time and like so many others the only story he told, was of aquiring a pair of trench art vases made of shell cases .. which i still have, for 50 black cat cigarettes and and a bottle of whisky, god bless them all.
posted on here a few times reading about letters in the Evening world... sister paper to the Evil Post! well after a few years and probably aged 7 or 8 and pestering my nan on how come he was blind he told me I can remember his words well … didn't speak about much else just the night before and the explosion, how they heard it land on the wall 2 [ him +1 .. he was closer and died ] stood up to grab it and push it over, and it went off , his hands protected his face to a great degree [ had scars but superficial after 30+ years ...said thank god it was on the top of the wall …. he did add a phrase which I have lived out [ mostly /tried to ] a man without principles is no man at all [ actually 4 lines but cant remember them now! ] his belongings came back with him in 2 ammo boxes! made of wood, rope handles and brass fittings I have 1 still …..
LOOKS LIKE no snow at Christmas but could be dry but cold -3c ! the sun is still "moving south" although obscured by the clouds, just got a peek momentarily yesterday as clouds thinned. May have the brightness taken from our Christmas no sunsets and no tele, seems like our sky box has just gone phut screen is multi pixelated but the tv shows the opening tv start up menu clearly..... have sound though! wish had been in yesterday then an extra day to try and get it swapped …..
Took the bull by the horns... found my x4 magnifying glasses and sets of specialist drivers / spanners dug out my box of radio spares plus mixed tray of Maplins end of sale £25 job lot and opened up my sky box … not that complicated as no real moving parts earthed myself to ground rod for my am radio and set to work [ when I solder if need be ] after a few rests managed to determine a component part that might be faulty … 1 in maplin box … carried on and found 2 more suspects all with a replacement available … then last bit came across a dull solder track … worst nightmare very fine …. and difficult to get hot tip to it, anyways with my fiddly fat fingers and just a small burn to my left finger problem got sorted. Box must be about 6 years old?.... WE have tele …. with teir 3 from BOXING DAY … now I have my tools out might have fun finishing a few projects and repairing some power supplies and battery chargers ...
My paternal grandfather and his brother both lied about their ages and signed up in Western Australia for WW1, as Anzacs both sent to the hell hole that was Gallipoli, my grandfather was severely injured by shrapnel and sent home after being told his war was over, but was sent back to another hell hole that was Mons, where he was destined to stay until the end of the war, he came back and settled in Devon having met and married my grandmother his brother never returned from France.
took a few snaps and compass bearing today it is 239 degrees [ furthest south around 21 /12/20 was at 232 ] so in 1 month has moved further north by 7-8 degree's. Come June will be hovering around NNW with daylight up there North Scotland around 20 hours. 1658 hours now and all but done for us. Anyone on mendips or Blackdown hills will get a better look. hopefully some of us were witness to it. Have watched the weather front slowly about 4 hours develop from a patch of blue NNW of my house to the strip it is now NNW to SSW, …. "I AM UNDER A CLOUD" ...mind you aint we all! Back to work … wife home in a mo.
