Ann, Beryl, Martin - looking at photos of Ian's wedding. The last time they saw Ian was when he was a baby 28 years ago!
Thursday was a leisurely day spent talking a lot, continuing from the lot of talking we began on Wed. night! We had a look around their church - tombstones dating from the 1100's.
As with the church at Fawley that we visited with Andrew, I find it strange to see the graves and tombstones all around the church. I wondered if the yard would ever be 'full' - but Martin assured me that they reused the same grave areas - newer ones being just on top of the older ones.
On the way to Thame to see the Pillingers, we stopped at a church at Whitchurch - also dating from the 1100's - the first vicar was Peter (no surname) in 1189.
Some of the wooden pews were obviously very old and probably dated from that same era.
There was still a sundial on the tower of that church, as well as a clock that would have been installed much later. The church in Uffington had evidence of the old original markings of it's first sundial, plus a later sundial, as well as the newer clock. It is very sobering and humbling to realise that generations of people have been worhipping in that building for nearly 1000years - all the life experience that has been corporately and cumulatively lived is almost tangible. The concept of 'the communion of the saints' comes alive; as well as the reality of God's faithful presence and action among his people through all those generations and many more both passed and yet to come. With the very real threat of Islam gaining a foothold in England contrasted with the millenia of Christianity that has seeped into the land, as it were, I wonder if Islam really has a chance of surviving?? But then, paganism was the order of the day before Christianity took root. I suppose nothing can ever be guaranteed, can it!
From the church, we went to visit the White Horse and the remains of the old Roman fort/ garrison just down the road from the farm on which the Wellands live. The White Horse is a chalk construction on a hillside (formed by glacial movement aeons ago). It has been archealogically discovered that a trench was dug and chalk blocks moved in and put in place about 3000 years ago. There is of course much speculation about whether it had religious significance; and there is a flat topped mound which is believed to have been a place of sacrifice.
The white curve in the mid-foreground is part of the white horse. The mound is off to the left of the picture.
So much ancient history - and we think we know how they might have lived but we don't really. And in 1000years from now I suppose others will also speculate about our lives - and probably get it all wrong! What we do know is that they were people probably much the same as us, with their concerns and problems and joys and griefs - and they probably lived their lives as best they could according to their beliefs and perceptions. Do we?
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