Armistice Day was marked at Shap with a village Act of Remembrance in St. Michael’s church. The service began shortly before eleven o’clock when the standard of the Royal British Legion Women’s Section carried by Bill Martindale led representatives of the village organisations into the church. The procession halted at the chancel steps to observe the two minute silence, before continuing to the altar where standards and wreaths were received by Revd Carole Marsden, she then dedicated the standard of the new 1 st Shap Scout Troop
Elaine Allison read the Bible lesson, which listed the Beatitudes. Jean Jackson read the account from a local newspaper dated 16 th July 1916 that described how Lieutenant Arthur Crompton fell, Lieutenant Crompton was the son of the vicar, and had had a brilliant academic career attending Penrith Grammar School, and St Bees school before attending Queen’s College Cambridge for one term before joining the 7 th Border Regiment in November 1915. The account continues to record all the Shap men who lost their lives, on one day 16 went over the top and only four answered roll call the next morning; Mrs Jackson said that there was a great gloom cast over Shap. There were also accounts of Shap men who were wounded and in hospitals; those who did not survive were returned to Shap for burial, nine rest in the church yard of St Michael’s. She ended by reading Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘My Boy Jack’ the inspiration for the drama to be screened on television that evening.
Prayers were led by Mrs Marsden and the organist was Janet Wood.
The preacher was Averil Cozens from Penrith Methodist Circuit, who spoke on the subject of peace in all its aspects. The personal peace gives one a feeling of well being, as George Herbert wrote; ‘Where there is Peace – God is.’ Mrs Cozens was wearing a Canadian poppy bought in Ottawa recently when she had visited the Museum of War where windows spelt out ‘Lest we forget’ in Morse code. She had also visited the Indian Museum close by which is built in the form of an upturned canoe which is itself a sign of peace.
During the singing of the final hymn, standards and wreaths were returned and the procession reformed to lead worshippers outside to the War Memorial in the churchyard where the names of the fallen were read by Mrs Marsden and Mrs Cozens, and the verse from Binyon’s poem To the Fallen was recited.
Wreaths were laid as follows: Royal British Legion Men’s Section: Leslie Steadman, Royal British Legion Women’s Section: Edith Warren, Royal Air Force Association: John Graham, National Fire Service: Jonathan Wood, RAOB: Dennis Chambers, Shap Parish Council: George Stainton, Cubs Scouts: Emma Pattinson, Beaver Scouts: Abigail Westhorpe and Imogen Johnston, St. Michael’s Sunday Club: Sarah Lightburn. The standard bearer for Scouts was Paul Wright, for Cubs Scouts, Luke Clarke, and for Beaver Scouts Rachel Wood.
As they do every year, the Royal British Legion Women’s Section had placed remembrance crosses on the graves of the nine First World War soldiers who lie in St. Michael’s Churchyard, and the three Second World war Soldiers who lie in the new churchyard.
Remembering loved ones.
November is a time for remembering, and there was a good attendance at the annual Remembering Service held in St Michael’s church, Shap. The event which held on the Sunday nearest to All Souls Day was introduced by Revd Carole Marsden when she first came to Shap. It has now become established as an important and meaningful occasion for anyone who has lost a loved one at any time. As people arrived they were invited to write the names of loved ones on slips of paper and these were placed in a basket.
Following the opening hymn, Mrs Marsden read the passage from Ecclesiastes beginning; ‘For everything there is a season’, she then gave a short talk; in this she said that she had lost many of the people special to her in the autumn season, and she always looks upon the beauty of nature at that time of year with some sadness. She recalled the feeling of grief and anger she had felt when seeing other people going about their normal life unaware of her sorrow. It is difficult to make sense of losing a loved one, and things will never be the same again, but somehow we cope and get on with life. Mrs Marsden closed by saying that hope was the greatest gift that helps us to hold on. In the hope of being reunited with ones loved ones. She then read two short poems one about time and the other about memories.
Following the prayers, the basket containing the names of those being remembered were carried to the chancel steps where there was a large cross covering in foliage. As Mrs Marsden read out each name, a rosebud was placed into the cross. There was then a period of silence before the final hymn. Those present were invited to collect the flower representing their loved one to take home with them.
Following the service refreshments were then served in the morning chapel.
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