It has been about a month and a half since I last published a post. Unfortunately I haven't posted as often as I wished to have done, in fact I would have really of liked to have published a post every two weeks at minimum, but unfortunately I haven't had the time. Hopefully, in the new year I hope try to rekindle this promise to myself and to you all.Anyway, with that out of the way, I would like to start off by saying a very Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you enjoy it in what ever way it may be, whether with friends, family or by yourself. I also would like to wish you a happy new year as well and I hope that the next year will be even better than 2014. I also would like to wish you all luck with any new years promises you decide to undertake as well.
I also want to wish everyone good luck if they even dare to go with in a mile of a shopping centre on boxing day as well. I once decided to go to bluewater on boxing day with my sister and instantly regretted my decision once we got of the bus and entered the main shopping area. chaos everywhere. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they're extremely desperate for cheap fashion and ready for a black eye or two.
On Christmas day 100 years ago, an odd phenomenon was witness by many in the front line battle fields of Europe. It was a day where two fighting armies, one against the other, forgot their differences and came together to cherish the day and where soldiers braved possible death to venture over no mans land to the enemy trenches to exchange gifts, cards, food and souvenirs. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps, while several meetings ended in carol-singing. Men also played games of football with one another as well. It was a wondrous sight as a few days before would have been heavy fighting from both sides.
Future nature writer Henry Williamson, then a nineteen-year-old private in the London Rifle Brigade, wrote to his mother on Boxing Day:
"Dear Mother, I am writing from the trenches. It is 11 o'clock in the morning. Beside me is a coke fire, opposite me a 'dug-out' (wet) with straw in it. The ground is sloppy in the actual trench, but frozen elsewhere. In my mouth is a pipe presented by the Princess Mary. In the pipe is tobacco. Of course, you say. But wait. In the pipe is German tobacco. Haha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench. Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench. Yesterday the British & Germans met & shook hands in the Ground between the trenches, & exchanged souvenirs, & shook hands. Yes, all day Xmas day, & as I write. Marvellous, isn't it?" If these men, all those years ago, were able to put aside there differences while amid The Great War, great austerity and great ordeal, then surely you all are able to put aside your own differences with your family, friends, enemies and strangers for at least one day. I hope you are all able to enjoy the day to the best of your abilities and of course, if some thing small goes wrong, please to think on the bright side and remember that every grey cloud has a silver lining. Make the best of what you have now as you may find yourself one day wishing to have it back again. I know I'll be trying to make the best of it how ever it turns out
