{"id":48063,"date":"2026-03-24T07:33:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=48063"},"modified":"2026-03-24T08:38:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T08:38:32","slug":"the-national-memorial-arboretum-and-the-shropshire-hills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/03\/the-national-memorial-arboretum-and-the-shropshire-hills\/","title":{"rendered":"The National Memorial Arboretum and the Shropshire Hills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We had a busy weekend last week, with a trip to the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield and a night nestled in the Shropshire Hills, courtesy of my uncle Paul and Anne-Helen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Visit to the National Memorial Arboretum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anna had been invited to play the Last Post at the unveiling of a new memorial at the arboretum for the RAF Trade Group 11 Association. I went along as Anna\u2019s driver, for moral support, to see the arboretum, and of course for the free tea and cake. I wasn\u2019t entirely sure what to expect, but an arboretum is always a pleasant place to spend time \u2014 what\u2019s not to like about trees? And there\u2019s always a chance of spotting a duck or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a nice stroll around the grounds and along the River Tame. Having only been established in 2007, many of the trees are still fairly young, so as an arboretum it\u2019s still developing rather than immediately striking. But that\u2019s not really the point \u2014 the focus is on the memorials, and over time it will no doubt grow into an impressive arboretum as well. These things take decades, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"National<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Evergreen<\/a><\/figure>
\"Trees<\/a><\/figure>
\"Daffodils<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"The<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Memorial Ceremony<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We then joined a large group from Trade Group 11, many in suits adorned with medals. I felt a little out of place and quietly hid away on a bench slightly removed from the main gathering, watching from afar. Anna would probably have preferred this anyway, as she doesn\u2019t particularly enjoy playing in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna, meanwhile, was very much a principal guest \u2014 listed on the front page of the programme as \u201cThe Trumpeter\u201d and formally introduced before the ceremony. Much to my amusement, she was introduced as \u201ca young girl from Aberystwyth\u201d and how wonderful an opportunity it was for her to play the Last Post. From the way she was described, I think everyone was expecting a 15-year-old schoolgirl to stand up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, that became the joke of the weekend \u2014 although I did resist the temptation to heckle from the trees and shout, \u201cShe\u2019s nearly 50!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the speeches, Anna stood to play the Last Post, followed by two minutes of silence. She then played the Reveille, before further dedications, and finally the National Anthem, with the congregation joining in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards, we milled around for a while before heading off for refreshments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Evening in the Shropshire Hills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We left the group to their evening plans and made our way towards Church Stretton to meet Paul and Anne-Helen. We hadn\u2019t visited them before, but soon found the house, exchanged greetings, and settled into easy conversation over tea and biscuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was good to catch up, and the conversation flowed effortlessly. Later, we headed out for dinner at a nearby pub, followed by a tour of the house and an introduction to Paul\u2019s collection of Everyman’s Library<\/a> Books \u2014 something I hadn\u2019t come across before, but an impressive and rather appealing collection. Everyman\u2019s Library is a renowned series of high-quality, affordable hardcover books of the worlds classic literature, It was founded in 1906 by Joseph Dent and they are known for their uniform design featuring sewn, full-cloth bindings, cream-wove acid-free paper, and silk ribbon markers. They cover literature from ancient times to contemporary works, often including introductions, chronologies, and bibliographies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can definitely see the attraction of collecting something like that. Anna is now slightly concerned that I might feel the need to start a \u201cproper\u201d collection of my own \u2014 aside from boards, bikes, running shoes, rucksacks, and jackets. Those all have a purpose, of course\u2026 but perhaps there\u2019s something to be said for collecting purely for the sake of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Morning Run in the Hills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following morning, I was up early and headed out into the hills for a run before breakfast. I haven\u2019t really explored much of the Shropshire Hills before, but on a cool, sunny morning like this, they were at their best. Sunlight glistened on the streams, the hills were soft shades of brown and green, and the sky a bright, uninterrupted blue. There was no wind, and the only sounds were the gentle burble of water and birdsong. It\u2019s definitely somewhere I\u2019d like to return to for a more thorough explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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