At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month – we will remember them.
Newbury Road Club Riders joined the nation in remembering those who have given their lives in service of their country since 1914.
The Midweek Ride on the 11th November departed from the British Legion at 9.30 and was perfectly timed to arrive in the beautiful Wiltshire village of Fosbury at 11.00. Riders from three groups gathered there for two minutes of silent reflection in serene and sunny surroundings.
“The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised between Fosbury and Oxenwood as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 15 members of these local communities who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was presumably erected not long after the end of the conflict, and was in situ by the Ordnance Survey County Series 25in map published in 1924. Following the Second World War a stone tablet was placed at the foot of the memorial carrying the name of the single casualty from that conflict.”*
*Listing from Historic England Website
After a climb back up into Berkshire, riders enjoyed lunch at the Craven Arms. We are grateful to Gordon Fry for organising this ride.