Yesterday , in the pouring rain , 9 of us did a beautiful TCF,station to station walk .We started at Paddington ,ending up at Waterloo and strolling through Hyde park ,Green Park and St James’s Park .We got to Horseguards parade bang on 3pm to see The Changing of the Guard .I don’t think I’ve seen it from beginning to end since I was a kid .It was quite a spectacle ,especially when one huge horses got a bit frisky and cantered into the crowd. Sergeant -major shouted at us to get back and we nearly lost Hazel under Dobbins’ legs !
I showed them Rosie’s Plaque at The Isis ,- a lovely Italian man took a group photo ( nearly taking one step back to many and ending up in The Serpentine – good job his friend shouted at him ) We walked around the Princes of Wales stream-thing ( which I love ) and then went to the July 7th Memorial .The memorial is made of 52 stainless steel pillars ,each one representing one of the victims. The pillars are grouped together in the four clusters where the bombs went off . Each steel ( made in Sheffield ) is 3.5 metres high and is unique ,as they were all cast separately .All the victims names are on one plaque ,behind the pillars .My friend’s daughter’s name, Laura Susan Webb ,is in the bottom line. It really is beautiful .I love the way you can touch it ,kids can run round it and it’s stunning simplicity .I would love to see it from above to see if the way the pillars have been placed,is symbolic .
It also moved me that Laura and Rosie and my book-club friend Marian are together,being remembered in Hyde Park .It is stupid ,irrational ,sad even ..but it gives me hope she is out there with people to care for and be cared for and is looking down and seeing our never-ending love for her.