Special Occasion The weather was dry for Sunday’s Foundation Stone ceremony at Charlton Farm. As we turned off the Failand Road and motored down the long driveway, past the Downs School, we could see the gigantic crane that is positioned in the middle of the building site, cradled in a hollow amidst rolling green pasture. We were told that only a day or two previously, the area had been full of machinery and workmen, typical of a busy construction site, but all had been cleared and tidied to make the setting as calm and peaceful as possible for this most important occasion. Something very special was needed here, as well as the foundation stone itself, and careful thought and deliberation had produced a perfect solution - a treasure box. All the families that have used Little Bridge House in North Devon over the last ten years were asked to contribute a treasured memento of their lost child – a lock of hair, a drawing, a favourite poem. The box was sealed and members of families currently cared for by Children’s Hospice South West symbolically buried the box. It was a poignant moment and served to establish the close link between the two sister hospices. The foundation stone looked somewhat solitary, standing slightly isolated from the farm buildings behind it, but with a little imagination one could picture it in years to come, part of the entrance that will welcome all visitors to this haven of joy, as precious short lives are enriched, as well as sorrow, when the inevitable partings come to pass. The families will have their own separate entrance, as is the case at Little Bridge House. It was good to stand amongst the crowd of people who all share a desire to be part of this wonderful organisation and try to help in any way possible to ensure its well-being. There was a feeling of warmth and friendship, and as the young choir of the Downs School struggled to hit the top notes of the selection of songs from ‘Oliver’, who could fail to give thanks for so many healthy young children, both there and in our own thoughts and hearts, and feel a renewed urge to help raise the vast sums of money needed to continue this tragically necessary venture that is priceless. . |