Hopefully by now many Friends will have seen the 20 panels of the Labyrinth. We never quite knew how visitors would react to them, whether they would read the odd one, or just a few but we have been amazed that most people now go from one to the other reading every one of them.
It’s very gratifying to Iain and I, who wrote them and especially the team who lovingly erected them –Vin Felstead, George Roberts, Tim Rogers and Rob Perry. Prepared at Vin’s house and then put up on-site in a matter of days they are a magnificent, and much appreciated addition to the Crater, so much so that tour guides are saying that they now have to allow an extra 30 minutes or so at Lochnagar. We all know that they are not just ‘information’ panels but they seek to enhance the emotional experience of a visit. Quite a few feature men with a direct connection to the Crater, being the fathers of dear and long-time Friends, such as Roger Frankish and Mick Fellows. It is not uncommon for people to visibly weep whilst reading at some of the boards, especially Harry Fellows’ poem and John Scollen’s last letter home. Teachers too, have said that the Labyrinth panels have become a regular feature for their young people, telling as they do, not only the events at Lochnagar but the wider story of the consequences of the war. So thanks to all concerned and just to say the plan is to erect five more in the coming months to highlight the diverse nature of all those who fought in the war. (By Richard Dunning)
