Give Peace a Chance 1




















From Britain’s highest medieval castle mound the sea of green forest stretched to the horizon. I had followed the Heritage Trail around Thetford and climbed  the hill to watch and pray.


The town has an image of  being an unlovely London overspill and a centre for European immigrants, but  is much more.


Since early days it has been the Gateway to Norfolk . The first fortifications were built 500 years before Christ. It was from Thetford Queen Boudicca set out to avenge the rape of her daughters and when the revolt was over the Romans came and burnt it to the ground ! Saxons followed Romans and then came the Vikings, time and again, laying waste and burning. After them the Norman Conquest brought more of the same!

To-day, atop the castle mound the Normans built  all is peaceful but in the west I could see planes flying in and out of the USAF Mildenhall and I knew soldiers were training on the Battle Area.  In Iraq and Afghanistan victims of war still suffer as they had here. As I stood and pondered I saw a patch of woundwort  growing at my feet. Was this old stock of some long forgotten herbalist who had used their leaves to heal the wounds of war?  The words of hymn informed my prayers. “For the healing of the nations Lord we pray with one accord.”

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