Leaving my mother to sleep in and to explore the Crown premises, I accompanied Don on a tour Sandon landmarks... starting with Sandon Hall. After passing through the main gate to the estate [1] and over a livestock grid we drove through flocks of sheep grazing on lush pasture land and along the long winding "lane" to the gates of the stately Sandon Hall [2] [3]. After many more camera stops, during which I dazzled my tour guide with an amazing display of broken field running through pasture obstacles, farm gates and centuries-old headstones, we reached the magnificent Sandon Church [4].

A chance meeting among the church cemetery headstones with the part-time grounds keeper,  Robert Selby, was a special treat [5]. Robert wears many hats -- he is a retired school master, a local historian & writer, and chairman of the Sandon & District Legion. A few short weeks ago, he and Legion secretary, Peter Berrisford, had sent me the formal invitation to the Lancaster Memorial Service -- complete with  map information and full itinerary.

Resuming our tour of the many centuries-old stone church I learned that various incarnations of the church on this site have provided a focal point for local gatherings and  worship since at least 1130 AD. Each stone seemed to have a story to tell and I have stored many of them away with my collection of pictures for future reference.

As I furiously snapped photos, Don supplied me with a wealth of historical facts and vignettes about the church and local area. Indeed, as I stood in the church yard and let my gaze fall across the full 360^o panorama, places and events of historical signifigance seemed to spring from every  point of the compass. He, Robert and Peter have written, or are in the process of preparing numerous documents/books/websites on the rich history of this colourful part of England.

The drive from the church took us along a scenic country road heavily canopied with overhanging vegetation [8]. Part way down this road Don pointed out a large building which had been the village school at one time [9]. In fact, the first fear of more than one parent back in April 1945, upon seeing the flames and hearing sounds of the crash, was that the Lancaster had struck the school.