Revd Valerie Kilner: Let us join
together in the Lord's Prayer:
All: Our Father, who art
in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will
be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the
kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
All: Amen
| Revd
Valerie Kilner: Rod Armitage will now read
Philip Larkin’s poem Ignorance: [Rod
explained that those taught by his father will recall
he frequently asked then to explain a question or
comment they had made.] Strange
to know nothing, never to be sure
Of what is true or right or real,
But forced to qualify or so I feel,
Or Well, it does seem so:
Someone must know.
Strange to be ignorant of the way
things work:
Their skill at finding what they need,
Their sense of shape, and punctual spread of seed,
And willingness to change;
Yes, it is strange,
Even to wear such knowledge - for
our flesh
Surrounds us with its own decisions -
And yet spend all our life on imprecisions,
That when we start to die
Have no idea why.
|
Edward Armitage, Summer 1968
source: Haslam |
Revd Valerie Kilner: We continue
with a prayer of personal re-dedication:
Teach us Good Lord to serve you as you deserve.
To give - and not to count the cost.
To fight - and not to heed the wounds.
To toil - and not to seek for rest.
To labour - and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will.
All: Amen
Chris Bent (standing in for Arnold
Tomalin) on behalf of the Soham Grammarians, to Howard
Gilbert, the Principal of Soham Village College: Sir, on
behalf of the Soham Grammarians I hand over this tree and
plaque to Soham Village College for your care. It is a
memorial to a distinguished headmaster of Soham Grammar
School and is part of Soham Village College’s heritage.
Howard Gilbert, Principal of Soham Village College:
On behalf of the Village College I accept this tree and
plaque to the memory of Edward Armitage. I now ask Mrs May
Armitage to do us the honour of unveiling the plaque.
 |
Left: Mrs May Armitage unveils the plaque,
assisted (L) by Mrs Margaret Bryden, Vice Principal,
Soham Village College and (R) Robin Armitage: looking
on Chris Bent and Rod Armitage (holding his mother's
walking stick) sources: Haslam |
After the plaque is
unveiled, Revd Valerie Kilner:
To the Glory of God and in the faith of Jesus Christ,
and in the presence the Armitage family
and of many of his former pupils and staff,
and of the Principal of Soham Village College,
I dedicate this tree and plaque to the memory of Edward
Armitage.
All: Amen
Howard Gilbert then completes the
planting.
Peter Askem, who illustrated
Edward’s book The way we lived then,
on behalf of the former staff of Soham Grammar School reads:
We pray that nothing of the good in this man's life will be
lost,
but that it continues to be of benefit to the world;
that what he held sacred may be respected by those who follow
him;
and that everything for which he was great
may continue to mean as much to those who remember him.
We ask you that his best may go on living in those whose
lives he touched.
We ask you that we who were associated with him
may now be even more closely associated with each other -
and that we may, in this togetherness
and peace and friendship here on earth,
always be deeply conscious of your promise
to be faithful to us in death.
All: Amen
- that concludes
the dedication -
Sunset is at about 18.17 so now is the time
for photos.
L-R: Howard Gilbert, Mrs June Lawrance, Richard Armitage, Mrs
May Armitage,
Robin Armitage, Rod Armitage, Rev Valerie Kilner, Peter
Askem: source Haslam
L-R: Richard Armitage, Howard Gilbert, Mrs May Armitage,
Robin Armitage, Rod Armitage:
courtesy of the Newmarket Journal/Soham & Ely Journal
taken the following day - general view: source
Haslam
The Soham Grammarians thank the
Armitage family, Mrs Margaret Bryden, Vice Principal,
Soham Village College and Revd Valerie Kilner for their
assistance in the arrangements for this dedication.
The variety selected for Edward
Armitage’s Memorial Tree: Variegated Norway
Maple (Acer platanoides Drummondii), chosen for its foliage and presence,
supplied by Simpsons of Fordham.
Dark green leaves with creamy-white margins
turning orange in autumn and small clusters of
red-tinged, yellow spring flowers. This handsome,
round-headed tree is possibly the best variegated
Norway maple.
|
An excellent
specimen tree for a medium-sized garden, it is
pollution-tolerant and copes well on most soils,
including clay.
• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained
• Rate of growth: vigorous
• Flowering period: April to May
• Flower colour: yellow
• Other features: creamy-white edged leaves
turn orange in autumn
• Hardiness: fully hardy
• Garden care: Add a top-dressing of a
multi-purpose fertiliser around the base of the
plant in late spring. No routine pruning is
required. Remove any dead, damaged or crossing
branches in April when the plant is in full
growth. Goes well with: Taxus baccatta,
Pulmonaria officinalis 'Sissinghurst White',
Epimedium x rubrum, Dryopteris filix-mas,
Brunnera macrophylla,Galanthus nivalis
Eventual height: 12m, eventual spread: 12m
|
Plaque by Ely Trophies:
In Memory of
EDWARD ARMITAGE M.A.(Cantab), B.Sc.(Lond), J.P.
Headmaster 1945-72
Soham Grammar School
Acer platanoides Drummondii
provided by Soham Grammarians, 2004
taken on 8th October 2010
