There is a field now far from the Westbury White Horse
That used to be a wartime airfield
Angela and I would climb a tree next to the railway line
And watch the bombers as they took off heavy with their payloads
The field is still there but it is no longer an airfield
But the scars of the returning bombers still scar its grassy soil
Angela Tree
I am in Buenos Aires visiting Angela Tree
She lives in Argentina now
After the war she married her doctor
And left Westbury for good
The air is good for her scarred lungs
I told her time and time again
Not to watch the bombers without me
But she was wilful and sat in the Angela Tree when I was away
When the bombers collided she inhaled the noxious fumes
And coughed up blood for many weeks
I did not think that she would live
But the Argentinian doctor and his staff saved her
Later they married and for the sake of her health
Moved to the country of his birth
She is strong but her health is fragile
And because of this she cannot fly
I have brought many photographs of the town with me
The Angela Field
Why have you never moved from Westbury
I have never had occasion to
You have travelled far
Were you never tempted?
Often but Westbury is my home
I am sad that my health does not allow me to fly
Often I look at the sea and think that this sea runs into other seas and those seas run into rivers and rivers run into the English counties
I often travel and look at the sea and think of you here in Argentina
I miss our tree is it still there?
No it was damaged after the collision and stood for a few more years before a storm finally blew it down
What a lovely tree it was
I often walk my dog through the Angela Field and think of our childhood years watching the bombers
And climbing up to the White Horse
Is it well?
Very
It is much loved
As with many things it was neglected for a while and then restored
Mr Paul spread his daughter’s ashes up there a few years ago
Do you remember Gladys Paul?
Yes she was a small fat girl who found it difficult climbing up to the horse
She died quite suddenly in a grocers shop in the town
It was a hot day and she told Mrs Greaves that she felt a little dizzy
They offered a her a chair to recover in the back parlour and when they returned poor Gladys had passed on
It was typical of Gladys she did not want to burden anyone
Poor Gladys
Do you see many of our childhood pals?
A few but most have moved on
I should have done so
But the view of the horse and the plains seduces me each time I return to Westbury
I wish I could return with you and walk the fields of our home town
The Old Town Hall is now a run-down Pizza shop
Is the town dying?
Yes and no
Parts of it are decrepit but there is so much life elsewhere
Do you often go to the library?
Frequently
And is the railway station still as far from the town as it always was?
Yes nobody has thought to bring it nearer
Is the early May light still as luxurious on the hills as it was when we were children?
Probably better
And the field
With the exception of the tree it is very much the same
If you look carefully you can still see the scars of the accident
Occasionally where I am there I meet Canadians who lost fathers and sons on that dreadful day
They speak to me and take great interest when I tell them of our tree
I tell them that you witnessed the accident and for some reason this brings a sense of peace to them
I cannot really explain the emotion but because you were there and survived it brings closure
It is a pity that I will never see Westbury again
But my lungs would not tolerate air travel
Last one to the tree is a pudding
Be careful Angela
Do not fall
Do not be a Gladys
Roger show some spirit
Where do you think the bombers are going?
To Germany
I hope they all return
They will as they will want to see you again
Waving to them
From the Angela Tree