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And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time

Dec. 21st, 2011 at 9:05 PM

mathewjpallet: There's No Money!!! (Default)

At 1:00PM on Tuesday the 20th 0f December 2011 I attended the Funeral of my Grandfather, Leonard Edward Terence Pallett at the Weston Super Mare Crematorium.

While the Chapel has room to seat 70 people only the first two rows were set aside for family which wasn't nearly enough. The celebrant remarked that Len had a particularly dry Wit reflected in the first choice of music - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from Monty Python's Life of Brian. There followed some personal memories, my Grandparents meeting at Paddington Station when he was 17 & she 14, a chance encounter, two days AWOL from the RAF leading to two weeks peeling Spuds. There then followed the moment I was somewhat hesitant about as we were asked to stand to sing the hymn chosen for the occasion - Jerusalem.

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrow of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

The music started, I waited for the opening where the hymn was supposed to begin but nobody was singing, I thought it was just a really long introduction but I looked over to the celebrant who appeared to be mumbling the lyrics inaudibly to himself. A poem followed, and the second piece of music When You Say Nothing At All by Ronan Keating before the Committal. We then retired for some light refreshment at The Ebdon Arms a few metres down the road from the Crematorium where my Daughters Sister took great delight in stealing sandwiches from my plate, opening them and then handing them back to me and toddling around the room as older children played indoor bowls.