On a recent flight to London, I thought about what my
husband and I would do once we arrived. Certainly, we wanted to see Westminster
Abbey, Churchill’s War Rooms, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben. But side trips
to York, Stonehenge and Bath were also on the agenda.
There was something else on my mind, and that was finding
the Edith Cavell monument in
London. Most people have no idea who Edith Cavell
is, including those who work in gift shops near Trafalgar Square, the
approximate location of the monument. It’s actually at 10 St. Martin’s Place up
from the right-hand side of the National Gallery, and I was determined to find
it. The Edith Cavell Monument |
Before I go any further, I should tell you about Edith. She
was born in December 1865 in Swardeston, a village to the west of London, and
became a nurse in a working class area of London called Whitechapel, which is
near the dockyards on the east side of the city and where Jack the Ripper
wreaked havoc. The daughter of a vicar, Edith was educated at the local high
school and several boarding schools. After her classwork, she went to Belgium
where she became a governess for a family, then returned home to take care of
her ailing father. This experience led her to apply to become a nurse
probationer at the London Hospital. She then worked at several hospitals in the
London area before traveling farther from London to nurse patients afflicted
with everything from cancer to gout.
Dr. Antoine Depage recruited Edith when she was in her early
40s to establish a new nursing school in Belgium. She accepted the challenge
and a few years later started publishing a professional journal called “L’infirmiere.”
By the end of her first year, she was training nurses for three hospitals, 24
schools and 13 kindergartens in Brussels.
When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914, Edith nursed both sides without discrimination. She took care of her own injured people as well as French and German soldiers. She helped many British and German soldiers escape to The Netherlands by concealing them and giving them money enough to travel and feed themselves. The Germans kept a close eye on Edith's activities, and when she was finally arrested and tried at court-martial, the British government could not help her, and she went to her death before a firing squad.
When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914, Edith nursed both sides without discrimination. She took care of her own injured people as well as French and German soldiers. She helped many British and German soldiers escape to The Netherlands by concealing them and giving them money enough to travel and feed themselves. The Germans kept a close eye on Edith's activities, and when she was finally arrested and tried at court-martial, the British government could not help her, and she went to her death before a firing squad.
Today, the words “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no
hatred or bitterness toward
anyone,” carved into the monument, stand as a
testament to her life and work.
Yorkminster, York, England |
American writer Terri Arthur wrote a book about Edith called
“Fatal Decision: Edith Cavell, WW I Nurse.” Penned in the style of a novel, the
story holds the reader in its grip from beginning to end.
Arthur, also a Registered Nurse, draws the reader into
Cavell’s story by introducing well-defined, multi-dimensional characters and
descriptive settings that support the suspenseful, beautifully written
narrative. The chapters are mostly short and, on occasion, include photographs
of various characters, newspaper clippings and locations where the action takes
place, including the prison where Cavell was held.
Some libraries own the book. If yours doesn’t, you can order
the book online for about $20.
Having read the book before traveling to London, I stood in
awe in front of Edith’s monument and took photos, one of which I later framed.
Edith has become my hero.
All of London is a thick stew of history, and no trip to
England would be complete without spending a day in York, north of London and
easily accessed by train, and Stonehenge, Bath and even Windsor. The country is
small enough to see it all within a week’s time. We loved York for its quaint
small town and Stonehenge for its unique mysteries. Bath and Windsor were also
captivating and stunningly beautiful.
Stonehenge |
If you plan to go, also consider a boat ride along the
Thames. There’s one that speeds along the river while the James Bond theme is
playing, but a woman at the tourist center told us to reconsider because it’s
terror inducing. Much better for us was the gentle ride along the Thames, under
the Tower Bridge and past a replica of The
Mayflower all the way to Greenwich.
There’s so much to see and do in sweet little England that it’s
worth a repeat visit. Just make sure you create an agenda before you go so you won't waste even a minute.
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