Last night I wrote about it feeling good that there were people who could stand at an historically spot and wonder what does even mean to connect with the past?
I have to be honest, and say that obviously you can’t connect with the past. Especially as in this context I can’t define what connect means. Just as the lockdowns were starting to relax, I went on a RAYNET exercise, it was the New Forest Marathon. But it was being run on a site at Wimborne St Giles. As I was approaching my deployment site, I drove past what I didn’t know at the time was Knowlton Henge. The oddity of a Norman church built in the middle of a Neolithic site, how old I’m not sure, but probably at least four thousand years.
After the RAYNET event, I made a point of going back to the site. I parked up, and walked in to the site. Why was it amazing to be there? At the time, I didn’t know anything about it at all, but now, through the books I am reading about Dorset I seeing many references to the site. Knowing about it gives me a greater appreciation of the place, the time and the people. What little we can know about them at all.
I very much want to visit many parts of Dorset, to experience these places, to know something of the history, and through the history, the people. And I think that is my definition of connecting with the past.
Bills Posts 