Latest News/Events

Good to see that Simon Armitage’s poem, Sea Sketch, which he wrote about Edie back in 2014, features in his latest collection of commissioned work, Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic published by Faber & Faber.  More information here.   There’s a review of the book in The Guardian’s Review section (24 August 2019) here. More about the… Read more

In June 2019 we went to Crediton in Devon to give an Edie talk to the local History & Museum Society and to watch a wonderful production of The Men Who Marched Away by Crediton Operatic & Dramatic Society (CODS), What made this extra special for us was that Edie had a starring role. Do… Read more

With an ‘Edie’ talk imminent – at Tonbridge School on 20 June 2019 – one of Edie’s patients at Etretat No 1 General Hospital and named by her in her diaries has been discovered.  Full information here… Read more

Update 23 May 2019 Excellent article by former poet laureate, Andrew Motion, praising Simon Armitage’s appointment.  Particularly liked the last three sentences in the second paragraph of his piece! 12 May 2019 Great news that Simon Armitage is the new poet laureate. He wrote a beautiful poem for Edie as part of the BBC programme… Read more

We are pleased and proud that Edie’s great, great niece, Sara, will be at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 11 November 2018.Sara was invited because she was Project Director of Somme 100: the National Commemoration of the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme, on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government and Manchester City Council.  Somme 100… Read more

Congratulations to all involved in creating the film Behind the Lines which features Edie’s closest colleague, Sister Kate Maxey, while they were working in Etretat in 1916. We were so pleased to attend the première in Spennymoor on 21st October 2018. You can see the whole film on YouTube here. Do please spread the word… Read more

 I recently heard from Sue Boothby of Disley WI in Cheshire (https://cheshirewi.org.uk/disley/) about their wonderful project to commemorate the forgotten women of the First World War.  You can read all about it below and I have added some of the pictures of them working on the poppies which Sue sent me.   Please spread the word… Read more

How time passes!  I’ve just accessed the April 2012 edition of Libby Purves’ delightful Midweek programme in which I ‘appeared’ to speak about Edie and her diaries.  Very happy memories, one highlight of which was to meet Sir Trevor McDonald who, like me, was born at Pointe-à-Pierre in Trinidad. You can still listen to the… Read more

If you haven’t watched the beautifully made BBC 2 TV programme, The Great War – An Elegy, you still can.  It’s here: https://vimeo.com/111787365.  This film, which features Edie and her diaries and was made by Zoe Silver and her team for BBC 2, remains ever-popular. In it Simon Armitage writes seven  poems, each one about an artefact… Read more