Runnymede

There has been a pause in blogging as I have been away on holiday (of which more later)

I had time to spare on my way to Heathrow, and it was a nice day, so  I decided to make a small detour and visit Runnymede, where, in 1215, Magna Carta was sealed by King John.

Runnymede meadow and 'The Jurors' sculpture

These days, it's a wide, grassy, river valley, by the Thames, and really rather lovely on a sunny Spring afternoon.

In the valley, there is currently a sculpture called 'The Jurors', consisting of a dozen chairs decorated with images relating to struggles for freedom, and the rule of law.

Chair with part of Magna Carta

The art includes representations of people such as Lillie Lenton (Suffragette), an excerpt from Magna Carta itself, Phillis Wheatley (1st  published African American woman writer), the ancient Egyptian Goddess Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice, the ship Zorg (centre of a case about slavery), Harvey Milk's megaphone, Ghandi's hand spinning wheel..

'The Jurors'

The sculpture is interesting and thought provoking, I liked it.

Also on the same site are the Magna Carta  Monument, a little Neo Classical structure erected in 1957 by the American Bar Association. It's a tranquil spot, and had it to myself!

Magna Carta Memorial

There is also the JFK memorial. In 1965, the Queen gave an acre of land to the USA in order to house a memorial to Kennedy, following his assassination, so technically, visiting th memorial means visiting the US!

To reach the memorial, you walk up a cobbled path (made up of 50 steps, representing the 50 states). When I visited, the woods surrounding it were full of bluebells. Which was nice.

JFK Memorial

It was a pleasant, relaxing afternoon. Ideal before dealing with an airport!