A very emotional experience and a true love story

Yesterday we climbed Cooper's Hill to the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede

It was a long, hot, climb but worth every minute of it and the dogs enjoyed the woods en route

The memorial was dedicated to all those who lost their lives flying and whose graves were never known. It was opened by the Queen in 1953

 Over 20,000 names are listed by Country and rank and it is a truly humbling experience

There are still very current and personal memorials in the form of bouquets, posies, letters and photographs. Already choked up, the one that did for me was a young man, aged 20 who had been shot down in the channel dash and his fiance who died 2012, aged 90. "70 years lost"

The views from the top are amazing - Heathrow to the right

Sussex Downs behind

and Windsor Castle to the left

"wherever and for as long as freedom flourishes on the earth, the men and women who possess it will thank them and will say that they did not die in vain" 

We rounded it off with another symbol of freedom - the Magna Carta Memorial