'The room upstairs'

[Soren]

On my first visit to Ypres, I asked Forum Pal's where to stay, they suggested Talbot House as a base, which as you all well know was were soldiers could find a little peace during all the fighting.

Whilst there I found it a very moving experience, particularly when I discovered 'The Room Upstairs' as it was called at the time, a Chapel in the attic.

Whilst in there, I tried to imagine exhausted troops finding solace there, I've just today tried to capture the scene, late evening 1916.

so I thought I'd share it with you:

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Soren

A very evocative drawing. Thank-you.

You really ought to consider publishing a book of your work.

Dave

[Soren]

Thank-you Dave,

I posted in the other thread that I'll be moving to Ypres and will be starting up as an artist out there....... well hopefully!

Here is 'the room upstairs' when I visited it:

[ianw]

An incredible atmosphere of calm in that room. Perhaps the holiest place I have ever visited.

[Soren]

Here’s is another angle; the idea is several soldiers in the room, all in their own thoughts, two brothers consoling each other at the news of the death of their youngest brother......

dip pen with Burnt Sienna ink...

This should give Pal's some info on the history of TocH

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsali.../tochmuseum.htm

[marina]

I like this one very much.

Marina

[Soren]

An incredible atmosphere of calm in that room. Perhaps the holiest place I have ever visited.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I quite agree, I feel it's one of the most moving places I've been in.

At the time I just tried to imagine the thoughts of the soldiers who had gone up there, how many had been delivered safely home to their loved ones, and those who's prayers were not answered.....

[spike10764]

I quite agree, I feel it's one of the most moving places I've been in. 

At the time I just tried to imagine the thoughts of the soldiers who had gone up there, how many had been delivered safely home to their loved ones, and those who's prayers were not answered.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Soren it's obviously moved you to create a touching piece of art. That really is something to be proud of...well done

[Soren]

well thanks mate,

I just try to do our soldiers boys justice, for their suffering and sacrifice.

[ianw]

In the room there are details of some troops who were brought for communion there by an officer. I checked the names - as you can imagine some made it home and some did not.

I am not a conventionally religious man but you know with total certitude that this extraordinary room did bring huge comfort to many of those who , truly "in the shadow of death", climbed those steep stairs up to it, prior to marching those few miles back to hell on earth.

I hope it remains possible to sit alone in quiet contemplation in this room. Perhaps the most important single space in the Ypres area and must rank similarly in the spiritual history of our nation.

[burlington]

Soren

A while ago, I took a friend to TocH.

Whilst he was being shown round I spend almost 2 hours sitting quietly in the garden.

This was some 3 years ago, and the garden has changed, but do you have anything from that location/time?

Regards

Martin