At the eleventh hour

The children of St James's School came to the church today for a service to mark the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

As the nation fell silent, so did the whole school, and 500 children from youngest to the oldest stood in respectful silence for the Last Post and Reveille before we sang 'someone's crying Lord, kum ba yah; someone's praying Lord kum ba yah.'

We heard about Lance Corporal Fred Holmes (right), the young man from Bermondsey who was educated at Alexis St School (now part of St James) who was awarded the Victoria Cross for carrying an injured comrade for two miles on his shoulders in the face of enemy fire, and who is immortalised in the 'Brave Deeds Board' in the entrance hall at Alexis St.

And we learnt what Jesus meant when he said 'the greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.  And you are my friends if you do what I command you.'

It was a good conclusion to our remembrance events at St James and St Anne's.

The Brave Deeds Board at Alexis St School