about the engagement. And as though this day wasn’t already perfect, they asked if we wanted to go up the tower to the bells. We climbed up very narrow circular stairs to view 7 bells of various ages ranging in dates from 1658 to 2000. Though no longer rung, the old bell that was replaced in 2000 is still honored and in its place at the top of the tower. Like a kid in a candy shop, Pete seized the moment and rang one of the bells. The next day we drove to Worcester and spent a week touring it’s cobblestone streets in the old town, with side trips to Bath, Stonehenge and Wales. After we returned home, life as we knew it hadn’t changed, but we had. We had new memories that would last a lifetime. As I continued to research Chuck’s family tree, there was one more surprise. I discovered that Sarah’s husband, Hector E. Beeken had been born in Worcester. He owned a grocery on one of the streets we had walked down. Little did I know the value of the photograph in the graveyard in that moment or the memories that would follow as a result of it’s signifigance. It is as though the picture of the headstone had an underlying skeleton with more than one story to tell, pun intended. A photo of a neglected headstone lead to a surprise engagement, new friendships, a unique opportunity to learn about bellringing and it led to this story. Sadly, the day Peter took us to the bus to return to Heathrow would be the last time we would see him. These pages are dedicated to his loving memory. I will always remember him sitting in the front pew waiting for the show to begin, grinning from ear to ear. The only thing missing was the popcorn.
Photo by Terry kathryn Lawrence
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