10th May - Day 50 - “And from the midst of cheerless gloom I passed to bright unclouded day.” Emily Bronte

The picture, as often, doesn’t tell the full story because I didn’t get wet at all this morning. In fact, it was a good ride in much milder temperatures but I decided to stop to see if I could capture some of the dramatic clouds in the distance.

Talking of full stories, today in 1941 one of the strangest events in World War two happened when Rudolph Hess, deputy Fuhrer of the Third Reich parachuted out of his plane just before it crashed near a farm south of Glasgow. It is said that he wanted to discuss a peace deal. Various conspiracy theories surround the event.

The same night, May 10th 1941, was also described as the worst night of the blitz in London, Nearly 1500 people were killed and a further 2000 seriously injured. It seems unimaginable now that over 86,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. Given four years later in Dresden, 4,000 tons of bombs were dropped by Britain and allied forces and 25,000 people were killed, it is probably a good day to focus on the cost of war on all sides.

The full story or account is often something that we can only gain years after the event so, in the meantime, it is a good reminder to us all to sometimes question what we hear and see and try and gain a full picture or account before making a judgement.

Like Bronte, we all understand what it is like to pass from a cheerless gloom to a bright unclouded day. Remembering the events in history and/or questioning the news and events of today against the principles we want to live by, is a good way I’m sure of things remaining unclouded, or at least a little brighter, in the future.