2014 was the anniversary of 100 years since the beginning of The first World War. The annual Cookham Stations of the cross event showcases artwork by local artists and photographers of all ages. The idea springs from the work of Sir Stanley Spencer who placed biblical stories right in the village where he lived and worked. This image represents the station: Jesus meets his mother.It was painted at a time when my own son was the same age as the young men being sent out to war and I found it particularly poignant and difficult to imagine untiI I came upon the letter that begins "Dearest Mother, do not grieve for me..."

It has also been used as a jacket cover for a book telling the stories of the fallen now represented on the village war memorial.