The Queen opened The Armed Forces Memorial today at the National Memorial Arboretum.

I imagine you’ve not heard of either. I visited the National Memorial Arboretum last year. It’s an inspiring vision, to be ‘the United Kingdom’s living and lasting memorial to commemorate and celebrate those who have given their lives in service of their country’.

It’s a wonderfully peaceful place to reflect on acts of heroism, courage, dedication and service. It has many individual memorials, each in their own way incorporating trees into the design of the memorial. Most of the trees are still saplings, and it’ll be many, many years before the vision is realised. But, it’s a rewarding place to visit – good for the soul!

I do urge you to go, when you’re next travelling anywhere near Staffordshire. Some of the memorials are humbling in their remembrance of courage and sacrifice. As you’d imagine, it’s both an uplifting and troubling place to visit. Uplifting to contemplate courage, comradeship and sacrifice for fellow human beings and country, troubling because of the loss of so many patently ‘good’ people in war and turmoil.

The National Memorial Arboretum is part of The National Forest, yet another visionary project.