Some of you may remember the song "Silver Machine" by Hawkwind,
Silver Machine was written by my friend Robert Calvert, this is his
final resting place.
While I was visiting Roberts grave this week I noticed that it
felt lonely, so I asked if he would like some visitors, I asked him
to let me know if he did.. he could pick the method for letting me
know.
After driving away from the graveyard I started to ponder life
and what it's all about, are we alone in the universe? is there a
god? how can there be a god when so many cruel things happen on
this planet, never mind the evil that is carried out in his name..
so out loud I said it.. "There can't be a god, we're a chemical
accident, nothing more nothing less.."
On the way home I thought I'd do some caching, so I popped in on
The only known one in England after I parked the car I started
the hike to the cache, in the distance I could hear bagpipes and as
I approached the cache they got louder...
The cache was hidden by the ruin of an old stone chapel, and
standing in the centre of the ruin was a lone piper walking in
circles playing a loud lament.
When he stopped playing we started to talk, he asked what I was
doing and I explained about my visit to Roberts grave, and how
Geocaching had led me here, the conversation continued and we spoke
of many things, we spoke for over an hour and finally the
conversation hit upon religion, the piper explained that he knew
there was a god, he knew this from personal experience, he outlined
those experiences and I had no cause to doubt his sincerity, his
words were very affecting..
Suddenly it occurred to me, I was standing in the ruins of a
stone chapel, talking about the very god I'd denounced not 30
minutes earlier with a lone piper.. this is not my normal modus
operandi, I'm a fully paid up agnostic, this must be a sign of some
sort.. a sign that maybe I was too hasty in my denouncement. holy
cow! Message received and understood, cheers Robert.
The graveyard is at the end of the main runway at Manston, so
large Silver Machines take off over you head the whole time you are
here, other things to note are the prepared graves, the ground is
chalk here so the inside of the holes are white, very surreal, also
the views over Kent are spectacular..
To log your visit email me Roberts plot number, it's written on
the back of the headstone.
Say hi to Bob for me..