Edward Thomas was born in Lambeth on 3rd March 1878 and served, and died, in World War 1. He was a literary critic and country writer who came late to writing poetry, now being one of the War Poets commemorated in Westminster Abbey.
Thomas was encouraged by American poet Robert Frost, after they met in 1913, to write poetry and verse. He and Helen had moved to Steep, just outside Petersfield, in 1906 where they lived in three different houses around the village. Edward drew inspiration to write his poems from the beautiful Hampshire countryside which surrounds Steep.
The Birthday Walk, held annually in March on the Sunday closest to Edward Thomas’s Birthday, retraces his life and shares collected poems and prose of his work.
The Birthday Walk
The 2020 Birthday Walk, which had been rearranged to take place on Sunday 4th October 2020 has been CANCELLED due to the COVID pandemic.
The Edward Thomas Fellowship committee have, after much deliberation and exploration of possible alternatives, reluctantly agreed that the ‘Rule of 6’ is the final straw and that the Walk scheduled for October 4th shall be cancelled.
With the safety of its members in mind, another Walk will not be rearranged now for this year so the next Walk will be the 2021 Birthday Walk which will be scheduled for Sunday 7 March (Covid permitting).
Members will, before the end of September 2020, be receiving a pack with information about alternative arrangements for this year’s delayed AGM, which had also been scheduled to take place on Sunday 4th October.
If you are a member and do not currently receive information and updates by email it would greatly help the finances of the organisation if you would agree to do so. There is a link to the consent form here.
Thank you for your continued support of the Fellowship in its fortieth anniversary year – which has been a year like no other for so many of us.
Stay safe