I was invited to Harlow Playhouse Theatre on Saturday Night, where I saw an astonishing production.   It was literally, a one man play: about a soldier, Private Peaceful in the First World War.  The actor, Joshua Findlay - just eighteen years old and in the midst of A-Levels - was outstanding, and played the part of Peaceful in quite an extraordinary way.

It was so good, that the purpose of the play - to bring home the horrors of the First World War - achieved what it set our to do threefold.  Here was a young lad, from humble origins, semi press-ganged into war, brave yet shot unjustly for cowardice.  By the end you feel nothing but a great chill and quite miserable - yet filled with admiration for the acting.

By chance, earlier in the afternoon, I was in Matching Tye, and had been shown a beautiful pocket watch worn by Sir Edward Grey, who was Foreign Secretary when the First World War began in 1914. I thought of this - as Private Peaceful is shown treasuring his own army watch, given to him by his soldier brother Charlie Peaceful, who in turn received it from an injured captain he had saved.  The contrast between the two watches could not have been greater.  Indeed, at one time during the Play, Private Peaceful gets angry with his watch - as he awaits death by firing squad in the morning.  He asks, if the watch was so wonderful, it would be able to stop time, so the night would never end.

Sir Edward, is known for his grim statement at the outbreak of war:

"The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time".  

He was right.