I was very interested on a visit to the local collection at Kendal library in the display of art work by James Cookson.

I marvelled at the way he captured the spirit of the people and scenes, when as a serving soldier in Afghanistan during the First World War.

He could only have had very basic equipment. Alongside his war medals was an award for art.

His work reminds us that while the focus of attention is on the horrors of trench warfare, fighting was occurring in many other areas of the world, and many men left homes families and jobs to protect British interests, elsewhere. Ironically I noticed that he had been in Peshawar, which has been in the news again in recent times.

He survived the war and returned to his job as a wood carver, for Simpsons, a firm in Kendal. Some of his best of his craft work can be seen at Blackwell house, at Bowness.

The library also holds book of unusually good photographs of farming he took during the Second World War, which illustrates the level of physical work which went into food production before mechanisation.

I am told one of his brothers was an antique dealer and another an opera singer and I am left wondering if anyone has any further information of memories of these forgotten sons of Kendal.

Mrs J.H. Wilson

Appleby