Finished making the mosaics

I have completed the mosaics today and await installation details.

who is this?

This was drawn by a school boy and it reminded me of when I was a school boy. I used to play with my toy soldiers: Cowboys and Indians, well actually alot of them were General George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and Indian's. I used to like the Indians best. I really liked their clothes, they seemed so much more interesting and when I played the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890 the Indians always won.  

I got the same feeling when I saw this drawing as I thought it was not the Knights Templars or King Richard 1st or Crusaders. This I interpreted as a Saracen, a soldier from the middle east in fact, I think it might be even Saladin himself who captured Juruselem and defended it. That same feeling is not to do with religion or belief but a lure of beautiful craft skills, colours, different customs and ways of doing and making things.  In short a kind of emblem for cultural exchange. The armour and battle dress just looks better.

So I have included Saladin as the subject for the stone leaving Strood and venturing out under the motoway to explore the unknown further along the trail towards Cuxton and undiscovered people and places beyond. 

Templar Logos under construction



The logos are also featured on the trail signposts and I will insert them into the tops of the stone posts.
I found this link with a brief historical outline of the Knights Templars.
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/templar-knights.htm