A Story of Love, Loss and unwavering devotion.

John Bland was a war hero who never spoke of his bravery. Haunted by the horrors of the First World War and a personal tragedy after it, he sought a fresh start in Yorkshire with this motherless child, leaving behind a past too painful to share.

When he fell for a spirited mill worker sixteen years his junior, love offered him hope - but at a cost. Family disapproval, cultural divides and relentless judgment threatened to tear them apart. Yet, through every challenge, John lived by one belief: Actions speak louder than Words.

This is a story of quiet strength, forbidden love and the courage to defy expectations.

A granddaughter's tribute to a man whose legacy was not in what he said but in how he lived.

Christine Emma Carey

née Bland

August 2025