Have I ever told you about Sheldon K. Goodman and the Cemetery Club? I feel sure I must have mentioned him at some point.
Sheldon established the Cemetery Club website in May 2013 sharing his belief that cemeteries are not only beautiful places but an important historical repository, as he calls them ‘museums of people.’
A City of Wesminster Tour Guide, Sheldon has also worked with the National Achives, the BBC, Pride in London and the National Maritime Museum and he has visted most of the cemeteries on my wish list and some I’d never even heard of before.
When the Covid crisis shut us all down Sheldon transferred to online presentations, developing the short video pieces he has long been sharing on social media to full length talks and this week I joined his virtual tour of Highgate Cemetery. This is one cemetery I have long wanted to visit, but for various reasons have never managed to get to.
Sheldon took his audience on a virtual walk through this spectacular cemetery, introducing us to residents old and more recently arrived. With videos and supplementary images and information, I can well appreciate just how many hours of work go into producing one of these virtual walks and talks – and that’s without the palaver of ‘zooming.’
Now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed Sheldon is getting back into ‘live’ cemetery walks and has a busy programme planned. One of these days I will get to see him proper, but for the time being I shall continue to follow him online and I am busy buying tickets for the next two virtual cemetery visits – Myths & Monsters Saturday September 18 at 7 pm and Brookwood on Saturday October 2nd 7pm. Visit the Cemetery Club website for further details.
Radnor Street Cemetery 