The Radnor Street Cemetery volunteers

In the beginning there were just two members of the Radnor Street Cemetery volunteers. Pictured below with Andy are Jon and David shortly after appointing Brian as their new apprentice. More than six years on and the group is considerably larger and Brian has ‘done his time.’*

The original objective of the group was to care for the Commonwealth War Graves. Today the volunteers are members of the CWGC Eyes On Hands On initiative, keeping the area around the war graves clear and reporting any concerns over safety or damage to the headstones. They are also recording family memorials that mention service personnel lost or missing in war. Their latest project is an attempt to secure recognition by the CWGC for a soldier who died in the Victoria Hospital, Swindon in 1918 from broncho pneumonia having recently been discharged from the army as unfit for service. We believe that his death may have been as a result of his military service. If successful this will be the second WWI soldier to be so recognised in the past two years.

But this is only part of the volunteers work, as you can see from the photos below.

Would you like to join them?

You can contact us in a number of ways. You can leave a message here on this blog or on our Radnor Street Cemetery Facebook page and we also have a Twitter (now known as X) feed @StreetRadnor.

Why not come along to our next guided cemetery walk when Jon will be able to tell you more and answer your questions?

Our last walk of this season will be on Sunday October 29, meet at the cemetery chapel for 2 pm.

*finished his apprenticeship

Before and after … Kent Road gate

Read about Bob Menham, Swindon Town FC goal keeper.

Read about Edith Gay Little

Read about Joanna C. Lay

Before and after … Minnie Price