Disgraceful scenes in the cemetery

When my much loved Auntie Ruth died more than thirty years ago I was surprised at the number of ladies who attended her funeral and sang with great gusto. It was unexpected as I was her only living relative and she had few friends, so I was anticipating a small and sad funeral. I later discovered that these ladies were members of the church, and although my auntie had not attended for many years, they accompanied every funeral, adding their voices to the hymns and responses.

Andy Binks, my cemetery walk colleague, likes to read out a letter published in the Swindon Advertiser in 1902 where uninvited mourners were definitely not appreciated. Our next guided walk is on Sunday June 1, meet at the chapel at 1.45 pm for a 2 pm start. I’m sure Andy will ready out this letter; it’s the reference to womanly instincts that amuses him.

Correspondence

Disgraceful Scenes

To the Editor of the Swindon Advertiser

Sir, – It has been my sad duty to visit the Swindon Cemetery rather frequently of late, and I have been struck with what I can only call the disgraceful scenes which are allowed almost daily to take place in what should be a sacred ground. Whenever there is a funeral, one notices the same crowd of women trampling over the graves to obtain a sight of the mourners and to discuss the qualities of the deceased. One day last week I happened to be there whilst three funerals took place, and the crowd appeared quite to forget the sadness of the occasion, their only object being to get a glimpse of all three gatherings.

Surely the officials must know these heartless gossips by now, and they should be given the power to prevent their admittance to the Cemetery grounds.

To any person who has a dear one resting there, it is painful to think that his or her last resting place is being trampled upon by women whose curiosity tide what should be their best womanly instincts.

Thanking you in anticipation. – I remain, yours truly,

A RATEPAYER

Swindon Advertiser October 1902.

August

These are difficult times for old cemeteries, long closed and with no dedicated caretaker and groundsmen. When interments take place only occasionally and few people attend their family graves, cemeteries today are quiet places.

Some complain about the lack of care and maintenance provided by local authorities whose budgets are sorely stretched. So, what is the answer for our cemeteries?

Highgate Cemetery in London has long led the way in cemetery conservation and guided cemetery walks. Opened in 1839 by a private company (as most Victorian cemeteries were) by the 1970s the cemetery was no longer a profitable concern and became neglected and vandalised. Today it is run by volunteers of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust supported by some members of paid staff. Highgate remains a working cemetery although space for new burials is running out, which presents more problems.

Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington is another of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ garden cemeteries of London. The cemetery was opened in 1840, again by a private company. In the 1970s the company went into administration and the cemetery was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Today it is thriving as a woodland memorial park and Local Nature Reserve maintained by the Abney Park Trust, a small volunteer led charity, and the London Borough of Hackney.

Our closed Victorian cemeteries pose a problem nationwide. In 1999 the Friends of Lister Lane Cemetery came to the rescue of the Halifax General Cemetery, again after a long period of neglect. This cemetery opened in 1841 and was designed according to the ethos of the period to be not only a burial ground but to provide a public space for walks and outdoor relaxation. The Friends group now cares for the cemetery with support from Calderdale Bereavement Services when funds permit.

Here in Radnor Street Cemetery we have a small team of volunteers who attend to not only the Commonwealth War Graves, but other graves where a fallen serviceman is remembered. Occasionally the Community Payback Team are allocated to the cemetery and always perform valuable work. Sadly, the local authority can only perform the most basic of maintenance and mowing now takes place just once a year.

The summer of 2024 has served up a combination of heavy rain and long, hot sunny days. Today the cemetery is a vision of wild abandonment. A place of serene beauty and perfect for the proliferation of wildlife and biodiversity in this densley populated urban area. For the time being we must try to be patient and rest awhile, as the cemetery residents are so well practised at doing.

You may like to join us for a guided cemetery walk during the Heritage Open Days next month. Meet us at the cemetery chapel Sunday September 15 at 1.45 pm for a 2 pm start.

Guided Cemetery Walk April 28.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday for a guided cemetery walk. We are always so fortunate with the weather and following a morning of rain we enjoyed a dry and pleasant afternoon.

This week Andy, Kevin and I told the stories of Trooper Cecil Howard Goodman and Scout leader William Rowland Bird among others and I will (eventually) sort out the story of Olive Henry, which has left me in confusion over recent weeks.

Here are a few cemetery photographs. Our next walk is on Sunday May 26.

Guided Cemetery Walks

Looks like we might all see some rain today. But spring is just around the corner and our guided cemetery walks will begin again at the end of this month.

The Spring walks are scheduled for:

March 31, April 28 and May 26.

Summer walks are yet to be arranged but our Autumn walks are already in the diary.

September 1 and 29 and October 27.

Our Remembrance Day Service is Sunday November 10.

Well, what can you expect from a typical guided cemetery walk?

A gentle meander through 11½ acres of our picturesque Victorian cemetery. Our CWGC volunteers will tell you about their work to maintain the war graves and the incredible stories they have discovered. Learn about the people who made Swindon; from the boilermakers to the businessmen. Hear about the women who contributed to every aspect of life in Swindon from the home, the factory floor and the magistrates bench! This year we will have even more stories to tell.

We meet at the cemetery chapel for 2 p.m.

Swindon Society Summer Outing

We were delighted to welcome members of the Swindon Society to a guided cemetery walk yesterday evening. And although there was a chill in the air, it was a sunny evening with beautiful views across the cemetery. There is always a different atmosphere during a summer evening cemetery walk, something we have not attempted for several years now. Perhaps it is an event we will consider holding again.

The Swindon Society celebrates its 50^th anniversary in September. While other local history groups in Swindon are struggling with falling numbers post Covid restrictions, the Swindon Society is thriving. Yesterday marked the end of their season of talks for a brief summer break before gearing up for their 50^th celebrations.

More than 30 members joined us for our walk and heard stories about Emily Peddle, W.J. Nurden (the latest CWG headstone to be erected in the cemetery) and William Harvie inventor of the amazing Multiple Cake Cutting Machine. We later adjourned to the Ashford Road Club who kindly provided tea and biscuits alongside their usual bar facilities.

Thank you to Graham Carter for the photographs.