hi, quick update for christmas period, no further work planned at the yard due to festive period and poor weather..i will update in the new year but no further work for this year.

hi another update friends, its bitterly cold working in an exposed area such as a cemetery so work is carried out in short bursts, there's no where to keep warm in a cemetery so it's a bit here and there and this time of year.

i have managed to clear the pathways and nooks and crannies of lichen etc and i did some litter picking around the railings or perimeter fence or part of at least..i'm just looking into funding at the moment and am making the first approaches to find out if this is possible, i don't hold out any great hope in truth, i don't think grave yards are of particularly high priority till we need them ourselves of course, but its worth looking into at least...this could take months however but we'll see.

and i'm hoping to put in some time there today, again not too much cos your hands get so cold your unable to use the litter picker effectively but three sacks of litter in less than sixty metres shows there is a need..i mean these are peoples graves here?..so it's worth it.

but i'll keep updating on progress as i go, i don't think we're talking of tons of money for this project, its going to require effort for the most part and a little interest..in the dead even!..and conserving this area for what it is basically, i've visited a few cemeteries and none compare to this, some are to big and sprawling, this one is an ideal size, has a personal feel to it..one big happy family sort of, but if i do get visitors i don't insist they salute the graves or anything, thats personal choice but when you when people walk in to this cemetery if they remember who's in charge?..when you walk into my arena..i mean cemetery, i make the rules..i'm in charge..you either respect the place or you don't come back..i don't have to put up with you in this field..i'm in charge here!..and don't forget that and we'll get along just fine but everybody is welcome basically.

i do leave the gates open from time to time and people are making use of it as i explained previously...they seem to accept that im in charge and preside over the yard and thats good!..i don't care what colour you are, how much you earn, where you live, how righteous you think you are, your standing in society..when you visit the yard you show some respect for the place.

ok guys i think this wraps it up for today i'll post on any further progress, have a good day and god bless.

hi guys just back from the yard..only just to check on things and it's looking better already, the mexican bamboo does'nt look so daunting now, however. it's a little more difficult to deal with when wetted and rotting, its far easier to handle when dry, but its looking better and its so nice to see the graves friends...makes it all worthwhile...lets hope god gives us length of days hey?..we have much work to do!...if i can get one good day in, rain free i'll be happy.

hi guys, ok i wanted to talk a little about my work at a cemetary, it dates from the eighteen fifties and its a challenge just trying to hold back nature in the place, its disused and in fairness its quite tricky trying to get about the place, the ground is uneven, its overgrown in places and has japanese knotweed growing in abundance.

well i've spent some weeks in the place just trying to tidy up generally, i set out two weeks ago with some eagerness for the best part of a week attempting to clear a path to several headstones which were lost in a forest of mexican bamboo and ivy too..i think i tried too soon!..and paid the price for the next week with a dodgy back and other problems..but i made some progress, spoke to the church reverend etc and spent some time away from the place untill i could figure out what exactly i had gotten into...im noit going to bore you with tales of mexicsan bamboo but if you are intersted please feel frre to research it on the web.

but today i attended site just to take a nose around, the weather was looking good and i wanted to see how i felt about it having had a short break sort of..it felt right as i opened up the cemetery gates..i immediately set about raking the long path or main approach to the church itself which runs through the middle of the old cemetery, i did the same just a few weeks back and bagged up almost thirty refuse sacks of leaves etc..it was'nt so bad this time around only half the amount, i removed the leaves from some military graves, three in particular, they're the showpiece graves and sit proudly facing the church, not quite in the older cemetery itself..

but it was a good day and i took a walk around the entire yard just to reflect on the work i'd done a few weeks before, and to see the headstones i'd cleared o f ivy and to salute the soldiers graves of course..at least we can get to the graves i thought to myself, i continued with my work raking the leaves into several piles dotted about the yard and began bagging up again!...its looking better already i thought and so took a break, i found a stump to rest on while i rolled a cigarette
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i was quite suprised when a middle aged couple walked in to the church grounds and he introduced me to his wife and so on, the loved the church building and commented on the gargoyles around the bell tower and also one gargoyle which is actually climbing up the side of the tower itself which she felt was quite unique, the gargoyle was'nt quite moving of course!..the climbing pose i mean.

well they were enthralled by the church building itself but were particularly intersted in the older cemetery to the rear, and i was delighted to assist them with a guided tour of the beautifull grounds, it was great to explain what i was doing in the place to people who had an natural interest..and she had a camera with her too and i nearly dropped down when she began to take photo's of the yard i had been working hard in, but more to the point she began to photograph headstones which i had cleared of ivy just a week or so earlier and that meant something to me.

i explained the problem with knotweed and that it had to be managed basically and was able to show them where i had created an opening to some of the previously lost graves, i explained that over time we could open it out again to enable access should people wish to visit or pay their respects..i spoke also about the tone of some of the headstones messages and we had a chuckle on that too...and i think that is all part of the beauty of the place..his wife (Christine) fell in love with the place, she felt it offered a break from the grind of street life and explained that she felt she was a hundred miles from the inner city and only the hum of traffic betrayed this, naturally, i agreed with her assessment..she loved the vegetation..even the knotweed?..shes an artist and her hubbie (Martin) a dentist.

he was a nice chap, and we spoke about the long term effort required and realistic prospects for the place, we don't want it looking clincally tidy, the wild feel needs to be retained but not so that it looks foresaken we agreed..but he was impressed with my efforts there and said he could see where id been working hard..i explained i had paid dearly for the rambo approach..its ok in films but the reality is slightly different.

but just like myself they spend a fair amount of time in cemeteries enjoying the places, perhaps for their peacefulness and solitude and he even commented on the beauty of some of the stones in the place..he's just like myself i thought...we spent a good hour in the place and i did'nt need to keep them there, they were willing guests and i explained that at some point, when the place was a little tidier, i would even consider opening the gates during day hours to allow people to strole through if they chose to, he said he would drop by if local which was nice i suppose.

but the interesting thing is they live in Coventry and are familiar with London Road cemetery where my grandfather is buried having died in the second world war and so we spoke about the place a little, he knew his stuff and was able to tell me about recent events of vandalism in the place..i must get over there sometime, its been a while, we also spoke about the problems which lead to the eventual disuse of older cemeteries, including the families dying out basically and so nobody is left to tend the places and so on, and of course many of the areas are non christian particularly in city areas.

but the point is people do and will visit these places if we take time out to make them presentable, its not for everybody, but some do get something from the places and so it is a worthwhile cause..but we shook hands several times, they felt it was good what i was doing and i was happy to be able to say i'm gonna see it through, its tough for sure but it can be done..maybe we can get school visits back someday i explained, it just takes somebody to show an interest and set about turning the place around..his wife commented on the ivy on which she was standing?..i chuckled to myself cos she clocked it underfoot..the dreaded spider web i thought, i told her i found it offensive that it should cover up the details and messages of hope these people had at their burials, as though it were stiffling their dreams almost, it'll be back i explained, theres fresh shoots already having a go, but i'll be able to keep it at bay and away from the stones.

but what nice people, and what a privilidge to be able to show them around, they loved the main approach or pathway too, tree lined at that, i try to keep this area looking very tidy, its quite majestic i feel, commanding even!..and if people see this well maintained its an outward reflection of our committment in the place and he agreed that if people saw activity in the place, this might encourage people to treat it with some respect aswell..so im gonna keep going in the place guys, and Martin said of the soldiers graves "there's no poppies"..i sad don't worry i make sure i wear mine when i drop by and always salute each individual grave as i pass...and heres and intersting thing..Christine mentioned one of the soldiers graves in a different part of the yard and the fact that his childrens names were on the headstone..and i said you mean Dolly Elsie and Elvie?..cos i know they are officer andrews children...i hope she was impressed.

ok i just thought id share this with you today, as i said i'm just in from swimming and its a good idea with this type of work it punishes the body, i met an ex colleague during the swim from fifteen years ago when we worked for the housing..had a chat and a laugh as we relaxed in the jacuzzi, like a couple of middle aged men..oh lord..great day though..brilliant even...i'll post if i need to update on progress at the yard friends and you take care.