Trapped in a Tree!

Of course, if you start wandering around cemeteries in the dark, there is always a possibility that a cemetery tree might suck you in. I didn't notice this poor chap at first - at least, not until I heard a slight groan and a whispered help. What should I do? I don't know! But I wonder how long he has been there and has he been missed?

Cemetery Angels

Cemetery angels are a thing of beauty. On Friday, I visited the Victorian cemetery at Locksbrook in Bath and the famouse Arnos Vale cemetery in Bristol today. Although the more detailed stories arising from my visits are being published on my other blog - The Graveyard Detective - I thought I would share two images of Angels with you here.

Angel consumed by tree

This angel at Arnos Vale has been smothered by a tree which entangled her. Although partially cleared, she is still in the tree's tight embrace and looks to be reaching out for succour!

A Fallen Angel

Lying in the undergrowth at Locksbrook is this angel who has fallen from the grave. The summer growth of thorns and weeds is starting to envelope her - poor thing!

A pair of Angels entwined is a thing of beauty

One of the first graves I came across in the Dissenters' Cemetery, yesterday, was this very ornate representation of two angels on a gravestone. The sheer beauty of the carving and the way it has weathered makes this a photograph that I am very pleased to have captured.

Graveyard Cat

This fine young tabby cat was enjoying his nap in the sun at Frome Dissenters' Cemetery until I came along. As he was deciding whether to stay or flee (no, I am not that frightening!), I took one quick shot before moving away to look at another part of the cemetery. Sometimes I see several different cats resting and hunting - it must be a nightmare for the poor mice that traverse the paths between the rows of headstones! Once I met a friendly black cat here - the sort often pictured in the company of a Witch. I wonder why they get such bad press, especially when a black cat crossing your path is considered 'good luck'? What do others think of graveyard cats?

Recycling of Graves - Skiathos Cemetery

I have had this 'souvenir' postcard for many years and never researched it until now. It was purchased during a run ashore on a Greek island by a sailor serving on HMS Barham. The writer, Jim, simply comments: "Some Rest Camp" and dates it 1920.

An entry I found on Google this morning records a strange question by a holiday maker - "Why are there so many opened graves and no remains in the Skiathos cemetery?" The responses are illuminating. Evidently, the graves are rented for three to five years because of lack of space. At the end of this time, the remains are exhumed and either given to the relatives, stacked up in a corner of the cemetery or put in an ossuary. One respondent, perhaps too graphically, suggests three years is the time it takes a body to 'melt' in the ground . . . The custom is, I believe, common on many of the Greek Islands.

In the case of Skiathos cemetery, pictured above, the partially collapsed structure must be classed as an ossuary. As you can see the bones have rolled out into the open. What slightly shocks me is the broken wooden grave marker which must have been dumped there after a grave had been emptied.

HMS Barham was sunk in late 1941 by a German U-boat, having survived being hit by a shell fired by the French battleship Richelieu just over a year earlier. More than 800 sailors were killed when Barham capsized and exploded.

Within a short time of the sinking, the Admiralty realised that the German High Command did not know the ship had been sunk. Realizing an opportunity to mislead the Germans, and to protect British morale, the Admiralty censored all news of Barham’s sinking and the loss of 861 British seamen.

After a delay of several weeks, the War Office decided to notify the next of kin of Barham’s dead, but they added a special request for secrecy. The notification letters included a warning not to discuss the loss of the ship with anyone but close relatives, stating it was "most essential that information of the event which led to the loss of your husband's life should not find its way to the enemy until such time as it is announced officially..."

By late January 1942, the German High Command had realized Barham had been lost. The British Admiralty informed the press on 27 January 1942 and explained the rationale for withholding the news.

At a seance in Portsmouth in late November 1941, the spiritualist medium Helen Duncan announced that she had contacted a dead sailor who told her that his ship, HMS Barham, had recently been sunk. Duncan was not arrested in the aftermath of the Barham incident, but in 1944 was arrested during a seance and convicted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 and sentenced to nine months in prison.

According to Wikipedia, film of the sinking has been reused many times in documentaries and in at least one film, Earth vs the Flying Saucers (where it was shown as an American destroyer, in the film Task Force (as a Japanese carrier), and in The Battle of Okinawa film where it stands in for the Japanese Ship Yamato. A short graphic film of its capsize and the resulting explosion can be seen here:

Human Remains - a moral dilemma?

I thought I should return to the Lichen-stricken cemetery at St David's in Pembrokeshire. Under the cover of darkness, a badger had come and dug close to a grassy perimeter bank on the west side of the site. A close look at the excavated earth revealed a short piece of clay pipe stem which my imagination suggested the Victorian gravedigger had lost when he dropped and smashed his pipe while digging a grave. Just like a bird or deer skull found in the woods at home, I thought this was an allowable artefact to add to my collection of found objects.

Some yards away, I was very surprised to notice a section of rib or perhaps collarbone lying on the grass. I picked it up and examined it with a lot of curiousity about how it got there. I guess it was uncovered by the badger and may have been picked up and quickly dropped again by a passing fox. Coming from the edge of the graveyard where there are no apparent graves, I can offer no explanation of why the natural instincts of a badger should lead to its exposure.

I will be totally honest and admit that for a nano-second I thought, "Gosh, another nice found object for my collection" and just as quickly realised that this was an unacceptable thought. Others may have had similar thoughts in the past. Placing it on a stone where it could be seen easily, I left the graveyard.

Now, my moral dilemma is that I wonder whether I should have informed someone. There were no contact details for whoever responsible for the upkeep of the cemetery on display at the entrance. In the absence of this, should I have informed the police or written to the local council? Even at this late stage, two weeks later, should I make the effort to draw the authorities attention to this find - perhaps it is a common occurence? I would welcome the thoughts of others, so please comment here. I look forward to hearing your views.

Dressed in Mourning White

This woman, dressed in white, is standing on a long avenue between the graves of a very large cemetery. It is probably somewhere in Europe, possibly France. The shape of the couple of wooden crosses in the far background may be French, but I do not recognise the style of headstone, but one of you may. Please let me know. It must be very hot and I think the black collar worn round the neck of the woman may represent that she is in mourning.

In Memoriam Cards

In memoriam cards are sometimes printed at family request as a momento to mark the passing and the funeral of a loved one. Some are very ornate, especially from the Victorian and Edwardian period. They can often be found in junk shops and at antique fairs, priced at just a few pence. Most collectors ignore them, but the odd surprise can be found. I picked up one in Hampshire and it commemorated a young man killed in a railway accident. I have yet to research the story. Another marked the passing of an entire family who were killed in an air raid during the London Blitz in 1941. I did find an account of the raid, but have still to track down the newspaper report of the time.

The death of young children is especially sad as they have not had the chance to live their lives. I can remember my late father telling me how, in 1917, he was among a group of children struck by a car (and there cannot have been many about in that time, one of whom was killed. He also mentioned having a sister who died as a baby. Years later, I was passing the site of the car accident and noticed a small cemetery opposite. I stopped and went in and immediately came across a cast iron cross that marked the grave of his sister. By way of coincidence, when I looked up, I saw the grave of a young boy who had been killed in an automobile accident in 1917.

The in memoriam card illustrated above marks the death of a young girl - Claudia Mabel Mahy - who died in St Sampsons in Guernsey in 1920. I am curious about the details for mourners attending the funeral which records the phrase 'Men and Women'. I can only presume that it means that both sexes may take part?

Somerset Curiosity

A walk through a Somerset graveyard led to the discovery of this menacing looking item of grave architecture. Most of the surface of the tomb had eroded away since it was first constructed some 200 years before. Such adornments on tombs and headstones on modern graves are rare.

Another Angel

Here is another angel. Note how young she is. She dates from the early 1900s. I'd love to hear your views on the subject of angels.

This Angel is Sleeping

A closer look at the previous angel. Her angelic expression as she sleeps head on hands never fails to captivate me. I hope I have an angel like her to watch over my grave when I am gone.

Some people say they have a guardian angel. I am sure others do, but do not like to admit it. Do you have a guardian angel. Click on the poll to give your answer.

Angels watch over Us

As a long time student of funerary architecture, I have long been fascinated by the wide variety of Angels to be found in cemeteries and graveyards that I have visited. Any that caught my eye, were captured by my camera. I am always most sad when I see they are broken or damaged, often by age, the effects of years of exposure to the weather or, more frequently today, by vandals. I will share a few of my angels with you. I'd love to hear from you and your views on angels.

Cemetery Avenue

This avenue of trees stands in the centre of my local cemetery which dates from Victorian times. It leads uphill and around the bend, but to where I do not know. I can't remember reaching the end. Has anyone seen a similar avenue in their local cemetery or graveyard?