Cemetery Open Day

I was up and out early this morning.

I had a few errands in town and then deviated past the cemetery on the way home as it was having an open day.

I have been to the new part on numerous occassions for a rare burial or to visit graves of people I know. (There's a row of 4 babies, born to friends of mine over the years, that brought a lump to my throat. These 4 may have been friends of my children. One was a direct neighbour)

Today I had the chance to look around the old part and I chatted to some people from the Family History Society. I have no long dead relatives in Wiltshire so no grave to look up but there were other people there, excitedly looking through records. Fascinating.

I was advised to go to the far side of the cemetery and look at the plots with vaults, bought for whole families. I couldn't find them! All I did find were a group of homeless with a friendly dog. They appeared to be living in the woods behind the cemetery.

The very old graves and the very new graves seemed well tended but the middling ones of 20+ years seem to have a feeling of neglect about them. Perhaps they are visited only sometimes. Maybe the visitors are now in the grave too so no longer able to care for the plot.....

Another reason for the scattering of ashes. "Mum" is on the dresser and "Dad" is sitting at the bottom of the stairs. It is time to really say goodbye and arrange the family picnic and scattering.

I left feeling very maudlin (my own fault) but a lovely walk home put me to rights again.