til death do us . . .

So like nostalgic melancholy misery had me spending the morning in the London Road Cemetery, fair enough.

I don't recall if it's the oldest in Coventry (doubt it) and currently it's in somewhat of a curious state, not the most attractive of burial places now, but back when it was built (if people 'build' cemeteries) by Joseph Paxton, the place was (supposedly, I wasn't here then) a work of art.

Point of fact: the entire cemetery and gardens are registered under the historic buildings and ancient monuments act - 1953 - within the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens by English Heritage for special historic interest.

The following is not from that vast reservoir of triviality, banality and nothingness: commonly referred to as "my brain" - but that probably becomes abundantly clear by the fifth word - 

"In October 1843 the Board of Health stated that Coventry's high mortality rate was much aggravated by the inadequate size of the city centre burial grounds, little enlarged during a period when the city's population rose from under 6000 to over 30,000. 

In October 1845, the year after the city acquired an enabling bill to purchase the site, Joseph Paxton (1803-65) was commissioned to design and lay out a new public cemetery on Barnes Field and Quarry Close, former Lammas lands on the edge of Coventry. 

Part of the site was a former stone quarry, and the resultant landscape of hillocks and hollows, surrounded by rows of mature elms, was incorporated as one of the main features of the cemetery's design. 

A Terrace Walk formed part of Paxton's original design for the site, seats were installed in 1849, and by 1867 the cemetery was 'resorted to' by a large number of visitors, a contemporary account describing it as having 'more the air of a gentlemen's park than a city of the dead' 

Work began on the two chapels (one Anglican, the other for Nonconformists), boundary wall and lodge in early 1847; the first interments, in the northern, Anglican part of the site, took place in December 1847. The high proportion of Anglican burials caused a further piece of land to be consecrated in 1853, and in the following year a scheme was drawn up to close all other burial grounds in the city. 

In 1863 an area of 500 square yards adjoining the railway line was purchased for a Jewish burial ground. In 1866 the Paxton Memorial Committee obtained permission to erect a monument in the cemetery to Paxton.

In 1886 the cemetery was extended beyond the London & North Western railway line which formed the southern boundary of the site, the two parts of the cemetery being linked by an iron bridge over the railway. A further extension was made in 1929."

And now you know (repeat after me: "whether you wanted to or not!")

Moving on . . .

As you may know, the Parkside Estate - where the Casa Johnson sits - is parallel to the cemetery and She and I often can be found enjoying the strangeness and forlorn beauty of the grounds. I realize I have been negligent in enlightening you guys in regards to some of the reasons I personally find Coventry, mostly, and Warwickshire such a nice place to be. 

Sorry about that

No, Coventry will not be confused with San Francisco or Marin County; not even by Stevie Wonder or the late greats Ray Charles and Jose Feliciano - or any other blind (person without sight) individual that comes instantly to mind

But as you know, I think it's a really nice place to raise a family - not exactly on my dance card anymore - yes the crime rate is incredibly high, state school education sucks (except at Blue Coat) weather is typical middle England, the citizenry are - wow - best left to your own opinion and traffic to locals is awful, but really??? (traffic, please this is not California) 

I think what I'm trying to say is this: "Home is where and what you make it" and well, for better or worse (and there's a lot of both here) Cheylesmore, Coventry is where you'll find my hat.

(what was that I said about "stream of consciousness")