Hello to all our Cemetery Friends and Neighbours
After such a difficult 18 months for everyone, we too were feeling isolated and started having Zoom meetings this year to enable us to keep in touch and plan
for the work and projects we wanted to do. We have had a very productive few months and have lots to tell you.
The biggest impact in the Cemetery is the work the Community Payback Team have undertaken. In Dean Road the last fallen headstone (near the junction of Dean Road and Columbus Ravine) was set back on its plinth and re-gilded in celebration of a project that has taken more than 10 years to complete (left picture below). For all there are still some casualties of headstones with parts missing or too heavy to be moved, the general appearance of Dean Road is wonderful with 100’s of headstones standing proud and very much a testament to the inspiration of Roger Burnett and Sheila Johnson, and the hard work undertaken by the Community Payback Team and Probation Service. Thank you.
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The last piece of the jigsaw is the section on either side of the path leading down to the tunnel, in a couple of months they have transformed the area by re-laying the steps, repairing and cleaning headstones, replacing the curbing and the transformation is amazing. (pictures on right above). We are keeping our fingers crossed that this work will carry on into Manor Road Cemetery in 2022 – so watch this space!
We created a new website www.deanandmanorrdcemetery.co.uk during Lockdown this year it is more user-friendly format, and although still in its infancy, it is much easier to source the many topics we have on offer. Please give it a visit.
The Friends’ aim is always to draw people into the Cemetery and see it for the beautiful parkland it is and the wonderful history and stories it has to tell. This year we put together several narrated Cemetery Walks on various aspects of the Cemetery: its history; fascinating stories of individuals buried in the Cemetery; stories from the First and Second World Wars, headstone symbolism and detailed information about many of rare and champion trees we have in the Cemetery. Special thanks go to Ben Vickers, Fred Fox, Liz Blades, Rita Hooton, Roger Burnett and Sheila Johnson for carrying out hours of research on their chosen topic and the daunting task of narrating their Walk when not used to public speaking. Two Walks took place in the pouring rain!
The Walks have been a great success with more than 300 people attending them over the summer months. We have extended the programme into October, see the back page of this newsletter if you are interested in attending. We will also be launching a new selection of Walks in Spring 2022.
The photographic competition we have been running throughout the year has yielded some wonderful pictures of the Cemetery. Congratulations to Robert Hunter who won the summer section of the competition. (see below)
I always love to see the Cemetery in the shades of Autumn, so please get involved and take your favourite views in the Cemetery and enter the last section of our competition which closes on 30 November. There are prizes to be won and you many see your picture in print in the many promotions we undertake. Visit out website for details on how to enter.
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| Winner of Summer Photographic competition – Robert Hunter | The Mayor and Mayoress of Scarborough with the British Legion Guard of Honour at the Cemetery fair |
We held a Heritage Cemetery Fair in September, the first in two years! We had a great day with lots of people visiting us including The Mayor and
Mayoress of Scarborough – Councillor Eric Broadbent and Mrs Lynne Broadbent and The Town Cryer of Scarborough – David Birdsall. The weather was kind and
visitors were able to visit the many stalls, sit and enjoy the open-air café, research family graves, attend a cemetery Walk and learn more about the work
of the Friends. A big thank you to everyone who attended, took part in the fair or volunteered to help on the day. We raised over £1,450.
We have no update on the Chapel just now, but I promise you it is never far from our thoughts. You may have noticed that the trees have been removed
from the roof which, hopefully, will help prevent further deterioration.
Our membership has grown considerably this year and we appreciate the support that brings. Many of you have offered to help with volunteering, fundraising and research and we hope to follow this up as we move forward in these uncertain times.
The Friends’ continued aim is to raise the profile of this beautiful Cemetery and to help maintain and restore the essence of this wonderful place. We have
been offered funding by three local Councillors to open one of the closed paths in Manor Road Cemetery, this is exciting news for us, and we hope work will
start on this new project in 2022 but we will keep you posted.
Forthcoming Event – The Friends will hold a short service at 11.00 am on Remembrance Sunday at the Cross of Sacrifice followed by a WW2 Walk
on Civilian Casualties. We are welcome to join us.
and Finally…
Have a look at at our…
Fascinating Narrated Cemetery Walks
I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter, thank you for your continued support.
Linda Tomczak
Chairman/Secretary. The Friends of Dean Road & Manor Road Cemetery
Email – [email protected]
Website: https://deanandmanorrdcemetery.co.uk
Facebook: Friends of Dean Rd and Manor Rd Cemetery
Twitter: @Cemetery Friends