Unloved looking plots/gravestones

I had a short change of thoughts about this subject two weeks ago with Ramacal and Philip (see undermentioned). Luckily, you don't see them too often and it just are exeptions. Although, it gives me an uncomfortable feeling when I see such a place. This is not the way to treat the graves of those who gave their lives in the Second World War..

Roosendaal-en-Nispen Roman Catholic Cemetery

A rather sorry looking weed ridden plot. The first I've seen in the Netherlands that looks rather unloved.



I agree with you, Rob. Have you also visited the general cemetery, a couple of hundred metres down the road? That looked even more sorry. For me, it wasn't the first plot I visited which looked unloved unfortunatelly.



This picture has been taken at Tilburg (Gilzerbaan) general cemetery. You can hardly see it's the grave of Corporal Percy W. Grainger. This plot could have used some maintenance.

 

Another example. I visited the town of Molenaarsgraaf last tuesday to take pictures of the buried Allied airmen at the churchyard. But the front side of the gravestones was hardly visible.

 

Contact the CWGC & they can inform their relevent maintenance department.


>>> :: CWGC ::

I've done that, thank you Owen.

 

Do CWGC pay for maintenance of plots abroad that are not in specific CWGC cemeteries?

 

A few here differnet cemeteries
i spoke to the groundsman on each occasion and asked them to clear when they can

 

Are these gravestones on cemeteries in England?

 

Are these gravestones on cemeteries in England?


hello Pieter

yes they are

 

Are these gravestones on cemeteries in England?

Sadly we don't seem to care very much about our war dead buried in the UK unless its a military cemetery.

I've seen worse than those posted. I must say I'm a bit surprised by the ones in Holland.

 

My husband and I visited a cemetery in London for Spidge which reduced both of us to tears. It had been segregated into Muslim and Christian (no idea if there are religious reasons for this but we thought it sad), one side pristine and the other totally neglected and some graves even dug up. I did report it to the council but not the CWGC.

I've since changed computers but if I can find out which one it was, I'll contact them.

p.s. I should add that the majority that we visited in London, Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Northamptonshire gave us a lump in the throat because they were still so well cared for.

 

the majority gave us a lump in the throat because they were still so well cared for.

I agree. When you sometimes hear people who are taking care of a grave for already 65 years or more, it absolutely does.

 

I must add that I have visited quite few in the UK over the past year and on the whole the level of care is very good .
Churchyards where the Church is still active and maintained by volunteers is usually very well kept.
The larger Cemeteries are rather mixed and again the local authorities do try to maintain some order,however you do get the odd area that is overgrown.

 

There was a little churchyard that I visited for Spidge in Cambridgeshire (think it was Wyton) and even though the Church is now a private house the little churchyard which was slightly separated was immaculate.... such a shame when these peoples graves go unloved.

 

Full credit to Whyteleaf (St Luke) Cemetary - they maintain the CWGC graves beautifully.

However when visiting a church graveyard in Lancashire last year to put flowers on my grandparents graves I was totally disgusted. We spent an hour searching through waist-high grass, weeds and broken headstones to try and find their graves, only to come up empty handed. I was so shocked at the state of the place I marched across the road to the vicar's house, handed her the flowers we had brought to put on the graves, and told her she should be ashamed of herself and to clean the place up then put the flowers on my grandparents graves when she was able to locate them!

 

Wendy,
Good on you for voicing your concern.

Pieter, I visited the three main Canadian Cemeteries in Holland in 2004. Not a blade of grass out of place...very well maintained.

Randy

 

Hi All,

I find this interesting I've been to a good few now UK Holland Germany... And yet the ones I find that are not cared for that much is over here.. The poeple in all are very helpfull when you tell them what your doing but some in the UK your be better off joining bird watch UK

 

It's not the Vicar's job to look after the graveyard, I think it's the church councils job.

You're probably right Owen, but it's still her church and she lived 5 steps away from the graveyard. Unfortunately I had a plane to catch and was running late so wasn't in the best of moods to start hunting down the local church council.

 

This was the biggest disgrace I have seen. Kensal Green (All Souls) in London

Judy persisted with the manager for a few months and they finally had it cleared.

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