Glowing

A very busy day today- first of all to the picket line to support everyone in Shared Services who decided to withhold their labour over the next 2 days.

After that it was a nice drive over to Bristol with my Dad to visit the family graves at Arnos Vale cemetery - glad to report they were not too over grown. The problem with Arnos Vale is that it is a 45 acre site which once was a private garden cemetery, once the cemetery was near to capacity the private owners knowing they could no longer make any money and realising that the upkeep of the cemetery was going to cost a fortune, decided that as this was now prime Bristol City land they would sell it to developers.

What they didn't count on was the community feeling for this wonderful place - as the people of Bristol protested, the owners found they could not sell the land and the City Council stepped in and compulsorily purchased the land.

Now the cemetery is managed by the Arnos Vale Trust and the Friends of Arnos Vale collect donations to help maintain and protect the property.

When it opened 'The Vale' had 35 full time gardeners, now there are only a handful and volunteers help out when they can.

But Arnos Vale is also a thriving business for the communtiy, if you wanted you could hire one of the building and even get married there. They have music and theatre, educational wildlife events for the children an onsite Cafe (the chocolate cake is yummy) and even a gift shop.

Arnos Vale proves that there is 'life' for a cemetery once the space is for new burials is almost used up and I am very proud to be able to visit my grandparents and great-grandparents who rest within it's grounds