Alan, Chris and Rita working in the cemetery today (24 March 2026), hoping to carry on from last week clearing ivy off the gravestones and moved over into section H where there was a bit of shade. It was lovely to see the sun but it was a little bit too hot today, but not complaining far better than the rain!
Rita started to clear grass and ivy from the Braithwaite H33 grave very overgrown with a large fallen cross propped up against the tiered slabs. She worked here until tea break and then found the sun had come around and it was too hot to continue so moved back and trimmed the saplings from the Sycamore tree growing between H55 & H56 graves.
Chris started out in the sun filling in a hole dug by Mr Badger, having to dig up ant hills to fill the hole. He then came back and assisted Alan who was working on the Hooper grave, a double plot running lenthways H31 & H48. This grave had a lot of ivy growing around it, grass and earth had built up in the stone chippings inside the grave. These were sieved and the stones bagged up to be washed later. There was also a holly tree next to the headstone covered in ivy that they cleared.
They then moved over to the Ker H10 and cleared the ivy from this grave. Harry Ker was the Town Clerk and the President of the Carnival and donated a silver cup in 1923 a prize cup that every local gang or feature club hopes to win.
When we sat down for our tea break, we noticed in the distance that the rose we planted in the flower garden was out in bloom and looked beautiful, this was planted in memory of Bernice our past Secretary of the Friends who passed away a few years ago. Chris wandered over and took a photo of the roses and a few other flowers that were flowering in the garden.
Two dumpy bags were filled and taken over to the dumping area; the team packed up their tools and made their way home.