Yes it’s August already (2 August 2026), and still we have the hot weather. Alan and Rita arrived early at the cemetery today, Rita managing to clean out most of the weeds in the Roman A19 grave while Alan was unloading the car.
They set off and stopped at the Spiller grave 8-47, Joel Spiller did not want to be buried underground as he felt his spirit would not raise to heaven, so he had a brick vault built at ground level and the whole area including the brick vault was covered with large boulders. Every year the ivy and brambles creep out from underneath the boulders (many having moved over the last 100 years) and every year we give it a good clean up, today was the day.
Rita started to clear the ivy off while Alan took off the coverings on the 9-42 Dodden grave he worked on last week and drilled the drainage holes clear as they were blocked up, he then returned to attack the ivy and brambles on the other side of the Spiller grave. After a couple of hours they decided to stop for a tea break and at that moment Astrid arrived, she times her entrance to perfection!
Tea break over and all back to work clearing the ivy for another hour and now beginning to tire and feel the heat. With two dumpy bags filled to the brim they decided to call it a day.
Tools were packed up then Alan remembered he had planned to use his portable pressure washer to clean off the Hewitt 8-25 grave, a lovely white marble headstone laid down in between the kerbs that had gone a bit green as it was under the trees. A bit of water spray sounded just the thing so they all went over and gave it a good clean, then set off for home.
