February 2018 update
As the St Mary Magdalene project moves into a second year we are dedicating a new page to celebrate its continuing successes. The team have had to deal with inclement weather this winter which has also resulted in a fewer number of volunteers braving the raw elements. But despite this they have been able to carry on the work of tidying up the cemetery with special emphases on cleaning out some of the enclosed graves. A key activity has been the successful raising of a couple of headstones, which has given Ray & Ann new information to support their research work on tracing the people who are interred in those graves. In addition, Len and Ray have been mapping out the cemetery and making a diagram showing the location of the graves. This work is ongoing, but it is so important and, when complete, will provide information for relatives of those who are buried in the cemetery. Further good news is that the team has obtained a “Faculty” from the church authorities giving permission for the installing of a tool storage cabin. This will enable the team to keep the tools on site rather than having to transport them back and forwards each time they are working in the cemetery. It took a lot of paper work, but they did it! The hope is that a similar “Faculty” will enable them to remove unwanted trees and do other work. This request is being processed by the County Council and it is hoped they too will be successful. The new vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, the Rev. Dan Freyhan, is most supportive of the efforts of the team and is keen to be involved. A joint function with the church will be organised for later in the year. edit. |