Books and Media

The Best of Silent Cities by Jeane Trend-Hill

A photo book featuring some of the most interesting and unusual monuments photographed during the last five years by renowned memorial photographer Jeane Trend-Hill. Over 80 colour images, some of which have never published before. Each page contains information about the memorial including the Lancaster angel, the kiss of death, the church organ, Marigold Churchill and many others. This is the crème de la crème from the Silent Cities series of books. 

Available from: http://www.lulu.com/product/lulustudio-photo-book/the-best-of-silent-cities/11492872

For further information see: www.homestead.com/askjeane

Jeane Trend-Hill is an author, photographer and artist. She spends her time capturing cemetery monuments. Jeane reads epitaphs and researches some of the more obscure occupants to bring their stories to life and writes about places of eternal rest for national newspapers and magazines. She advises on grave symbolism and is involved with monument restoration and preservation to help future generations enjoy an important part of our history and heritage. 

Arthur has left the buildings - the story of the architect Arthur Beresford Pite [1861-1934] who is buried at West Norwood Cemetery. The author Jeane Trend-Hill reveals several coincidences with her and the buildings. The book cost £4-99 plus p&p, all proceeds to the restoration of his grave at West Norwood see website

This handsome book is an exploration of the developing language of the epitaph and the way in which it has reflected changing religious beliefs and social attitudes. It includes almost 400 examples of the genre - the elegant, the naive, the solemn, the flippant, the terse and the interminable, the vainglorious and the humble - many of them analysed in detail and illustrated with the author's own excellent photographs. It is interesting to discover, for example, that identical or similar verses including the following warning can be found in literally hundreds of churchyards, in Norman-French, Latin and English, and dating from the Middle Ages through to the late 19th century.

Remember me as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you must be
Prepare in time to follow me

Although epitaphs may have carried instructions and admonition, or sometimes exaggerated the virtues of the deceased, the book also reveals that they did not necessarily contain religious content nor bear a moral purpose beyond recognising that death comes to us all.

Taylor's enthusiasm for his subject is paramount and his narrative skill in drawing together all these disparate aspects with their common parts is masterly. He very successfully marshals a wide range of sources to provide a superb record of what the living say of the dead, and his book is thus a most welcome addition to our present day study of the past. [Review by Dr Joanna Moody, Friends of Pateley Bridge Cemetery and St Mary's Churchyard].

The book is available from J.P.G.Taylor 23 Holmes Drive Riccall York YO19 6RT

Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery have published a book in 2007 to mark the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Friends. It is called "Arnos Vale A Victorian Cemetery". It is drawn from many years of research by a number of people dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the cemetery. It is not a guide book but simply the story of the long and chequered of one of Bristol's hidden and nearly lost treasures.

It is dedicated to the memory of Les Owen who generously made his lifetime's research freely available for the benefit of the Cemetery and for all of us to enjoy.

Copies can be obtained in person from the Cemetery office or by mail order the cost is £5 plus p&p, an order form is on the FAVC website click here

June 2007. Friends of Flaybrick  "Flaybrick the DVD"

Taking a step forward in marketing Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, the Friends of Flaybrick have released a DVD, possibly the first of its kind in the UK. The DVD tells the story of Birkenhead and how plans for a cemetery caused riots in the town. The DVD also brings to life the Loc Ah Tam murders and the Vitoria Dock disaster.

The DVD also shows the Friends at work in Flaybrick and outlines their vision for the future of Flaybrick - the £2 million pounds Flaybrick Bat Study Centre which will provide a new-free-to-visit centre for Birkenhead. The DVD also manages to tell as to how the Friends managed to bring the Friends managed to bring the AGM of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe to Birkenhead - the first time that it has been hosted in the UK.

The Friends have produced the DVD themselves, directed by Angus Tilston, who has been with the Friends for more than 10 years. Angus is also the founder of Swan Movie Makers who are the producers of the DVD.  More than 30 hours of filming were required to complete the 51 minutes DVD and the project took more than one year to complete.

The DVD which contains specially composed music by Martin Pleass costs £9-99 but is available at a special price to members of NFCF of £5 [please enclose a stamped address envelope]

March 2007. James Stevens Curl mentioned on a visit to Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery that a facsimile of the book by John Claudius Loudon on the design of cemeteries The Laying Out, Planting and Managing Cemeteries had been published [and Mr Curl had written the forward]. We now understand that there are a few copies left which have to be bound and should be available in about 5 to 6 weeks. The cost will be about £33 including postage. If you are interested please contact Mr Alan Ahern, Ivelet Books on ivelet@btconnect.com

The Victorian Celebration of Death by James Stevens Curl ISBN 0 7509 23180Published by Sutton Publishing www.suttonpublishing.co.uk £20 postage free in the UK 

In this beautifully illustrated and well researched book Professor Curl has rescued much fascinating material from under served oblivion, and his work fills a genuine gap. From humble working class to the massive outpourings of grief at the State funerals of Wellington and Queen Victoria herself, The Victorian Celebration of Death covers an immense canvas.

Cheques payable to Haynes Publishing quote code ref VCD/ODO, Customer Service Distribution, Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Near Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ [TELPHONE 01963 442030 FAX 01963 440001

Kensal Green Cemetery by James Stevens Curl Published      Phillimore & Co Ltdwww.phillimore.co.uk                                         E-mail bookshop@phillimore.co.uk £50 plus £5 postage and packing.    

Send order to Phillimore & Co Ltd, Shopwyke Manor Barn, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 6BG

The General Cemetery of All Souls at Kensal Green [consecrated in 1833] was the first great necropolis to be laid out near London. This acclaimed study, edited by Professor James Stevens Curl, with contributions from several well known scholars, is based on the archives of the General Cemetery Company and describes the tentative attempts to form a large cemetery in London; the establishment of the Company; the architectural competition of 1831-2; the laying out of the grounds and design and erection of the buildings; the architecture, sculpture, and the memorials in the cemetery; the flora and fauna; and the national and international significance of Kensal Green.

 Emblems and Symbols a look at Victorian funeral traditions

by John G. Avery published by Beech Books, 2 Beech Court, Beech Avenue, Southampton SO18 4TS Using images from Southampton Old Cemetery, Brompton, Ford Park, Arnos Vale and Bere Ferrers church [Devon] the booklet outlines the various symbols developed by the Victorians and gives an inside into the mourning traditions. By post to UK address send cheque for £4 to J.G. Avery. Friends groups may purchase blocks of 10 books to assist with fundraising etc, prices on request  e-mail click here

The books are on sale at the Friends groups of the cemeteries mentioned above.

The Victorian Undertaker by Trevor May another excellent book from Shire Books, now known as Osprey Shire

The Secret Cemetery by Doris Francis, Leonie Kellaher and Georgina Neophyte [Amazon]

Memorials by Artists for young people, children and babies is an illustrated guide to help families facing the extremely hard task of finding a memorial to celebrate the life of their child. £15 including p and p.

The Memorials by Artists Guide is due to be published shortly both obtainable from Memorials by Artists, Snape Priory, Snape, Suffolk IP17 1SA Telephone 01728 688934
e-mail enquiries@memorialsbyartists.co.uk 

Permanent Londoners - An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of London by Judi Culbertson and Tom Randall [Amazon]

Who's Buried Where in England by Douglas Greenwood "An indispensable guide for anyone interested in English History" Illustrated, geographical checklist by county, fully indexed retail £14-99 published by Constable IBSN 1-84529-305-3

The Victorians by A.N.Wilson
The best single volume work on the Victorian Age yet written [Andrew Roberts]
A.N.Wilson's The Victorians was the book he was born to write, it was evidently the product of decades of love for and familiarity with the period, and not just a year or two of boning up [Philip Hensher]
£10-99 Arrow Books, The Random House Group Limited, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, LondonSW1V 2SA IBSN 978-0-099-45186-0

Victorian Sensation by Michael Diamond -the Spectacular, the Shocking and the Scandalous in Nineteenth Century Britain
 ISBN -4-84331-150-X

The Tombstone Tourist by Scott Stanton 
                           a trip to the burial locations of well known musicians [USA] £6-86 from Amazon

Death, Grief and Poverty in Britain 1870 - 1914 by Julie-Marie Strange [Cambridge Social and Cultural Histories No 6 in series] from Amazon

London Cemeteries by Darren Beach
£5-48 Amazon

Ford Park Cemetery Trust’s publication A Heritage Trail containing a brief history of the Cemetery and biographical notes on fifty notable people buried there.  Price £5.00 including p & p.

Ford Park Cemetery Trust, Ford Park Road, Plymouth PL4 6NT

The Edinburgh Graveyard Guide  by Michael T.R.B. Turnbull

£8-99 free postage and packing to UK, overseas postage only at cost no extra charge for packing from Scottish Books