On this page you will find a summary of updates and information notices.
Browse around the site, we cover safety in cemeteries, a picture gallery, a list of our members and news items from various Friends groups. Our Events and Walks page is a popular feature.
Look out for Open Days when our members organise walks, displays etcMembers can normally book a space for a display or table and are advised to contact the hosting group as early as possible to make arrangements.
Kensal Green 5th July
Lambeth 13th July
Brompton 20th July
Date of last update 20 June 2008
Ron Woollacott MBE The Federation warmly congratulates Ron Woollacott chairman of Friends of Nunhead Cemetery on his award of the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
A Successful AGM at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. 14th June was a fine day and delegates had a choice of 4 guided walks and after a fine buffet provided by our hosts the AGM commenced. Several groups brought displays and book tables and we welcomed several members on their first visit.
Birmingham Cemeteries Study Day On 19th June a one day event with lectures and cemeteries visits. Please see our events page.
The morning lectures will be held at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham.
Ford Park Cemetery Trust Appeal
The Trust has applied for funding to restore the Victorian Chapel. It has to raise £30,000 by the end of June 2008 and a further £30,000 by the end of September 2008. For each £1 raised from the public there is match funding of £8 so if we can support the Trust they will be assured of a fine restoration of the chapel. Send cheques payable to" FPTC Chapel restoration account" to Ford Park Cemetery Trust, Ford Park Road, Plymouth PL4 6NT. If you normally pay UK income tax, the Trust can increase your donation by claiming Gift Aid so telephone 01752 665442 for the appropriate form.
Cemetery under threat if the Heathrow Runway is built
Cherry Lane Cemetery, London Borough of Hillingdon. In the maps provided by BAA, the proposed dual carriageway road to support the expansion will be put straight through the cemetery. The cemetery has 37 "war graves" under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A petition to the Prime Minister opposing any interference with cemetery has been posted on the internet. To register your opposition http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CherryLane
Offer of display space to NFCF members London Borough of Lambeth are to hold an annual Open Day on 13 July 2008 and offer space fee of charge to any member groups wishing to have a display or to sell books etc. Please contact Ceilia Smith on 020 8672 6342 to make arrangements [more detail on our events page].
Examples of Restoration New images added by the Friends of Pateley Bridge
WWII Air Raid shelters in cemeteries If you know of one please see the Can You Help? page
Books/Media page there are some new publications on the page
Can you help? Please visit the Can you help? page as an author of a proposed book The Victorian Cemetery is searching for photographs etc
Welcome to new members Friends of Highland Road [Southsea] and a new associate member Friends of the Non Catholic Cemetery in Rome.
A Successful AGM at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. 14th June was a fine day and delegates had a choice of 4 guided walks and after a fine buffet provided by our hosts the AGM commenced. Several groups brought displays and book tables and we welcomed several members on their first visit.
Birmingham Cemeteries Study Day On 19th June a one day event with lectures and cemeteries visits. Please see our events page.
The morning lectures will be held at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham.
Ford Park Cemetery Trust Appeal
The Trust has applied for funding to restore the Victorian Chapel. It has to raise £30,000 by the end of June 2008 and a further £30,000 by the end of September 2008. For each £1 raised from the public there is match funding of £8 so if we can support the Trust they will be assured of a fine restoration of the chapel. Send cheques payable to" FPTC Chapel restoration account" to Ford Park Cemetery Trust, Ford Park Road, Plymouth PL4 6NT. If you normally pay UK income tax, the Trust can increase your donation by claiming Gift Aid so telephone 01752 665442 for the appropriate form.
Cemetery under threat if the Heathrow Runway is built
Cherry Lane Cemetery, London Borough of Hillingdon. In the maps provided by BAA, the proposed dual carriageway road to support the expansion will be put straight through the cemetery. The cemetery has 37 "war graves" under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A petition to the Prime Minister opposing any interference with cemetery has been posted on the internet. To register your opposition http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CherryLaneOffer of display space to NFCF members London Borough of Lambeth are to hold an annual Open Day on 13 July 2008 and offer space fee of charge to any member groups wishing to have a display or to sell books etc. Please contact Ceilia Smith on 020 8672 6342 to make arrangements [more detail on our events page].
Examples of Restoration New images added by the Friends of Pateley Bridge
WWII Air Raid shelters in cemeteries If you know of one please see the Can You Help? page
Books/Media page there are some new publications on the page
Can you help? Please visit the Can you help? page as an author of a proposed book The Victorian Cemetery is searching for photographs etc
Welcome to new members Friends of Highland Road [Southsea] and a new associate member Friends of the Non Catholic Cemetery in Rome.
The Federation congratulates Joyce Smith MBE In the New Year's Honours List 2008 the Queen awarded the MBE to Joyce Smith of the Friends of Arnos Vale for services to cemetery conservation.
Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand In 2007 we welcomed two new associate members from the Commonwealth, the most recent being based in New Zealand.
Can you help? New entry on the Can you help? page. The National Archives at Kew are applying to HLF for a grant to digitalise Poor Law and workhouse records and will be asking volunteers to work from home on their computers helping to index the records by selecting keywords.
Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery have just celebrated their 20th year and have published a book [see Books/Media page]
Friends of Surrey Cemeteries and Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery are now members of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe.
The 2008 AGM will be hosted by Friends of Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery.
A new page has been added Interesting Graves and members can add a photo and biographical detail of a grave from their cemetery and hopefully this will bring a variety of feature graves from all parts of the UK. There are a few entries to start the ball rolling....
We had an enquiry to the Secretary about the history of The Rosary, Norwich, but now this is available she cannot find the enquirer's e-mail address. If this was you making the enquiry please contact the Secretary again.
Funerary Monuments Group set up to advise members on best practices.
Members can assist in cancer research by supplying yew cuttings to specialist contractors [see our page on yew trees]
Some interesting examples of restoration projects by Ford park Cemetery Trust and Friends of Pateley Bridge and St Mary's Churchyard [See examples of Restoration page]
Students at Southampton University prepared a project on Death in Victorian Southampton and kindly allowed us to publish the article on this site.
A new page has been added Interesting Graves and members can add a photo and biographical detail of a grave from their cemetery and hopefully this will bring a variety of feature graves from all parts of the UK. There are a few entries to start the ball rolling....
We had an enquiry to the Secretary about the history of The Rosary, Norwich, but now this is available she cannot find the enquirer's e-mail address. If this was you making the enquiry please contact the Secretary again.
Funerary Monuments Group set up to advise members on best practices.
Members can assist in cancer research by supplying yew cuttings to specialist contractors [see our page on yew trees]
Some interesting examples of restoration projects by Ford park Cemetery Trust and Friends of Pateley Bridge and St Mary's Churchyard [See examples of Restoration page]
Students at Southampton University prepared a project on Death in Victorian Southampton and kindly allowed us to publish the article on this site.
Glossary a new page on terms used in cemetery and burial circles is being introduced
The website has been selected by the British Library for the UK Website Archive
Members of the NFCF are requested to submit news items, details of events and images suitable for use on the site.
To contact John G. Avery web master click the picture
Grateful thanks to kingofcoleslaw@morguefile.com for the use of the header picture [Highgate Cemetery] on this site
The browser recommended for the best view of the site is Mozilla Firefox but the site has also been tested on Internet Explorer 7, Netscape Navigator 9 and Opera Classic 9 SeaMonkey and Foxit browsers.
National Federation of Cemetery Friends respect the privacy of persons contacting us and will pass on at your request your contact details to a member group or organisation but we do not supply these details to third parties. E-mail addresses
are not displayed on screen but are available as Send to links. In a few cases contact to a local group is via the Secretary of the Federation.
The website has been selected by the British Library for the UK Website Archive
Members of the NFCF are requested to submit news items, details of events and images suitable for use on the site.
To contact John G. Avery web master click the picture
Grateful thanks to kingofcoleslaw@morguefile.com for the use of the header picture [Highgate Cemetery] on this site
The browser recommended for the best view of the site is Mozilla Firefox but the site has also been tested on Internet Explorer 7, Netscape Navigator 9 and Opera Classic 9 SeaMonkey and Foxit browsers.
National Federation of Cemetery Friends respect the privacy of persons contacting us and will pass on at your request your contact details to a member group or organisation but we do not supply these details to third parties. E-mail addresses
are not displayed on screen but are available as Send to links. In a few cases contact to a local group is via the Secretary of the Federation.
Some of the sites linked to this site may appear in a PDF format and are best viewed by Adobe Reader: for a free download click the logo 