Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 24th December, 2022)

A sombre photo for Christmas Eve. Makes you think about loved one past and present. Hope people will get a little joy by attending a church service tonight

Where most of my Bradshaw family are including John Bradshaw killed in the King Pit disaster leaving his wife Ann Gaskell & 3 boys. Ann lived on into old age.

Pomp pruned and vanquished they stand .
The trees have become Winter Communists .
Weeping Willow , Shady Elm
Mere twigs now in the frosty realm .
The crown lopped off the Royal Oak ,
The heraldry from the Sycamore ,
For December heeds not the sumptuary law ,
All equal in the Commonwealth .

Poet

The angle at which the photo has been taken gives it a rather mysterious, spooky feel, setting a scene that is just right for a Christmas ghost story!

Helen, my Bradshaw family are in there too.
Also the final resting place of Terry Newton. Whenever I go to my relatives graves I always put a flower on his grave. R.I.P. Terry.

Sadly this churchyard has suffered from vandalism more than any other I've visited when researching for the Imperial War Museum's War Memorials Register. Among those vandalised is that of a former Vicar of the Parish, Canon Forrest. The cross which was on top of a set of three steps has gone - and the steps themselves are askew. It was made of Portland stone, but they skimped on the inscription - it should have been leaded, but was simply incised, and erosion means it's scarcely legible now. Among those commemorated on it are 2nd Lieutenants Laurence Bernard and Austin Lancelot Forrest, the Vicar's sons, both killed in WW1.

Is that lump of stone a birdbath

Have any of you local Bradshaws traced roots back to Bradshaighs? ie the lot that were here before Earl of Crawford's lot.

Unfortunately not Ena. Mind you there are Bradshaws all over the place in the North West, seems to be a very common name.

Your right Rev about the vandalism, I made a video of the damaged graves and Pem council house people who commented, disagreed and side it was down to mine subsidence

https://youtu.be/cLRgA8XmBu0

With regard to headstones … at close of play , it would make more sense to me to be cremated , have ones ashes coated in some kind of bituminous substance , then rammed into a few of those ubiquitous potholes that abound in this godforsaken borough …
At least you wouldn’t have to go down there every week and fire up the strimmer .