Open Day at the cemetery

People in places like Paris will understand that cemeteries can be tourist attractions. In London, there are a few famous ones - Highgate in particular, which contains the graves of many famous people, including Karl Marx.

As the churchyards filled up, Victorian London expanded to take its dead further and further out. There was even a Necropolis Railway to take the dead to their final resting place.

Nunhead Cemetery in south London is not so far out and not so famous, but it is a protected site, and there is a Friends of Nunhead Cemetery group which has an open day every year.

This is the chapel, which is roofless now.

Most of the site is a nature reserve, the graves overtaken with brambles, nettles and young trees and bushes. Several years ago - perhaps 9 or 10 now - when I started on my family tree, and rediscovered my cousin Percy, he told me our grandfather was buried in Nunhead Cemetery, and gave me some documents he had acquired that showed where granddad's grave was. It was a communal grave, and as such had no headstone, just a marker tablet. I found out where it was and located it, moved with others against a nearby tree. Later I took Percy to see it. We planned to move it to our grandmother's grave in a north London churchyard.

It never happened. But today I decided to go to the open day and have another look, and maybe find someone to help me lug the heavy lump of stone to my car.

Alas, I couldn't get anywhere near the cemetery in my car. The road was too narrow to allow to cars to pass for most of its length, and the number of visitors' cars parked nearby was huge. I parked in a nearby street and limped my arthritic way to the gate.

Sadly, the relevant part of the cemetery is now even more overgrown, and in a skirt and sleeveless top I couldn't have got near it even if I could have recognised it without serious injury.

Oh well, all is not lost - tomorrow is another day.

Sweetest Thing Ever

Before the death of little Tiny, I had promised a couple of friends to take them to the zoo. I could barely bring myself to enter the place, but a promise is a promise.

They had a good time, and it was interesting to learn from a well-informed anonymous source that the baby gorilla was put in with the adult male at the insistence of some high mucky-muck self-styled expert, against the will of the keepers. I have contacted ZSL and suggested that this person or persons should be put in with big Kesho and left to fend for themselves just as the poor little baby was. I won't hold my breath.

Meanwhile, one friend who had not been to the zoo since her childhood wanted to see the tropical bird house. We couldn't believe our eyes when we spotted these two baby crowned plovers with their parents.

They are very well-camouflaged. One is in front of the bird on the right, the other is between the adults:

Here are the two little soldiers marching in a line:

They decided to snuggle up under the parent's breast, and just after I took this photo, all that was visible (just) was two pairs of little legs:

Squee or what?

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Four More


Hand in the pocket, jacket splayed.



Manhandled by The Man



The eyebrow thing



Guilt and regret

A Peaceful Afternoon in the Garden

The day's work is done, the shopping in the fridge. The hens are having a dust bath,. Nothing to do but relax in the garden with the gentle twittering of the birds:








Er, make that the screeching of the baby starlings begging for a feed.

Bless. Their numbers were seriously depleted a few years ago. Glad to have them back. Even in the early morning...

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Three for free.



Hand to mouth


The Goren Dip


Support your local wall

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And yes, it's a twofer (two for the price of one in case any non-Brits aren't familiar with the abbreviation).

Bobby perched on the edge of the desk adjusting his trousers...



...and offering a tempting glimpse of the Python in its pants:


Shame about that shadow.

By the way, I've edited yesterday's picture for colour so pop back and have a look.

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A single iconic Bobby picture per day, this week.

Today, the smile.

Ruthless Rhyme

Mr. Jones

"There's been an accident!"they said,

"Your servant's cut in half; he's dead!"

"Indeed!" said Mr. Jones, "and please

Send me the half that's got my keys."