he died of a broken arm

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 1 October 2024].}

While reviewing photos to edit and share with you from my wander through the Bishop's Stortford Old Cemetery while sitting Betsy and Dudley a month ago, a new writing project idea struck.

Inspired by a combination of some of the inscriptions in the cemetery, personal memories and a conversation with a friend this evening about death. Specifically, euthanasia.

The words gently edging towards my fingertips aren't all about death, let alone euthanasia.

The ideas gently swirling aren't perhaps as melancholy as what I've written above may suggest (and how can you write about death without writing about life?)

But I'm probably feeling a bit too raw and tired (emotionally and physically) to pour those thoughts out in the wee hours of this particular morning.

So, instead, here's a photo I took of a grave I found paired with an irreverent title to lighten the mood.

Unrelated (maybe): have you heard the new single from The Cure, Alone?

I've listened to it a lot since it came out, but I only just properly listened while watching the lyric video (as I went to find the link for you) and took in the words and the visuals they've chosen, and I teared up for so many reasons.

And then the comments.

great orme cemetery

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 April 2024].}

With all the to-ing and fro-ing between my trips to Llandudno, Delamere and Glasgow (and pet-sittings in between), I got ahead of myself by posting a photograph of St Peter's Church in Delamere last Sunday when I should have rounded out the week with a #SepulchralSunday entry for Llandudno first.

No harm done, though.

Here's one of my photographs of the Great Orme Cemetery Chapel. The cemetery sits just outside the churchyard walls of St Tudno's Church, down the hill from the summit.

strapped in

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 23 February 2024].}

death in reserve

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 26 March 2023].}

As with many of my friends and lovers, my parents reached a point where they not only accommodated my obsession with visiting and photographing cemeteries, graveyards, churchyards and other final resting places. But they facilitated it.

Sometimes I wonder if it was because they felt they owed me for all the times my brothers and I were left to our own devices in winery car parks in our childhood and teens. While they tasted and purchased wine, muscat and/or port, whether on a day out or on a road trip.

I spent most of those times reading the books I was absorbed by, and I came to enjoy wine in my early 20s. My brothers didn't. Maybe they "owed" my brothers more than me.

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untitled #10 [peachester cemetery, crohamhurst, queensland, australia, 2009]

Sometimes, it was because the cemetery was near where they or their relatives lived at some point.

I vaguely remember Mum mentioning that one of her relatives was buried in Peachester Cemetery. Dad confirmed it was one of her cousins.

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untitled #11 [peachester cemetery, crohamhurst, queensland, australia, 2009]

Whatever the initial reasoning, my parents seemed to find them interesting the more they lurked in them with me.

And with Crohamhurst Ecological Reserve on its borders, Peachester Cemetery was one of the more scenic cemeteries I've photographed, although the graves were simple.

between the trees

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 4 July 2022].}

angel in red

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 20 March 2022].}

untitled #15

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 23 December 2021].}

And here's the final season's grievings image for 2021!

I hope you've enjoyed these again this year.

Let me know in the comments if you think I should continue sharing these in December 2022, or if you've had enough of this curated series!

st eugene

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 November 2021].}

wall of remembrance

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 16 May 2021].}

The part of me that loves a good play on words and adores puntastic titles wanted to call this deadman's curve.

The sombre respectful part of me felt I probably shouldn't. So I didn't.

Though some drivers in this cemetery, two days after Christmas last year, did drive in a way that made me worry for pedestrians wandering along the roads between the sections...