Amy Winehouse - Back To Black 23 July

A year ago today on the 23rd July 2011, we remember the sad passing of the esteemed singer~songwriter Amy Winehouse, who tragically died from alcohol poisoning, at the age of 27 years old.
Her distinctive contralto jazz vocals can be heard here in this video which has been set amongst the background of Abney Park Cemetery in London.
May she now have found the Peace that eluded her here.

Monday Mourning ~ Tumbled Stones

Despite it's aged appearance, I took this photo only last year because I was amazed at the subsidence from rabbit burrows ~ of which there are many etc, that had caused this jumble of headstones in Southend~on~Sea Cemetery.

ARP Warden's Memorial ~ IOW

Sacred to the Memory of

Senior Warden EDWARD A. KERSEY

Warden MONTAGUE B. BRINTON

Warden WILLIAM M. COWBURN

Mrs ALICE F. HANN W.V.S

Killed on Duty during the War 1939 ~ 1945

We Will Remember Them

Erected by their Comrades of the Civil Defence

Warden and Ambulance Services East Cowes 

In September 1935, four years before WW2 began,  Stanley Baldwin the British Prime Minister, issued a circular entitled Air Raid Precautions ~ARP~  which suggested local authorities should make plans to protect their people in the event of a war. This included the building of public air raid shelters.

In April 1937 the government created an Air Raid Wardens' Service and during the next year recruited around 200,000 volunteers. These volunteers were know as Air Raid Precaution Wardens and their main role was to protect civilians from the danger of air~raids.

ARP Wardens patrolled the streets during blackouts, to ensure that no light was visible.
If a light was spotted, the warden would alert those responsible by shouting something like 'Put that light out!' or 'Cover that window!'.

Anderson Shelter in Garden ~ Gas Masks being carried in their cardboard boxes

The ARP Wardens also reported the extent of bomb damage and assess the need for help from the rescue and emergency services.
They were also responsible for the issue of gas masks and pre-fabricated air~raid shelters ~ Anderson and Morrison shelters ~ they also organised and staffed the public air raid shelters.

The ARP's knowledge of their local area, enabled them to find and reunite family members who had been separated after the 'All Clear siren' was sounded.
There were 1.4 million ARP wardens in Britain, mostly part time volunteers who had other full time day jobs.

The ARP Warden was issued with a helmet with the letter 'W' upon it, a whistle or wooden rattle, a hooded torch and canteen of water as seen here carved in stone.

Angel of Death

The Angel of Death is the title given to this monument of George William Lancaster and his wife Louisa Mary who died on this day in 1922.

In Sweet and Loving Memory of

George William

Lancaster

23rd January 1920

Aged 66 Years

'Love Lives Forever'

The memorial was sculpted by Sydney March in Portland stone and Bronze and is a Grade II listed monument in East Sheen Cemetery. This work was influenced by North Italian tomb sculpture ~ especially Leonardo Bistolfi ~ and is considered one of the most significant examples of funerary sculpture.

The Lancasters were a north-country family who made their money in coal mining.

Their monument was described by Hugh Meller, author of London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide & Gazetteer, as 'arguably the most dramatic sculpture in any of London's cemeteries'. I have to admit that it is one of my favourites too.

Louisa Mary

Lancaster

Died

June 23rd 1922

'She Lived For Others' 

It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction and I recently found this very interesting article by Sheldon K Goodman about the relationship between George and his wife Louisa, whom he was not even married to, for the full story please continue to read his article..

https://cemeteryclub.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/the-bronze-angels-of-london/

Colonial Governor ~ Sir Claud Hollis

Festina Lente

In Proud and

Loving Memory

Sir Claud Hollis

G.C.M.G  C.B.E

Born 12th May 1874

Died 22nd Nov 1961 

Festina Lente ~ Make Haste Slowly or More Haste, Less Speed

Sir Alfred Claud Hollis  GCMG, CBE ~ 1874 ~ 1961 ~ was British administrator who served as British Resident to the Sultan of Zanzibar between 1923 and 1929 and Governor of Trinidad and Tobago between 1930 and 1936 and author of a historical account of Spanish Trinidad.

He also wrote books on the Language and Folklore of the Masai and Nandi.

Summer Solstice

Today is the longest day of the year.

Daisies in St.Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Widdington, Essex

Wednesday's Child

Suffer Little Children To Come Unto Me

To the Memory of

Little Bennie

Who Died

November 9th 1869

Aged 11

Redeemed with the Precious Blood

of Christ

Benjamin Gilson Way

Beloved

And Only Child

of

Benjamin

&

Elizabeth Sarah Way