Appalling state of sheffield cemeteries

[helbco]

Yesterday I farewelled my beloved 92 year old Auntie, here in Australia. We have decided on a cremation so that her ashes can be burried alongside her husband in Abbey Lane cemetery.

 

Last year I went in search of her husband's grave at Abbey Lane. With the assistance of some very kind staff, I located a slightly overgrown but otherwise intact grave site and left some flowers. (The cemetery worker kindly cut the grass for me).

 

I was absolutely appalled at the state of the many of the graves in the cemetery - surely reminiscent of a third world country - with head stones over-turned for safety reasons and edging stones broken and dissarrayed.

 

How could this be? I am not talking about graves that were 2 or 300 years old but from early 20th century.

 

I have travelled widely and NEVER seen anything as bad as this anywhere.

 

The cemetery worker told me that, apart from the general maintenance budget they received only 65,000 pounds for special works to service 20 cemeteries.

 

Why is this situation so bad?

[kensimmo]

I don't know why it's so bad; but agree, it's a disgrace. The Health and Safety aspect of having stones, that might have fallen, upped and overturned is a direct result of the blame culture. I, though, would have thought they now present a trip hazard.

 

Yesterday I farewelled my beloved 92 year old Auntie, here in Australia. We have decided on a cremation so that her ashes can be burried alongside her husband in Abbey Lane cemetery.

 

Last year I went in search of her husband's grave at Abbey Lane. With the assistance of some very kind staff, I located a slightly overgrown but otherwise intact grave site and left some flowers. (The cemetery worker kindly cut the grass for me).

 

I was absolutely appalled at the state of the many of the graves in the cemetery - surely reminiscent of a third world country - with head stones over-turned for safety reasons and edging stones broken and dissarrayed.

 

How could this be? I am not talking about graves that were 2 or 300 years old but from early 20th century.

 

I have travelled widely and NEVER seen anything as bad as this anywhere.

 

The cemetery worker told me that, apart from the general maintenance budget they received only 65,000 pounds for special works to service 20 cemeteries.

 

Why is this situation so bad?

[tosh13]

You should see the Elsecar C of E Church in Elsecar, Barnsley, it is in a terrible state,the grass in places is 5' high,we have no Vicar & Elsecar is a Heritage Village ,the thing is they don't care anymore ,it's all about money.

[Geezer]

Council vandals, they never even transcribed the stones before breaking them. A lot of the broken ones ended up in skips in Tinsley Park Cemetery.

 

Its been a bug bear of mine for ages now.

 

It would have been easier to get a stihl saw cut them at the base and simply lay them down (not that most needed doing).