As many of you know, for the past year I
have been coordinating a project to catalogue our local cemetery. I’m delighted,
relieved, pleased to say that the year is almost over. This weekend I’m holding
a presentation to celebrate our achievements and, as I jot them down in
preparation for my speech, I’m proud to say that the outcomes far outstrip the
aims. In fact, had anyone suggested at the outset that we would get this much
work done, I would have been quite ‘negative’ with them.
We now have information boards at the
cemetery. These include plans of all the plots. There are row markers and small
plaques for every unmarked grave…
And more than that, we now have a website
with all the basic information that anyone might need to know about the
cemetery…
And much more than that, the website
contains a record for every burial with data about that person and search
facilities. It is now a fully functioning genealogical website…
And even more than that, the website
contains many researched stories about the lives led by a number of the people
buried there. This is why we called the project The Lives Behind the Stones.
We’ve managed to gather a fair cross-section showing contributions made to the
local community, to the city, in some cases to the country. There are contributions
to commerce, celebrations of scientific developments and, sadly, many moving stories
of refugees and evacuees who sought shelter here in Leicester.
I’m sorry you can’t all come to the
presentation but, if you’ve not looked at the website recently, you might like
to see the finished product and discover what I’ve been up to all year. You'll find it here.
Well done to you and your team, giving a dignified end to precious lives. I'm sure future generations will be very grateful for all your efforts.
ReplyDeleteYou have everything to be proud of - you did a fantastic job. Good luck with the presentation.
ReplyDeletecongratulations on an excellent thorough job and contribution to recording history. I've enjoyed your journey, discovery, and resolve in saving history. Good luck with the presentation and enjoy the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI hope you take some time at the end of all this to feel proud of yourself! This is a fantastic project, and a resource that people will use for years. Well done, Ros!
ReplyDeleteWhat an impresive achievment, Ros. You are right to be proud of yourselves. It occurs to me that I might attempt a similar project if / when I return to Hurstpierpoint, and if I do I shall be picking your brains unmercifully!
ReplyDeleteYay! It's all finished. From your previous posts it's sound like a hard but useful project. And it's certainly a lovely one. I wish every cemetery had something like this.
ReplyDeleteWell done for completing such a marvellous achievement. (Though I doubt if you'll be able to leave it alone, even now!) Be proud of yourself and your team.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a worthy project, a wonderful tribute to lost loved ones and true mitzvah.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're well, Rosalind. xo
Well done, Ros. This is a real achievement. I think you should be very proud of yourself and your team!
ReplyDeleteFantastic achievement! You should be very proud of yourself. I read and was deeply moved by your book on Leicester Jewry ... hope to see some of this work also. Mazel tov!
ReplyDeleteHi Ros .. that's brilliant and I'm sure the presentation this weekend will go off really well. I know you've been working so hard on this, along with Richard - life's been busy ....
ReplyDeleteI must have another look at the website .. but what a project, and I bet you've learnt loads ... so well done - cheers Hilary
Hi Ros .. having just visited the website - it's really amazing what you've managed to do - and with lots of willing helpers and volunteers - so pleased for you ..that it's been accomplished so thoughtfully and fully ... all the best Hilary
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