Press Releases by Brookwood Cemetery
or visit our Blog for current and older postings
December 2011: New Cemetery Sign
In
December the old cemetery sign facing the main railway line off plot 102 was
fully restored. This included the construction of a replacement metal frame
along with new lettering.
The sign reads "Brookwood Cemetery / Estd. 1852" and is designed to be seen from passing trains, as was the original.
11 December 2011: Funeral of Lieutenant David Boyce
The
burial of Lieutenant David Boyce of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards took place
on 11 December.
Lieutenant Boyce was killed alongside Corporal Richard Scanlon on 17 November when their armoured vehicle struck a makeshift bomb in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Following a funeral service held in Bath Abbey on 7 December, Lieutenant Boyce's ashes were buried at Brookwood.
You can read the official Ministry of Defence communique, the coverage of his death from the BBC Website and the Daily Telegraph.
Pilgrimage Stroll Against Poverty: 15 October 2011
This year's Pilgrimage Stroll Against Poverty took place on 15 October. Organised as part of the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Tish Mason of the Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty arranged another group visit to the pauper burial areas of the cemetery. Tim Dodds, Mayor of Surrey Heath, also attended the stroll. The group visited part of the pauper burial sections before moving on to the Cemetery Chapel for short service to remember those who live and die in poverty across the world. As in previous years the purpose of the visit is to remember those who died in poverty, to show solidarity with people living in poverty, and to find out how to help those in poverty. The Brookwood Cemetery Society supported the event by providing refreshments before and after the walk, and having its sales and information stand open. After the walk, participants were invited to a Creative Workshop for families at the Frimhurst Family House, Guildford Road, Frimley Green.
There is an Audioboo interview with Jason French on the UN Day to End Poverty, and an Audioboo interview with John Clarke on the pauper burial areas,
18 September 2011: Celebrating Age Concern Woking's 5th Anniversary
On Sunday 18 September Brookwood played host to Age Concern Woking's 5th anniversary. Around 100 people, including local councillors, clients and sponsors attended the celebration, along with some of the charity's volunteers. Age Concern Woking offers services to help improve the lives of older people. It supports older people who are isolated or have no family to offer them support.
17 September 2011: London's Necropolis: A Perfect Place of Peace
On Saturday 17 September the Association of Garden Trusts and the Surrey Gardens Trust arranged a study day at Brookwood. The main part of the day took place in the Brookwood Memorial Hall. Three main themes were explored by guest speakers in the morning sessions: "The Evolution of the English Cemetery landscape" by Jonathan Lovie; "Sepulchres and Statues; Criteria for Listing of Cemetery Monuments" by Roger Bowdler; and "The Landscape of Brookwood Cemetery" by John Clarke. Following lunch the planned extended tour of the cemetery was curtailed due to heavy rain.
10 June 2011: Funeral of Maqbool Fida Husain
The funeral of Maqbool Fida Husain took place on 10 June 2011. Following a funeral service in London, he was buried in one of the muslim community plots at Brookwood. Widely known as "The Picasso of India" or simply "MF", he left India in 2006 and divided his time between Qatar and London. He is mourned in India and by artists all over the world.
11 May 2011: Visit by Representatives of the Johor Government of Malaysia
We welcomed members of the Johor Government of Malaysia on 11 May 2011. The visit was arranged by Haji Dzul Karnain Asmawi of the Johor Heritage Foundation as part of a research visit to London. He was accompanied by 13 Johor Officials, headed by the Johor Heritage and Cultural Minister, arriving at the cemetery at 10 o'clock. Accompanied by cemetery owner Erkin Guney and Historical Consultant John Clarke, the group visited the old Muslim burial ground and in particular visited the graves of three eminent Johoreans, including the grave of Dato Abdul Rahman Andak.
18 April 2011: Funeral of Major Matthew Collins
The
burial of Major Matthew James Collins of the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards took place
on Monday 18 April.
Major Collins was killed alongside Lance Sergeant Mark Burgan in Afghanistan on Wednesday 23 March. They were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) after returning from an operation in support of an Afghan National Army Company, alongside C Company of the Danish Battle Group, to disrupt insurgent activity and search compounds of interest in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province.
You can read the official Ministry of Defence communique, and newspaper coverage of his death from the Daily Telegraph and a report on his repatriation to the UK from the Daily Mail.
16-17 April 2011: 70th Anniversary of the Destruction of the Necropolis Station
The night of 16-17 April marks the 70th anniversary of the destruction of much of the London Necropolis Company's London terminus. Situated at 121 Westminster Bridge Road, the station was largely destroyed by incendiary and high explosive bombs dropped during what was the heaviest are raid on London to date.
Report into UK Funeral Customs: April 2011
Co-Operative Funeralcare has conducted the first UK study into funeral customs. The Ways We Say Goodbye: A Study of 21st Century Funeral Customs in the UK draws information from across its network of funeral homes as well as from 2,000 members of the public.
It shows that today's funerals are much more likely to be a celebration of a person's life than a mournful occasion. More than half the population would choose this rather than a simple church service with hymns, and almost half are keen for their funeral to reflect their favourite hobby, colour, football team or music. You can read a summary of the report in the Funeral Service Journal, or see the full report here.
Horse Drawn Funeral at Brookwood: January 2011
The
cemetery witnessed a splendid horse drawn funeral in mid-January.
Supplied by the Brunswick Carriage Company, the hearse was drawn by a pair of black Fresians.
Other arrangements for the funeral were by Woking Funeral Service.
Increased Burial Fees in Brent: January 2011
The Evening Standard reported on increased burial fees charged by many London Councils. These rises have been criticised as a "death tax". Brent Council will raise its plot fees to £2,140 (for residents) and £3,615 (for non residents). These charges may be compared with those at Brookwood: £2,200 (for unselected plots), £2,500 (for selected plots), and £3,200 (for front row). These prices apply to most areas in Brookwood Cemetery and include a 50 year deed of grant as standard.
For older press releases and related information, see our Blog
Glades House, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey
GU24 0BL
Tel: (01483) 472222
Fax: (01483) 472223
Email:
enquiries@brookwoodcemetery.com