Ford Park Cemetery Trust

Newsletter 2022

Welcome to the latest newsletter from Ford Park. What a busy year we have had, it was good to get back to some sort of normality. The year started with the ever popular Soup & Sweet Lunch, and the Visitor Centre was full. If you intend to come this year (it’s on 18th March) buy your ticket early.

The year continued with the usual assortment of walks, talks, fairs, exhibitions, and concerts which all helped to raise much needed funds.

New ventures included an exhibition and sale of work by local watercolourists in April, with Ford Park receiving commission on the sales, and in May the Centre was used as a polling station. Both these events raised our profile and attracted people who had not visited the cemetery before.

Sale of Christmas wreaths raised over £3000 this year, thanks to Maggie and her intrepid band of volunteers. The office can take orders, and, if you do not live locally, we can place a wreath on a loved one’s grave for you.

Late addition to the calendar of events:

The book Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier is the inspiration for a guided walk around Ford Park Cemetery to discover symbolism and social class division in the historic memorial designs.

Starting promptly at 6.30pm on Monday 20th March 2023 the walk will be led by Trustee Wendy Coulton.

You will get more out of the experience if you read the book but it’s not essential.

Tickets cost £8 each including light refreshments afterwards in the Visitors Centre.

Stout footwear is advisable and, sorry, this event is probably not suitable for children or visitors with poor mobility.

If this whets your appetite, Victorian Symbolism is the subject of our Summer Exhibition (8th July – 26th August) and we also have booklets about Symbolism for sale in the Visitors Centre.