According to the Daily Mail, cold-hearted council bosses have ordered grieving relatives to remove graveside decorations, claiming a cemetery looks like Poundland. Devastated families in Colchester, Essex have been given a one-month deadline to clear up clutter from around graves at the town's cemetery. I was particularly amazed by the plot in the third photograph of the article which can be read HERE. What do you think?
Wow, that is amazing. It seems like its become a sort of competition of grave decoration. I actually think it's quite an interesting phenomenon and might be keeping that cemetery 'alive.'
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting. I don't particularly like the way it looks, but I think if there are enough people who want it that way, let 'em keep it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a hard one. People should be able to grieve as they see fit, however, I also believe that you should also be considerate of others. It is such a unique place that's for sure! With that said, I will agree with the fact that it needs to be limited so that the funeral homes and the grave diggers can appropriately prepare a site for services and proper burial. Being an Embalmer/Funeral Director, it can be very difficult at time to get caskets and necessary cars in the correct areas to provide the best possible service we can for the client we are helping. We want to help everyone and we also want to respect other peoples loved ones. In order to do that efficiently and respectfully, we need room!
ReplyDeleteI do hope there are plenty of pictures taken before everything is removed. Maybe if they allowed it for a limited time after burial? I think that could be a good compromise. Just my two cents and I hope I have not insulted anyone.
An "out of town branch"? Odd how arrogant certain folks can be about a ritual so personal, so visceral. These places are for the living, the dead have no further use for material trinkets. They are left by those who need the exquisite feeling of leaving a memento and being closer to the memory of that loved life, now somewhere unknown. Perhaps if we knew exactly what happens to our consciousness after death we wouldn't need cemeteries. But we don't know, so we do need them. The connection is simple and belongs to the living - to us. No one can dictate what is "tacky" or not allowed. How can anyone define a person's grief? how it's displayed? ritualized? I signed the petition and gave them what for, the Yank way.
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