Mary Nichols and the Sleeping Angel

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful graves in Europe, it is said that the grave Mary Nichols lay completely hidden under ivy of Highgate Cemetery until the 1980’s, when it was rediscovered by photographer John Gay. On the top of the grave lies a sleeping angel on a bed of clouds: it is easily one of […]

BOTHER THE MEN! The GRAVE OF MRS. HOWARD PAUL

A prestigious memorial eroded by time betrays the memory of an iconic Victorian woman. Her fine contralto voice was often used to excellent effect in imitating male tenors of the day and she was a master of comedy performance. But Mrs Howard Paul followed the pattern of women adopting their husbands name professionally. Four years […]

The Top 6 Graves of Père-Lachaise

Here we go. Such has been my apprehension in attempting to write an entry about the most famous cemetery in the world that it’s taken me nearly a year to finally put my visit into words. How – how, dear reader – can you do justice to this place in one post? How can I convey […]

Victoria’s God-daughter

Dressed in the highest fashions of the 1860’s, a princess looks deeply into the camera as she takes direction from one of London’s busiest photographers. Surrounded by foliage and the ‘shelter’ of a tree with a classical column in the background to accentuate her status and class, effortlessly exuding a regal command that was only […]

The Tortoise & The Opera Singer

What on earth an opera singer has to do with a tortoise? We all know about Conchita from Eurovision but there’s another you should know about, whose unique grave resembles something from a Terry Prachett novel. Back in March I discovered the above image and the tag line ‘Opera Singer‘. The smile, the enthusiam, the […]

The Top 6 Graves of Chartreuse

Feminists, mummies and Death himself: Cimetrie de la Chartreuse is literally crammed with history and fascinating people Opening in 1791, it was built on the former gardens of a Carthusian monastery and is a literal suburb of the dead; many of Bordeaux’s great and good have been laid to rest here. I was supposed to […]

Octavia Hill

For LGBT History Month 2019 I’m inviting friends and fans alike to delve into our cemeteries and unearth some queer stories – there are loads, if you know where to look! Today I’m very pleased to post a blog by Sean Curran; Sean is a heritage educator and curator currently Community Learning Manager at the National […]

Rock Creek Cemetery

Who says cemeteries can’t be beautiful? You see those mausoleums? They gave me shade from the relentless August that I had to endure during my stay in Washington D.C. I walked a mile from the Catholic University of America campus (where I was staying) to the first and finest of the cemeteries in the States. […]

A Them-Days Jamie Oliver

Celebrity chefs are common-place nowadays – the likes of Gino Sheffield Di Campo, Ainsley Harriott and Jamie Oliver. But let’s turn back the clock and look at the very first ‘sleb cook whose grave is one of the most impressive funerary monuments in the country. A true story of love and devotion: one of the people […]

Who is buried under St George’s Chapel?

On the 9th April 2021 Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, passed away. Aged 99, he was the longest serving royal consort in British history and was married to Her Majesty The Queen for 74 years: the only Royal couple to attain a platinum wedding anniversary. He was also the most well-travelled member of the […]