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Our next Working Party is on Saturday 18th May 2013 between 10am and 1pm in the Western Cemetery. everybody welcome!

Darwen Cemetery Remembrance -
A worthy tribute

Since the FODC launched the Adopt a War
Grave scheme coordinated by Friend, Diane Davies, over 80 of the 90 plus Commonwealth and family war grave memorials have been adopted.

So when it came to this year's Remembrance Day Commemorations it seemed right to organise some acts of Remembrance involving local residents, schools and youth organisations who have been committed to tendering and adopting the graves.

For the full story click on this link


                                                                                 November 2010

Eccles Shorrock

The Friends of Darwen Cemetery are planning to finally mark the grave of Eccles Shorrock of Low Hill, the man who gave the town India Mill and its famous chimney.



For the full story click on this link






                                                                             November 2010

Illustrated Talks go down a storm!

HALF-HOUR illustrated talks are becoming a feature of the regular open meetings held by the Friends of Darwen Cemetery at Bolton Road United Reformed Church.

Tony Foster started the ball rolling in September with a talk on the origins of Darwen Cemetery and Harold Heys followed in November with a talk on Poetry of the Great War in which he included stories of Darwen Cemetery.

If anyone would like to give us a short talk at one of our open meetings please get in touch.

                                                                                 November 2010

Headstones stand proud again as wintry shadows fall

Headstones stand proud again as wintry shadows fall.

It's been hard work for the past few months but finally, as winter approaches, we can look back on excellent work on our target area of Section C. A lot of the headstones here had been flattened and others had been hidden by unchecked rhododendrons. Now other trees there such as silver birch can, hopefully, flourish.



                                                                        October 2010

Section C "looking good!"

During October section C has started to look good, after all the headstones were re-erected and repaired, the soil was leveled and filled and re-seeded with new grass.
The Rhododendron have been cut down and we have removed the branches and chippings.

                                                                               October 2010

Oh those Rhododendron Bushes

During September and October 2010 we have cut down many of the Rhododendron Bushes in Section C and have Pruned back many along the path between Sections B and J along
the southern boundary wall.

Patrick cuts down the Rhodis Harold prunes back the Rhodis along
in Section C the path between section B and J

The Rhodis branches start to pile up, next to the Rhodi chippings.

For more photographs of the Working Partys during
September and October, have a look in the Gallery page.

To see more Photos click on the below link.

All the Rhodis

Setember / October 2010

Alice, we hang our heads in shame

ALICE VARLEY had been at rest in a quiet corner of Darwen's old cemetery for over a hundred years. Her tidy grave was surmounted by a small cross, beautifully crafted with flowers and birds.

For the full story click on this link



                                                                                         September 2010

FODC Hits Darwen Gala!

Friends of Darwen Cemetery had a good day at Darwen Gala. Lots of people visited our stand and showed interest in all the work we are trying to do with the Council in order to improve the condition of the old cemetey.

For the full story click on this link



                                                                                August 2010

Martha Jane Bury stands tall once again!

Once again, Martha Jane Bury can look over Darwen Cemetery from her lofty position close to the site of the old Nonconformist Chapel - thanks to stonemason Brent Stevenson.

For the full story click on this link



                                                                                          August 2010

The Circular Garden looks Great!

The circular garden which will be made into a secluded area where ashes can be scattered and where relatives can spend quiet moments of contemplation is a blaze of colour at present thanks to lots of flowers from Blackburn With Darwen Borough Council.
Volunteers, including a family from Sri Lanka, planted the flowers which have brightened up the area considerably.




                                                                    July 2010

Top Gates Pillar Stands after Many Years!

During July 2010, after many years of being laid down outside the top gates, the pillar and cap has been re-erected, thanks to Brent Stevenson
(it's the second pillar on the left)


                                                                                             July 2010

The Rhododendrons are finally being cut back!

Work got under way mid-July to cut back the rampant rhododendrons which have take over large areas of the older part of the cemetery and smothered a lot of graves. To the west of Section C and round the "rose garden" they are being cut back to shoulder height to make them more manageable. Blackburn with Darwen Council have funded the work.


                                                                                                      July 2010

Diane and Rose collect a cheque for £1,000

Following a successful presentation to the Cash for Communities Committee by Pat O'Reilly and Diane Davies, Friends of Darwen Cemetery receive a cheque of £1000 for new signage in the Cemetery




                                                                       July 2010

The Graves in Section C are being repaired and re-erected.

Work has started on re-erecting the graves in section C,
Brent Stevenson Memorials are in the process of
                         completing our first section,

                                                  June 2010

For more photographs click on this link

2Lt Edward Deakin Ashton

One of the first to die during the Great War was Second Lieutenant Edward Deakin Ashton, educated at Sedbergh School and Baliol College, Oxford, only son of rich parents who lived in a grand house in Darwen. He was a Lancashire Fusilier. He was 26.

For the full story click on this link

Our Australian Soldier : Alfred Edmund WARD

'Rosemary and Len Jackson were asked by their daughter Nicola, who now lives in Australia, to place a tribute on the war grave of Arthur Edmund Ward in Darwen Old Cemetery to commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April. Nicola was over at Christmas and was interested to find an Australian soldier was buried in the cemetery. On her return to Australia she decided to research the soldier who died at the home of his cousins, the Leaches.

For the full story click on this link

The Ashton Memorial

Work has been completed on the Ashton Memorial outside wall and it has now been made safe.
The Garden inside the Memorial has been weeded, fresh top soil has been laid and we have planted some new bedding plants.
However the Ashton Memorial Monument still requires full restoration to bring it back to its former glory, we are still looking for funding to complete this.

Click here for more photos of The Ashton Memorial

June 2010

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