Families from afar visit the Cemetery

At today’s FODC working party (Saturday 20th September) two families visited and were given assitance finding family graves.

The Sharples family from Aberdeen, East Kilbride and Lemington Spa were helped to find the Sharples Grave and Anne Lamont one of the FODC volunteers helped tidy it up.

(Picture Gordon Sharples, Tim Sharples, Deb Service (nee Sharples) and Laura Service with Anne Lamont finished off the clean up.)


Verity Barker left Darwen in 1964 after finishing her school days at Spring Bank Secondary Modern (in the same class as FODC Chair John East) to emigrate to New Zealand.

She return along with her family who still live the New Zealand and Australia to find the Aspinall family graves.

(Picture Verity second from left with her family)

Tony Foster who also attend Spring Bank was on hand to help them find the graves and they were delighted to meet up old friends.

Verity said, “It was wonderful to visit Darwen and find our family grave and meet up with friends.”

“We were given such a warm welcome it brought a tear to my eye.”

Both families gave generous donations to the FODC.

FODC September 2014