During my recent walk along part of London’s Green Chain walk, linking open spaces and parks in South East London, on one of the hottest days this year I entered the cooling shades of Bostal Woods whose name derives from the same root as the Italian for woodland: ‘bosco’.
Exiting from the verdurous gloom I found myself before the impressive gateway leading into Plumstead cemetery.
Opened in 1890 the cemetery contains memorials to those who lost their lives while working at the Woolwich Arsenal and a section devoted to the War Dead.
There is also a memorial to Gunner Alfred Smith who received the Victoria cross for saving a fellow soldier.
(Headstone donated by the Cooperative society in 1986)
This took place when the Camel Corps was on its way to relieve General Gordon who was besieged in Khartoum.
(Memorial to the Camel Corps in London’s Victoria Embankment Gardens)
The British forces encountered the Mad Mahdi’s rebel dervishes in January 1885 and, despite being outnumbered by 1,600 to 15,000 men, defeated them. Unfortunately, when the Camel corps reached Khartoum to rescue General Gordon they were two days too late: Khartoum had fallen and Gordon and his garrison had all been slaughtered.
The cemetery is beautifully laid out in former parkland with a gently hilly contour bordered by dense woodland.
In its centre is a chapel built in flamboyant Gothic style.
A scattering of sycamore, beech and oak trees punctuate Plumstead cemetery’s extensive area.
It is in this cemetery that, some time ago, my wife Alexandra purchased a grave plot for the two of us.
I cannot think of any place more lovely in this part of London where we have lived and worked for many years. On the day of my visit I was completely alone, the searing heat was made more bearably by soft breezes from the woods, the views over London were superb and the wild grass growing between the mossy tombstones waved and glistened in the setting sun.
SOWERS OF THE SYSTEM
I can face you here and kiss your red lips
pouting with death’s sensual desire. I touch
your golden waterfall of hair, the tips
of your nipples – I now love you so much!
I’ve had enough of our modern image
with its isms and lack of indulgence.
Only your weald of symbols will assuage
my thirst for the meaning of when? and whence?
The vast words: despair, destiny and hope,
time and judgement, the sea of lost mankind –
witnesses to your omnipresent scope –
are dyed with the last sun’s hues in my mind.
They mantle me in the casts of the night
and point to the celestial city’s light.
FLP
May neither of you move to your final home any time soon. You live so well and bring joy to others. May that be prolonged.
Thankyou so much for your kind words Karen.
Quite frankly we are lucky that I finally found that document else it was a close call to not granting Francis his wish as follows. One winters day Francis on talking matters of death wanted a position with a view and on further investigation decided that he had found what he was seeking. So I went ahead and purchased that plot of land in fact my wish really was Charlton Cemetary but that was fully booked and purchased the next best position is what we have. Now it has to be said hat all this nearly jolly well eluded us as what with builders and window replacements over time I have had to move papers around and about the house so despite knowing where this valuable document was the
retrieval was not easy. In fact it took several years and attempts as the Council
seemed unable to locate our purchase which was clearly documented and
handwritten in massive record books at the old town hall office this was
indeed prior to computerisation and as luck or fate would have it my entry of our
plot of land was actually not entered into the computer so the search and finally
finding that document was essential for us to secure our eternal resting place
and eureka tired indeed exhausted as I was it appeared and of course I was extatic as not only did I prove to myself and husband that’s indeed I knew where
it was and found it but also that the mice had not shredded it! Well now the
funny thing is that Francis has requested to plant plants there ahead of the day of departure whenever that may be. The other curious facts is that we can share the site with 2 coffins and several urns thus anyone in need has to let us know prior to the event of their leaving this Planet!
Grave matters indeed…
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