Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery at Hawkenbury

AGM April 6th 2019

 

2018 Trustees’ Report to the members of the Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery

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1. 2018 has been another successful year for the Friends, with a full programme of events and projects attracting hundreds of visitors, a supportive membership whose number has now risen to 90, and maintenance of a sound financial position.

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2. The major milestone during the year was completion by consultants and adoption by TWBC of the cemetery Environmental Management Plan to which the Friends had contributed both information and ideas. We welcome identification of the long term Vision for the cemetery as: A place of quiet reflection giving comfort to the bereaved, sensitively managed to conserve and enhance its ecology, historic structures and landscape character for future generations . Parks Department are actively engaging with us on implementing its recommendations, including planting in the cemetery’s Character Areas, and a tree identification walk.

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3. Other highlights of the year were: · Nature walks on bats, lichens and fungi, and designation of an experimental wild flower area. · WWI commemorative events, including an exhibition and publication of a booklet “Remembered”, installation by the RAFVR of an RAF centenary memorial, and the planting and naming of “Remembrance Way “ linking the two Crosses of Sacrifice. · Celebration of the centenary of women’s suffrage with two commemorative events, an exhibition on “Exceptional Women” buried in the cemetery, guided walks, and restoration of two of their memorials. · Excursions to the British Legion Poppy Factory at Richmond and to historic graveyards in Tonbridge and Southborough. · Publication of a booklet on pauper burials and Tonbridge Workhouse, associated with an exhibition, guided walk and lecture. Following this, we have discussed with the Registrar where the dozen paupers buried in the 1870s section C3 currently used by Sodexo will be reinterred and commemorated when the land is sold off by TWBC. · An innovatory carol concert in the beautifully decorated and lit twin chapels accompanied by mince pies and mulled wine. · Strengthened bonds between the Friends and a range of relevant institutions and individuals through shared events held with the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery, Friends of the Museum, CREATE, British Legion, St Augustine’s parish and the Girl Guides Association.

 

4. Projects we launched during the year and are carrying forward during 2019 included : • Fund-raising for repairs to the Snelgrove angel mosaic this spring. • Fund-raising to repair the damaged Caffyn “immortelle”- a Victorian glass globe containing silk and porcelain flowers - and its installation in the South Chapel. • Repair of the 1873 Cemetery Wall Map, to be hung in the South Chapel. • Research and renovation options for the graves of retired missionaries to China. • Preparation of a“Remembered 2" booklet commemorating those who died in WW2.

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5. We also had to address some worrying problems during the year: • Sodexo had badly damaged some memorials and trees by careless strimming, and were neglecting to fulfil all their contract requirements . At our meeting with them under the aegis of Parks Department, they agreed to replace the damaged trees, introduce protective measures and improve staff training. Liaison arrangements with our gardening team were set up. • Parks Department undertook to set up an urgent winter work programme by Sodexo, to remove heavily overgrown shrubbery, saplings and stumps from graves in the older part of the cemetery where they are damaging memorials. • Parks Department continued their battle with badgers digging around the twin chapels. Memorial inscriptions in these sections have been recorded and photographed by us as a priority, “just in case”. • A particularly distressing development during the year was a series of attacks by vandals on the stained glass window of the iconic Hogg Mausoleum. We are discussing with the Registrar measures to prevent further damage and perhaps get repairs done.

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6. Our preoccupations, priorities and activities in 2019 will build on the achievements of 2018, set within our chosen theme “A Year of Angels”. There will be walks, talks, a booklet and a Heritage Open Days exhibition to reflect this theme. We are also seeking to involve schools and churches in contributing childrens poems and drawings about Angels of Light We would welcome all our members ideas and offers of help to make it a memorable year.

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7. For underpinning all we do are our hard-working volunteers. We offer them our special thanks, and hope that many other members will consider how they too might get involved. Perhaps join the Memorials Inscriptions Group making steady progress recording the many thousands of early gravestones. Their research findings are shared through walks, talks, booklets and public exhibitions. Or the gardening team who engage in clearing and in planting neglected areas and individual graves of note. This contributed to Parks Department’s outstanding success in winning a Gold award in 2018 South and South East in Bloom. And we would greatly welcome more helpers with IT, art work and newsletters.

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8. Last but not least we also would like to offer our warm thanks to the Registrar and the Parks Department of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for all they do to assist the Friends.

March 2019

 

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