An English Boneyard

[floppybootstomp]

This is basically a link to an audio slideshow on the BBC News website about Highgate Cemetary, a fascinating place in North London. I have visited quite a few times and I like it a lot, it's quite a unique graveyard.

Karl Marx, is buried there as are quite a few of the so-called English aristocracy. The lady who narrates the slideshow has one of the plummiest upper class English accents ever but I love it. being English myself it's close to home to me, although a class or six apart.

What she says about once you're in the cemetary there is no link to the outside world is very true. Outside may be the hustle and bustle of a busy English capital city but inside Highgate Cemetary's walls it's almost another dimension, to me it brings to mind Alice In Wonderland, The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe and witches and wizards. But that's just me

I'll also post here some pix I took in Highgate Cemetary around 1970 of four guys I went to secondary school with, I am sadly no longer in touch with any of them.

I hope you enjoy this short (3:21) presentation

Highgate Cemetary slideshow with audio

 

[Taffycat]

Thank you for posting the linky Flopps, that was very interesting - and I kept wishing for it to be longer.

Highgate Cemetary would be a fascinating place to visit - to explore it, that is. Years ago, when I was a child, my Nan and I would take walks through the graveyard of Llandaff Cathedral. The inscriptions on some of the headstones and tombs, dated back hundreds of years.

It's funny, but I never found it morbid, or scary. I loved that it was so peaceful. There was a busy main road not far away, but as soon as one stepped into the lane leading to the "boneyard" it was like stepping into a piece of countryside. Just birds calling and cawing (the ever-present crows) and this lovely cool, tranquil place.

Ooh, you have evoked some pleasant memories for me Flopps Hope you will be posting more pics really looking forward to seeing them.

 

[historian]

Lovely slide show Flopps.The place looks quite romantic,poetic and sad all at the same time.
I think you said that you had some pics of Higegate cemetery that you took,but these have not come up.In fact, where I presume the pics are, they show as small squares with a red X in one corner.
historian

 

[floppybootstomp]

I posted the pix on another forum and linked to them but for some reason sometimes they're down. As I type this, they're there.