arnos vale cemetery

Moira+I met up with Hannah+Felix+Ursula for lunch yesterday at the Bocabar… which really good. However, before that, M+H+F+U wanted to select wool at the local woolshop for a jumper for Felix. Strange as this may seem, but I’m not really a woolshop sort of person… so I decided to opt out of that particular activity! Instead, I decided to spend 45 minutes or so looking around Arnos Vale cemetery (which is virtually opposite Bocabar). I’d been there a few times before, but had never really explored beyond the central core between the entrance and the café.

I KNEW it was a wonderful place but, frankly, I hadn’t appreciated just how wonderful it was. It extends over 45 acres(!) and is the “final resting place” (don’t you just hate that description!) for more than 300,000 people.
The cemetery really is stunning and I absolutely loved my brief time exploring there yesterday. There was a very real sense that people cared for the cemetery; there was a tangible sense of the place “being well loved”. The task of upkeep must be HUGE, but it’s being done both sensitively and with great enthusiasm. There are also well-maintained pathways throughout the cemetery (suitable for buggies etc) and so accessibility isn’t a problem.
I found the whole experience quite moving and humbling… and I will definitely be a regular visitor over the coming months/years (hopefully not one of the permanent residents just yet though!).
If you get a chance, you really must see this simply amazing place.
An oasis of peace.