Saturday 19 April 2014

HA! Found it!



The cold northern wind did not hinder my desire to once again return to the cemetery down the road. Being 'Good Friday,' a designation I still think unsuitable, the streets were quieter than usual and the sun shining early in the bright blue sky above made for a delightful outing.  Once at the destination I again was happy to sit and listen to the birds singing in the trees all around. The trees and large bushes in the old part were once small seedlings planted lovingly behind a tombstone, now the reach to the skies in some cases and the birds happily make their homes there.  Such birds at this time of the year in the UK have a delightful cheery song and the variety of the voices is wide.  The fact that one is chasing his woman and another threatening all around that this is 'his patch' is unknown to most of us listening and probably smiling smugly.  The cheery, cheeky bird that takes crumbs from your lunch is just as willing to hump anyone else's partner or thump any who get too close to anything that belongs to him.  These creatures are a wee bit more human than we think!


While stumbling through the undergrowth I decided to venture forth into the darkness under a large round tree or bush, sadly my knowledge of tree names is poor.  There to my delight and indeed surprise I found the man I had been looking for!  The reason he had been difficult to trace was simple, he was almost in front of me!  However I am happy now that part of the job is complete and his billing has been finished.  The surprise is the address given is that of the old workhouse.  Later this was converted into houses but was it like that in his day?  Confusion reigns here.  Certainly his grave is wide, a woman I take to be his mother joined him in 1924, and it is possible one of his six siblings may have joined later but the names being omitted or unreadable on what I could actually see here.  A grave that size indicates money was available and with a funeral today costing around £5000 how much would this cost back then?  Someone had cash under the mattress I wonder.

Nothing much else happened but I was intrigued by the woman, along with two children, who found themselves in the middle of the lion enclosure at a safari park when the car caught fire.     
The lions the report says, could not take their eyes of the burning car.  Hmmm freshly roasted dinner lions, yummy!

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5 comments:

Lee said...

A very peaceful, and successful day for you by the sounds of it, Adullamite.

It wasn't as peaceful for that family in the lion enclosure! They'll live off that story for the rest of their lives.

I was going to say "dine off"...but, the lions are still licking their wounds that they missed out on being able to forever spin that one!

Unknown said...

Not in good taste, my friend. Not even close.

Adullamite said...

Lee, The lions are upset.

Jerry, ?

Jenny Woolf said...

I have missed why you were looking for Mr. French. But you are right, nobody in a workhouse could afford a tombstone like that. Could he have been the master of the workhouse?
Otherwise it is a mystery indeed. I hope you had a good Easter break.

Adullamite said...

Jenny, Difficult to say what was going on there.