Issue 93 August 2023

Ramsey Mortuary Chapels Heritage and Archive Centre

By Jane Yardley – Chair, Friends of Ramsey Mortuary Chapels

I must start this month with an apology to anyone who came to visit the chapels on the 1st Sunday in July, expecting them to be open.

As many of you will know, Ramsey Town Council have very kindly taken on the task of putting new toilet facilities into the chapels. Work was already underway by the end of June and a notice was put up, stating that the chapels were closed until further notice, for health and safety reasons. This was also put on our Facebook site, and I mentioned it in last month’s article.

What we were unaware of was that a group visit had been arranged for the Sunday afternoon for Huntingdonshire History month, without informing or consulting us.

I was only told by email on the Sunday morning and immediately requested that everyone be informed that we were closed. Unfortunately, I subsequently found out that this was not done until the following Tuesday.

As a result, we had some very nasty comments on social media and also phone calls.

Some people even claimed that they had paid in advance to visit the chapels and were demanding a refund. I must state categorically, that the chapels and cemetery are a community facility and that there is NOT and has NEVER been a charge to visit.

We will not put up with any abuse, either online or verbally, to any of our members and we hope that the matter rests there.

Now on to cheerier things!

Some time ago we were given a selection of kneelers by members of St. Thomas a Becket Church, and they have generously given us some more to add to our collection.

When you look at them you can see the amount of time and artistry that has gone into making them, they really are wonderful, and we are pleased to be able to display them when we reopen. After all they are now part of Ramsey’s history.

Also thank you to the Norris Museum in St. Ives. They have been able to find out more about the boat that was dug up on the Fen at Warboys and you can read all about it in their article in the Informer this month.

Sadly, due to the bad weather we had to cancel our stall at CreateFest. We hope to have a stall on either Church or Abbey Green on Heritage Day, 10th September. There will be a lot going on, not only will most of Ramsey’s Heritage venues be open, free of charge, but there will also be an antiques event on Abbey Green along with many other things for you to see and do. So come along and enjoy yourselves!

The postcard of High Street, Ramsey, is one that I found in a charity shop in Huntingdon, and I think that it dates from the 1920’s.

Thank you all for your continued support. Although the Chapels are closed until further notice, we will be out and about with our tombolas and lucky dips at various venues and of course we have our stall at Home and Vintage in Bury.

For our other monthly articles, you can click on the button below.