Issue 97 December 2023

Ramsey Mortuary Chapels Heritage and Archive Centre

By Jane Yardley – Chair, Friends of Ramsey Mortuary Chapels

It has been, once again, a pleasure and a privilege for the chapel members to assist with the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal at Tesco’s in Ramsey.

It never fails to amaze me just how generous people are, and I know that this is very much appreciated, and the money raised put to good use.

The foyer at Tesco’s must be one if the coldest places in Ramsey when all the doors are open, and it is windy, and we would like to thank the kind staff for keeping us warm with very welcome hot drinks!

Several of us went to the Ramsey War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday, where I laid a wreath on behalf of the Friends of Ramsey Mortuary Chapels.
It is always well attended, but I think that this year there were more people than ever paying their respects, and rightly so. We live in strange, unsettled times and I know that both of my parents who served our country in WWII and many of their generation, would be appalled by recent events both at home and abroad.

As many of you might have seen on our official Facebook page, we have been busy cleaning and restoring the war graves in the cemetery that are not looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Sadly, those that are, appear not to have been attended to this year and unfortunately, they fall outside our remit.
We have contacted the Commission to see what can be done and hope to hear from them soon.

We intend to continue with the restoration of the chapels next year, when our new toilet facilities are completed, but we have had to put everything on hold until that is done. As a consequence, it has been difficult to raise funds, but we have managed to have tombola stalls at some local events. Fortunately, we also have our stall at Home and Vintage in Bury, where we sell the bric-a-brac that you generously donate to us.
Our thanks to all the staff there who kindly keep an eye on our stall for us and to all of you for your continued support for our project.
We couldn’t do it without you!

Christmas is fast approaching, and I would like to wish all of you a very Merry and safe Christmas and New Year from us all.

Don’t forget to check out our official Facebook page (Ramsey Mortuary Chapels) and our website: - www.ramseymortuarychapels.org.uk.

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