ILKESTON
Friends of Stanton Road Cemetery
November 2009 a report on news of a HLF grant
Autumn 2009
Dear Friends and Supporters
This is a special newsletter to let you all know some exciting news. As many of you were probably aware, we submitted an ambitious lottery bid some months ago. This was done in partnership with Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire and Erewash Borough Council. We are delighted to report that the Heritage Lottery Fund have approved the bid in full and awarded us the sum of £47,000. The work is due to be completed by Autumn 2010 and involves the following projects:
Restoration to the old entrance gates, posts and railings
Repairs to some of the significant graves that are in disrepair
Improvements to the footpath
Creation of an educational pack for local schools
Development of a heritage walk
Development of a management plan to conserve and enhance the wildlife interest of the site
The installation of a carved timber statue of Samuel Taylor - the Ilkeston Giant
Production and installation of an Information Board
I am very sorry to have to report the death of Joan Hunt, a founder member of the Friends and its Committee. Joan was a stalwart defender of the cemetery and will be sadly missed. It was particularly pleasing that she received the news of the lottery award before her sad death. We looked upon her as the guardian of the cemetery and it is intended to dedicate the sculpture of the Giant in her memory.
We continue to have regular Tidy Up Days in the cemetery with the help of Erewash Borough Council and students from South East Derbyshire College. We are very dependent on volunteers to help us at our Tidy Up Days, anyone who is able to help is asked to contact Esther Collington (Tel. 0115 8757085 or email esther.collington@ntlworld.com) and they will be made very welcome.
The bulb display was once more impressive, complementing the general appearance of the cemetery. If you are able to, please look at our website for more information and photographs.
www.friendsofstantonroadcemetery.btik.com
Best wishes to you all.
Yours sincerely
Mike Sanders
Chairman
April 2009 we received a copy of the Chairman's report presented at the agm
Annual Report for Annual General Meeting held on Monday, 20 April, 2009
This is my first Annual General Meeting as Chairman and I have to report that the year 2008 was an eventful one with sadness mixed with achievement.
The sadness is, of course, the deaths of our Treasurer and our Chairman. At the end of August, Helen Varnam, who had been Chairman since the formation of the Friends in the year 2000, died suddenly. This was a great shock to us all and she will be sadly missed as she was the driving force behind many of our activities. Earlier in the year, as reported at the 2008 AGM, we also lost Frick Smit, our Treasurer for some years.
It was particularly unfortunate that neither of them was able to be present at what was probably our greatest achievement to date which was the restoration of the Giant’s grave. Samuel Taylor, who died in 1875, was probably the best known person to be buried in the cemetery. At 7 feet 4½ inches he led an eventful life as a showman. We had a successful event to commemorate the restoration attended by 49 people including our President Robert Lindsay. Many thanks to all those who attended and especially to those committee members who worked so hard to make the event such a success.
We produced a souvenir booklet to mark the occasion, which was the work of Esther Collington and Richard Windsor and a few of these booklets are still available both as hard copy or downloadable from the website:
www.friendsofstantonroadcemetery.btik.com If you would like a copy please contact the Secretary, Esther Collington at 137 Ladywood Road, Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire. DE7 4NJ.
Another commemorative event was a small ceremony to mark the cleaning of the grave of James Tilson in memory of Frick Smit, a lifelong devotee of cricket. This was particularly appropriate because James Tilson’s grave is decorated with a cricket bat, pads, bails, stumps and a ball.
I have already mentioned the website, which has been greatly expanded thanks again to Esther Collington. Please look at it if you have the facilities.
Following the sad deaths mentioned above, we have had a change of officers. Linda Eaton has been appointed Treasurer, Esther Collington has been appointed Secretary and I have been appointed Chairman. With the additions of Sarah Taylor, David Waines, and Richard Windsor, the committee otherwise remains unchanged except that Norman Stevenson has retired due to ill health, having served faithfully with the Friends since the year 2000.
August 2008. Esther Collington reports a special occasion when the refurbishment of a cricketer's grave also marked the memory of the late Frick Smit who had served the Friends group as treasurer.
Frick had been a keen cricketer who had played for two local clubs and did much to encourage younger players.
The restored grave was that of James Tilson [1859-1882], only 23 years old when he died was the brother of John Tilson who played for Derbyshire and England.
The widow of Frick Smit, Ann. and her two children admire the newly restored grave of cricketer James Tilson.
