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Today we had our regular Trustees meeting, this time at our new venue of St Mary’s Hall in Union Street Carmarthen. A lovely building and well equipped for our meeting. I welcomed our new Trustee Mr Chris Crowley to his first meeting. One of the last remaining “big projects” is to have the depressions in large areas of the cemetery infilled with additional topsoil to level off the areas in order to make it easier for mowing and indeed for walking over.

We have many visitors to the cemetery now, so it is obviously important to have even surfaces where possible for all concerned. I am pleased to say that the Trustees have now agreed a price of almost £1500 for this work to be carried out and work will begin as soon as possible.

Photographs will appear here as and when the project gets under way in the near future, but in the meantime I would like to thank all the volunteers who give their time in mowing and strimming and  also the “Friends” of the charity that donate regularly, that enables us to carry out this important work, and finally the Trustees themselves for offering their valued advice and support.

Richard J Goodridge  (Chairman)

The two photographs below were taken by me this morning at the cemetery where  there have been five planters placed there earlier this year with a host of summer flowers. Two flower pots alongside the seating area and three surrounding the Cross of Souls. When planting the pots up several weeks ago  I was keen to use the Granvia Gold, scientifically known as XEROCHRYSM BRACTEANTHA as one of the main summer flowering plants which produce a host of bright yellow flowers. They are a native of Australia and very much like the warm weather we have been having lately, but more importantly, they attract a whole host of butterflies and bees and all kinds of other insects too. They are generally not sold in the garden centres and have to be ordered specially.

I am not an expert in wildlife photography but would like to think that my efforts are not too bad ! I hope you enjoy looking at them and take pleasure from the fact that such a place can attract such beautiful creatures.

 

Richard Goodridge . Chairman.

 

 

The photograph taken by me today shows just how nice the cemetery is looking at the moment thanks to our volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the grounds in “good order”. Though we have had some mechanical breakdowns with the mowers lately, these have been repaired and we now have a full compliment of mowers (four)

We will keep up the grass cutting and trimming as and when necessary though the extreme heat recently has been a challenge

 

I am delighted to say that a good friend of mine – Peter, came along today to cut the grass for us, using his ride on mower. Despite some “teething troubles” he was able to do a great deal despite the heat this morning. I met him at the cemetery at 08.30, and whilst he did the mowing I did some strimming and cutting of ivy from the walls of the cemetery, which is a long, and laborious activity in the hot sunshine. Ivy can damage the walls if not kept under control, but it is a job that will take some weeks to complete.

After a couple of hours, Peter  had finished mowing and has done a really good job and I am sure we will be asking for his help again  before long especially if the hot weather continues. Thanks also to Andy Edwards, a stalwart volunteer when it comes to mowing and he was there too this morning doing his bit whilst Robert and Allison take a well earned break. Thanks to everyone and to our “Friends”, whose financial support ensures that this historic place is maintained accordingly.

 

 

The Chairman of the Thomas & Elizabeth Mayhook Charity, on a recent visit to Arundel in Sussex met with the new Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Reverend Richard Moth, leader of the Catholic Church in England & Wales who recently took over from  His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nicholls. Richard recalls that he was very interested in the work of the charity especially that between 1842 and 1852 almost a thousand Catholics were buried in St David’s Cemetery until St Mary’s Church and cemetery had been built and consecrated in 1852.

Also, the Charity is pleased to announce that it has appointed an additional Trustee to strengthen the “Team” going forward. Mr Christopher Crowley, a local “boy” with great interest in supporting local good causes and charities  takes up his role with immediate effect and looks forward to supporting the Trustees in their efforts to ensure the upkeep, maintenance and restoration of the cemetery continues.

 

 

This week has seen the highest ever recorded temperatures around the country and Carmarthen no exception. As I got into my car yesterday to come up and water the plants in the cemetery the temperature was 36.2 degrees.

It has been too hot to do any mowing over the last few days but hopefully we hope to resume today, at least for an hour or so. The flowers are enjoying the heat nevertheless as long as they have plenty of water. Watering can at the ready !!

Today marks the 121st anniversary of the birth of my dear grandfather Thomas Patrick Mayhook – “Tommy” to all his family and friends. He continues to be sorely missed but his name lives on thanks to the charity that bears his name, may he rest in peace and rise in glory.

(Richard Goodridge )

Richard Goodridge the interim chairman of the charity recollects that in the summer of 1986 when he was a mere 26 years old he first wrote a letter to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission expressing his concerns over the condition of the five CWGC headstones in St David’s.

Now 40 years on he recalls the efforts he had to make to get them replaced due to their poor condition largely due to the fact that the cemetery was completely overgrown and accessing them was so difficult. “Who would have though it he says that 40 years later he would still be standing in that very same cemetery restoring memorials himself with the support of other volunteers, friends and helpers, and looking after the entire 11000 square metres of cemetery.

It’s been a job of huge physical commitment, not forgetting the time, money and sheer dedication that has gone into this project. My hope for the future he says is that the Thomas and Elizabeth Mayhook Charity will gain additional volunteers, helpers and additional trustees to see it through the next 40 years and beyond. The hard work has been done, and we now have to ensure that the cemetery is maintained to an acceptable standard that meets health and safety requirements and this can easily be achieved providing there is the interest to do so plus the financial support from the Friends of the charity which enables us to do the work on a day to day basis.

I am pleased to report that the charity has recently purchased a new mower from the small amount of savings it has at its disposal at a cost of £425.00. This brings the number of mowers to four, though technically we now have five but one is about to be retired after long and faithful service ! I visited the cemetery today and met Robert and Alison there who were busy mowing and strimming. David another volunteer had already done his fare share and had left before I arrived. The cemetery is looking really good now thanks to the volunteers and I have five planters here at home which I have been planting up with all sorts of bedding plants and they will be brought up to the cemetery in due course. Three will be placed around the Cross of Souls and two where the two garden benches are located.

We are also in the middle of restoring another memorial and when that’s done a further post on this website will appear.

I would like to take this opportunuity to wish all our volunteers, friends and trustees of the charity a very happy easter. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity in supporting us. Raising funds for a charity connected to a cemetery is not easy as you can imagine for most people understandably wish to support the living, from infants to the elderly, however, maintaining the last resting place of our loved ones is so important to all of us in one way or another and as in the case of the Cross of Souls memorial it commemorates five thousand individuals buried in St David’s that have no memorial of their own . I was privileged today to lay some flowers there in remembrance of them all. May they rest in peace.

RICHARD J GOODRIDGE MBE.JP.KHS. ( Chairman of Trustees )