BRISTOL, ENGLAND- Have you ever thought of a man who had had his childhood company of nothing other than graves? This is the man who spent all of his life in a cemetery. Let’s have a look at his account on his experience of living among the graves.
When I was growing up, my father said I should keep a diary on me at all times with my name and address inside. “People won’t believe you live here otherwise,” he said. So inside, under my name, I carefully wrote: “Address: Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol.”
He gives an introduction about his unique residence. Arnos Vale is a 45-acre Victorian cemetery, created in 1837. It was quite something when it was built, with sweeping green lawns and white classical buildings.
My grandfather William Utting arrived from Walsall in 1908 to be its superintendent. Thanks to him, Arnos Vale was the first cemetery outside London to do cremations. Later, his son Alfred, my father, took over. I was born in 1943, the third generation to live at the cemetery. I stayed there for 30 years.
It was a busy place with more than 30 staff; it was spotless, with rose bushes and finely clipped lawns. My father supervised the funeral services and there were gravediggers, grass cutters and a shire horse. Both sets of my grandparents lived there, too.
But it was an adult world. My sister Elaine didn’t come along till I was 10. I spent a lot of time on my own playing in the cemetery on my bike. Sometimes I’d visit the gravediggers in their cabin. They’d share their cheese and onion sandwiches with me. They were nice men; one of them read Nietzsche.
He has emotional attachment with the place. As he says, after I retired, I started volunteering here. I come from Wales every Friday to do my bit. I sit in the main office, below the room where my father was born, and welcome people and answer phones. Friends drop in. Sometimes I take schoolchildren around and show them where I used to play. I haven’t yet planned where I’ll end up after I die. But seeing as my sister’s ashes are here, next to my grandparents, I expect there’ll always be a bit of me here, too.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription
