Our September walk

Human stories, grave symbolism and wildlife – our September walk, at Abney Park

Christine writes:

"In the late summer sunshine we explored Abney Park with its new cafe and visitor facilities. Created in 1840 as one of London's historic 'magnificent seven' garden cemeteries. It has many interesting memorials from social reformers, entertainers, academics and educators. We followed labyrinthine paths seeking out tombs of notable women like Margaret Graham, Britain's first woman to take a solo balloon flight and Betsi Cadwaladr, a nurse serving with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean war. We were moved by military graves of young lives lost and the jumble of common graves for the poor. We discussed the symbolism of grave architecture like truncated columns, veiled urns, and ancient Egyptian motifs."

Brenda writes:

"Lots of graves with urns on top, with a partially uncovered top to allow the spirit to escape. Obelisks and broken pillars. We found some of the graves mentioned at the front, with the use of the sketch map which Alison valiantly followed, while the rest of us followed her. A wedding was about to be celebrated at the Chapel. Lovely café."

The park's information boards tell of its history as a park, part of the garden cemetery movement set up as a solution to the burial space shortage:

'Decades before London opened parks for the public, Abney Park Cemetery was designed as a semi-public botanical garden for everyone to visit. People came for leisurely walks and picnics, and to learn about plants and trees as well as for funerals and remembrance ... Some trees from the original 1840 planting survive.' Abney Park provides habitats for over 1500 species.

Find out more on the Abney Park website.

Pictures by Christine, Alison and Diana

Fancy joining us for a walk? Look out for our monthly 'coming up' blogposts and if you're an East End WI member, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter and join the walkers' WhatsApp group.

Our monthly coffee and meet-up: Friday 27th September – Mary Ward Centre Café, 275-285 High Street, Stratford E15 2TF. Meet between 10.30 and 11.00 am

We are reassured that the cafe will be open for this visit!

Some of our members have signed up for taster classes at the new Mary Ward adult education centre on Stratford Broadway. If you haven't explored its courses yet, you'll be able to see what’s going on for yourself.

Our Summer festival stalls

 

All the fun of the fair... East End WI at East End Summer festivals

Whether we're serving up cake, coffee or chat (or all three at once), our stalls enable us to fundraise, connect, show what we're all about and be part of our local community. 

At the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Summer Fair, our stall was so popular that we ran out of baked goods... and at All Points East In the Neighbourhood, we had tea, coffee and information.

What you see is a well-organised stall and cheery, sparky bunch of women from all walks of life. What you don't see is the equally-wonderful teamwork, skill, effort and mutual support that make it all happen. 

So here's to our bakers, setter-uppers, organisers, stall crews, photographer (Thank you, Christine), information people, shoppers, stocktakers, number-wranglers and people who know their way around a tea urn.

We'll see you at the next meeting.