General Chat

Whatever you say, I still agree with Theresa's sentiments! I still want to be buried, without being burned.

I definitely want to be cremated, ever since I was taught a song as a young child. When you see a hearse go by You wonder when your going die were will we all be a hundred years from now? They put in a little black box and weigh you down with stones and rocks The worms go in the worms go out They go in thin and come out stout Your body turns aluminous green and puss comes out like dairy cream Now you've heard the story narrated wouldn't you rather be cremated? There were a lot more verses than that, but you get the gist! Sorry if I've made some feel sick!!!! Kim

Sorry...no burial for me! The thought of slowly decomposing under the ground is too horrible! I cannot visit graves for the same reason! I would rather have my ashes interred with a small stone in commemoration. Mind you....saw this poem in today's Daily Mail...maybe not a bad alternative!!! WHEN I GO I'm going to buy a crocodile And keep it at the zoo, Until I kick the bucket, Then here's what you must do. Don't bury or cremate me, Just feed me to the croc, I hope it won't upset you, It isn't meant to shock. It may sound unconventional, I hope its not too gory, To make my plan successful We must call the reptile Laurie. As St. Peter takes my details, When I reach that heavenly gate I can tell him without lying. I'm the Poet Laurie ate. Hedley Metcalfe Hebden Bridge, West Yorks --------------------------------- Dierdre X

I intially thought I wanted to be buried - as that is how my interest in genealogy started, visiting my brother's grave with my Mum and then Mum showing me where her Mum, grandparents and great grandparents were buried ( at getting info from headstones). It really made me feel some connection with them. But if this re-using plots is to happen then my feelings my change towards cremation. I only found out recently that my Dad should not be cremated as that is Greek Orthodox religion. Although I was christened Greek Orthodox - I have never followed it through as a religious faith so probably won't allow that to affect my decision.

I'm going to be cremated and want my ashes to be scattered somewhere peaceful and quiet. Personally, I believe our body is no more than a house for our spirit, and that's all. I don't believe my ancestors are in a cemetery somewhere, but returned from whence they came. So there's no way I want my children to stand clutching a bunch of daffodils weeping over my grave, because I wouldn't be there, but back "home" with the ancestors. To take up acres and acres of land for cemeteries, many of which just become overrun and neglected seems such a waste. Why not have one lovely park in town with a few memorial seats where people could go to relax and remember their loved ones? I'm sure there will be those who don't agree with me, but this I do firmly believe. Di.

Gemma, you would need to be sure that your friend's g.grandmother was buried in a private grave, and what the time scale was at the time of purchase. Graves used to be sold for 99 years (which is a long time) but in more recent times graves can be sold to the publis for as little as 30 years (well within a life time). If at the end of the 30 year period the family do not want to renew their interest in the grave, then certain cemetery authorities have the right to resell the remaining spaces within that grave. Jacqui

Hello Gary - I think you'll find that the suggestion was only for graves over 100 years old; the remains would be exhumed and reinterred in smaller coffins/caskets about 10 ft. deep. Some of the 100 year old graves were actually 20ft deep (hand-dug as well, so some fete of engineering required), and as the graves were not all "full" there is a considerable amount of "wasted space" which cannot be reused. The idea of compulsory cremation is ok in theory, but what of those who have strong religious beliefs against cremation? I personally do not think that exhuming the remains from very old graves is a necessarily gruesome thing, after all after 100 years there will be little left of the individuals concerned, and as long as they are decently reinterred with due reverence and identity recorded etc. I can see nothing wrong with it. Might make searching for ancestors in grave-yards a little more difficult perhaps? Ideas from others would be interesting. Jacqui

Hi Talking about reusing graves, a friend of mine has just found out that the place where her G.Grandmother is buried,has been used again, but not by the family. It seems that the cemetery department have sold the plot again, and buried a new person there. I think its kind of creepy. Gem.

I heard on the radio tonight that they reckon that there are only two years worth of capacity left in our cemetaries. They are now going to consider what options to introduce. One of the options is to dig up all the old bodies after a certain amount of time and either rebury, I assume mass graves, or cremate. Then they suggest that they could reuse the cemetories and get more out of them by digging deeper holes and putting more people in!! I don't know about you but I consider that a tragedy, I personally would prefer they keep everyone in their graves and make cremation compulsory. What do you think?