August Newsletter
¨ The memorial safety testing programme that began in April has been completed. We are now in the process of sending letters to last known grave owners advising what to do next. If you action repairs to your memorial in the meantime please make the Office aware.
¨ Unused available grave searches are continuing in the old part of the cemetery. If you would like to be buried near to existing family members please get in contact or let your Funeral Director know, we can’t promise anything but we will definitely look into it for you. We have already identified some graves in Sections OO, GG & HH.
¨ We are slowly seeing signs of improvement to the heavily compacted bare areas behind the Beech trees in the Gardens of Remembrance. The cordoned off areas will remain in place for another few weeks as the watering continues.
¨ Works to lay a new perimeter road in the Oxford Burial Ground will begin in September and take approximately 4 weeks. It will be carried out in 2 halves ensuring a level of access is maintained throughout. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding whilst this essential work is completed.
¨ We are pleased to announce that we will soon be digitising our Books of Remembrance, this is a significant improvement enabling entries to viewed online.
¨ Grounds works on the currently large empty raised circle on the flower patio will commence towards the end of September. The area will become a rockery bed with memorial slate boulders and granite plaques.
¨ We have a new memorial brochure which largely copies the information shown on our website, colchestercrematorium.co.uk . Some of the local Funeral Directors have a supply, alternatively they are available in the Office reception area.
¨ We are installing a circle of 14 above ground memorial vaults around the second water feature in the Queen Elizabeth memorial gardens. For more information please contact the Crematorium Office.
¨ Our website also contains some helpful information regarding the grave ownership transfer process and have staff available to assist families through what can look a complicated process.
¨ Following last years hugely successful Carol Service, we can announce that this years will be held on Thursday 12th December @ 2pm. Further information will be shared and advertised in the coming months.
¨ With over 1100 trees spread across our 70acre site we have a quite comprehensive ongoing tree inspection and maintenance programme. This will require essential crown raising and in some cases the removal of trees. We are planning to continue these works this Winter in the Gardens of Remembrance and Section LL in the Cemetery.
¨ If anyone has a bit of spare time and would like to join our existing volunteer in carrying out some litter picking around the Cemetery please get in contact with us.