 |
 NEWS PAGE - 2012 ARCHIVE |
| 21 December 2012 |
| Happy
Christmas We should like to wish all our supporters a very happy and safe festive season. Here is a selection of the colourful floral tributes that have been placed in the cemetery recently. You can see more by clicking here.     |
| 20 December 2012 |
| 2013 Events
added New events have been added on to our Events page for next year. Why not have a look at what's planned? |
| 14 December 2012 |
| Colourful
Christmas Wreaths It's good to see colour in the cemetery, provided by Christmas wreaths  |
| 10 December 2012 |
| Leaf
clearing Another task at Saturday's Working Morning was to clear away the large quantity of leaves that had accumulated near the main entrance. Much tidier now! 
 |
| 8 December 2012 |
| More
bird-nesting boxes fixed An additional nine bird-nesting boxes were erected in the cemetery at today's Working Morning. These boxes had been assembled by the Cub Scouts from 65th Balby St John Group. This brings the total number of nesting boxes in the cemetery to seventeen. 
 |
| 7 December 2012 |
| Funding
Success We're delighted to announce that a recent funding grant application has been successful. The money will be used to provide new notice cases adjacent to each of the three entrances to the cemetery. The Friends will use the cases to display posters and other useful information about the cemetery. |
| 14 November 2012 update |
| Christmas
Party The Doncaster & District Heritage Association holds an annual Christmas Party. As FoHPC is a member organisation, this party is open to all members of FoHPC and their guests. There's a particularly interesting speaker booked for the event, so why not join us? More details available by clicking on this poster link. |
| 8 November 2012 update |
| Halloween Walk video Thanks to Dr Desai of Doncaster Movie Makers, we have a short video of the Family Halloween Walk. Please click on the Play button below. |
| 7 November 2012 update |
| Fly-tipping update Further to our News item on 15 October, we have maintained contact with the authorities over their investigations into the major fly-tipping incident. Those investigations are ongoing and we're satisfied that everything that can reasonably be done is being done to bring the culprits to justice. Several incidents of breaking into secured commercial bins have occurred in the area, with rubbish being removed, presumably in search of information that may be of use to criminals. We shall provide a further update in due course. |
| 4 November 2012 update |
| Halloween Walk pictures Here are a few photos from Wednesday's Family Halloween Walk. Bearing mind that it was dark and wet, we have some good mementoes from the event.  
 
  If you were there and took some photos on the night, please email them to us. |
| 1 November 2012 update |
| Halloween Walk a great success Wow! What a turnout for yesterday evening’s Halloween Walk at Hyde Park Cemetery. There were too many people to count them, but most estimates suggest about 200! Even the heavy rain which fell during the walk failed to deter the vast majority. They enjoyed the unusual experience of meeting seven characters from Doncaster’s past, dressed in period costume and telling their stories. Richard Hodgson and Richard Hepworth told us about their renowned retail chain, Carmino Massarella recounted the founding of the ice cream business and Harriet Vernon spoke of her colourful life, on and off the music hall stage. William Nuttall explained his rise to become Mintoe magnate, Patrick Stirling told of his illustrious railway career and, finally, Henry Senior talked enthusiastically about his unique Sand House. If you came along, please Contact us to tell us what you thought. |
| 26 October 2012 update |
| Link to Radio Interview If you'd like to listen to the five minute interview about the Halloween Walk, that was broadcast on BBC Radio Sheffield's Paulette Edwards Show this afternoon, please click here. The interview starts 1hr 50mins into the programme. |
| 22 October 2012 update |
| Radio Interview The Friends' planned Halloween Walk is going to be the subject of an interview with Richard Bell on BBC Radio Sheffield's Paulette Edwards Show. The interview is expected to be on Friday 26 October, some time between 2:30 and 3:00pm. |
| 17 October 2012 update |
| Those public graves The Yorkshire Post article refers to the graves where the so-called paupers were buried and mentions a figure of 4000 or 5000 burials. In fact, that number covers only the Public Graves in Sections H & I, where the wildflower meadow is located. There are several other large areas of Public Graves in the cemetery, so the total number of people interred in Public Graves is likely to be nearer to 20,000. |
| 16 October 2012 update |
| Yorkshire Post publicity The Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery featured in a very good two-page article in last Saturday's Yorkshire Post Magazine. You can read the article by clicking on this link. |
| 15 October 2012 update |
Who would do a thing like this?  At last Saturday's Working Morning our volunteers were confronted by a disgusting pile of fly-tipped rubbish, including lots of food waste. It is a very long time since there was a fly-tipping incident in Hyde Park Cemetery and this one may have been prompted by the recent strike by refuse collectors. The one small upside from clearing up the mess was that there were many documents among it carrying the name of one company. These documents and a full set of photographs have been placed in the hands of the authorities, to investigate further. We'll keep you updated on any developments. |
| 12 October 2012 update |
| Christmas Party arranged The 2012 Christmas party has been arranged for Monday 10th December, at Club 39, College Road, Doncaster. The £5 ticket price includes pie & peas supper and an excellent guest speaker. Please see the Events page for details. |
| 8 October 2012 update |
| Poster for Family Halloween Walk We're distributing a poster for our Family Halloween Walk to many locations around Doncaster. If you are able to display a copy in a prominent location, please download it from this link. |
| 30 September 2012 update |
| Good news on funding for Halloween The Friends submitted an application to Doncaster Council's Safer Neighbourhood Team a week ago for some funding towards providing the Halloween Walk this year. We're delighted to say that we were successful. This will allow us to put on a really good quality event. Remember, it will be a walk with a difference. You'll be able to meet real characters fro Doncaster's past. |
| 24 September 2012 update |
| Halloween Walk taking shape Planning for the 'Halloween Walk with a Difference', at 6:30pm on Wed 31 October, is coming along very nicely. Meet real-life characters from Doncaster's past! Please see the Events page for details. |
| 31 August 2012 update |
| Forthcoming Guided Walks The Guided Walks planned for Thursday 6 and Sunday 9 Sept are going to be on the themes of "Memorials and Symbolism" and "Doncaster's Industrial Heritage", respectively. Please see our Events page for details. |
| 24 August 2012 update |
| 'Doncaster Mayors' Guided Walk success Last Sunday's guided walk, which told the stories of 18 of the former Mayors of Doncaster who are buried in the cemetery, was very well-received. It's certainly a walk that we intend to repeat next year. In the meantime, remember that we have more walks planned in a couple of weeks' time, for Heritage Open Days weekend. Please see our Events page for details. |
| 16 August 2012 update |
| Cubs at work Here are some photographs from last Saturday's Working Morning, when the Friends were helped by Cubs and Beavers from 65th St John, Balby Scout Group. The picture on the right was taken after awarding group badges to the participants. The Cub Leader, Darren Gosling, also honoured FoHPC Chairman, Richard Bell, by awarding him a Queen's Diamond Jubliee badge for arranging the event. 
|
| 11 August 2012 update |
| Great work by Cubs and Beavers At today's Working Morning we were joined by members of the 65th St John, Balby Cubs and Beavers group. They all worked really hard and, deservedly, earned their badges. FoHPC Chairman, Richard Bell, was delighted to be asked to present the badges. We'd like to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who took part including, of course, the leaders and parents. We hope that this will be the start of a long and fruitful association between FoHPC and the 65th St John group. |
| 9 August 2012 update |
| Scouts joining in Working Morning This Saturday's Working Morning will be quite special. Members of the 65th St John, Balby Scouts will be joining FoHPC volunteers to 'do their bit' for the cemetery. They are working towards their Environment Badge and helping at the cemetery is an ideal step nearer to achieving it. |
| 31 July 2012 update |
| Comparing cemeteries! No self-respecting Cemetery Friend should pass up an opportunity to have a wander around an old cemetery and this is precisely what FoHPC Chairman, Richard Bell, did this morning. With a spare hour in the Leeds area there was a chance to wander around New Wortley Cemetery. Judging by the dates on the oldest headstones, it seems to date from the 1870s. There were lots of similarities with Hyde Park, as you'd expect. However, it was noticeable how many monuments had family names carved in large letters at their foot. Richard also spotted an unusual monument in the shape of a large book on a cushion. Check out the photos below. 
 |
| 27 July 2012 update |
| The Friends are Tweeting! The Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery can now be found on Twitter @HydeParkCem. You'll find a Twitter button on our Home page where you can sign up to follow us. That way, you can keep up to date easily with what the Friends are doing. |
| 24 July 2012 update |
| Changes to Grave Finder Service The Friends have made some minor changes to the terms and condition of the Grave Finder Service. These changes relate to providing details of other burials that are in the same grave as the the person to whom the initial enquiry relates. Please visit the Grave Finder Service web page for further details. |
| 23 July 2012 update |
| Saturday's Guided Walk A small but attentive group joined last Saturday's guided walk around the cemetery. The walk, entitled 'Mansion House to Music Hall' visited 16 graves of some of the most interesting people to be laid to rest there. They were all linked by the letter 'M', beginning with a mayor and ending with one of England's biggest music hall stars of the nineteenth century. |
| 16 July 2012 update |
| Access into Former Chapels Members of the Friends' committee this afternoon were granted access to the interiors of the two former chapels at Hyde Park Cemetery. We wish to thank Doncaster Council Bereavement Services for making the arrangements. The buildings are both substantially empty, having been stripped of their pews and other furnishings when the buildings fell out of use. While the surface finshings are in poor condition, the main structural elements would appear to be in reasonable order. This visit will help us as we consider potential uses for the buildings that would permit is to seek funding for restoration. 
 |
| 8 July 2012 update |
| Cadeby Colliery Memorial This morning saw the unveiling and dedication of the new memorial to the 92 victims of the 1912 Cadeby Colliery Disaster at Denaby Cemetery. A very large crowd attended what was a very moving occasion. The unveiling was performed by Mrs Irene Newton, granddaughter of James Beech, one of the victims of the first explosion 100 years ago. 
 
 Another victim of the first explosion was Charles Alderson. Apart from HM Chief Inspector of Mines, William Pickering, Charles Alderson is the only other victim to be buried in Hyde Park Cemetery (he lived in Hexthorpe). The Friends have, this morning, placed flowers on his unmarked grave. |
| 7 July 2012 update |
| Centenary of the Cadeby Colliery
Disaster Monday 9 July is the 100th anniversary of one of the worst accidents to befall the local mining industry. 88 men were killed in two explosions in 1912, with a further 3 succumbing to the effects of the disaster later. William Henry Pickering was HM Chief Inspector of Mines at the time and died in the second explosion, while leading a rescue party. The Friends marked this occasion by placing flowers on My Pickering's grave today. 
 Note the poignant epitaph on the grave stone, in front of the flowers. A memorial to all the victims of the disaster will be unveiled at Denaby Cemetery tomorrow (8 July). |
| 9 June 2012 update |
| Memorial Meadow develops The Friends began to plan a memorial meadow within the cemetery a couple of years ago. As from this year, the area occupied by Sections H and I (which contains mainly the public graves) is being managed as a natural meadow. With the help of Doncaster Naturalists, we shall be identifying as many of the plant species as possible and then managing the meadow accordingly. Even now there are many wild flowers to seen.  |
| 20 May 2012 update |
| Unveiling of Harriet Vernon's Headstone After almost 90 years of her grave being unmarked, Harriet Vernon, Music Hall mega-star of the 1880s and 1890s, has been commemorated by the placing of a headstone. A group of her descendants, who had been brought together through contacting the Friends over recent months, paid for the headstone. They travelled from Kent and West Sussex to be present at the unveiling ceremony last Thursday, carried out by Friends' Treasurer, Rev. Alan Murray. It was a truly moving but joyous occasion. 
 |
| 14 April 2012 update |
| Working Morning progress At today's second anniversary Working Morning we welcomed a new volunteer. The rain held off until after we had finished, so a very thorough litter pick was completed. Also, more sucker growth was removed from tree bases near New Street, giving a much better impression of what had been a rather neglected corner of the cemetery. Thank you to everyone who took part. |
| 8 April 2012 update |
| Harriet Commemorated Following on fromthe previous News item about Harriet Vernon, her descendants are happy for us to announce that there will be a short service of blessing for the new headstone that they are providing on Harriet's previously unmarked grave. It will take place at 11am on Thursday 17 May. More details on the Events page. |
| 23 March 2012 update |
| Plans to remember Music Hall Star On 26 August last year we reported that a famous Music Hall star of the 1890s, Harriet Vernon, was found to have been buried in an unmarked grave in Hyde Park Cemetery. That report led to several of Harriet's descendants getting in touch with us and, through that, with each other. We're delighted to report that they have worked together to fund a headstone for Harriet, which will be erected in a couple of months' time. We'll keep you posted on developments.    |
| 11 March 2012 update |
| Spring around the corner The daffodils are blooming at the cemetery, as you can see from this photograph. Yesterday's Working Morning took place in very pleasant sunshine. Summer can't be too far away, can it?  |
| 3 March 2012 update |
| Successful Heritage Festival Last month's Heritage Festival proved to be very successful, with events being well-attended and feedback good. The Friends have received a number of Grave Finder enquiries as a result of exhibiting at the Local History Fair, which took place on the middle Saturday of the Festival. |
| 12 February 2012 update |
| Spring around the corner? In spite of the sub-zero temperatures and covering of snow at yesterday's Working Morning, there was evidence of Spring coming along in the form of flowering snowdrops and daffodils sprouting.   |
| 9 February 2012 update |
| Hardy souls! A dozen hardy souls braved the wintry conditions yesterday afternoon to take part in the 'Notable Doncastrians' guided walk, led by our Treasurer, Alan, with Vice-Chair, Val, on hand to help out. Thanks to them all for turning out in temperatures hovering around zero degrees. It wasn't the ideal weather, but the Heritage Festival determined the choice of date on this occasion. Still, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. |
| 2 February 2012 update |
| Doncaster Free Press error Today's Doncaster Free Press contains two references to the Friends' planned Guided Walk at the cemetery next week. The entry on Page 2 is correct. The entry on Page 53 (Down Your Way section) is wrong in most regards, so please ignore it. We have no idea why this incorrect information was published by DFP. Please see our Events page for accurate information. |
| 1 February 2012 update |
| New record This website broke another record in January, with the number of visitors being more than 10% up on the previous highest month. |
| 29 January 2012 update |
| Australian enquiry answered The Grave Finder Service is reaching around the globe. In the past couple of days the Friends have successfully answered an enquiry from Australia! |
| 27 January 2012 update |
| YMCT unveils banner Yorkshire Main Commemorative Trust Chairman, Frank Arrowsmith, today proudly unveiled the recovered and restored banner of the local National Union of Mineworkers' branch, in its new permanent home at the Martinwells Centre, Edlington, Doncaster. This marks another significant step towards commemorating the 133 men who lost their lives at Yorkshire Main Colliery, some of whom are buried at Hyde Park Cemetery. After the unveiling, former miners were photographed with the banner, before Ms Middleton, Headteacher of Edlington Victoria Primary School introduced a group of Year 5 pupils. The pupils read out various important facts about the history of the local pit and then recited a moving poem, which they had written themselves. Click here to read the poem. If these youngsters are typical of their generation, then the town of Edlington can look forward to a bright future indeed. 
 |
| 25 January 2012 update |
| New website for Sand House Doncaster's unique former Sand House, a mansion carved from solid sandstone by one of the cemetery's occupants, Henry Senior, now has its own website at this link. Why not have a look and find out not only about this remarkable dwelling, but also about the Sand House exhibition and associated activities that are to take place from late-April. |
| 24 January 2012 update |
| Doncaster Heritage Festival events
published The forthcoming Heritage Festival, organised by the Local Studies Library with help from the Doncaster & District Heritage Association, starts on 6 Feb and a list of planned events has now been published. Please check out our Events page. |
| 21 January 2012 update |
| Yorkshire Main Commemorative Trust
milestone The YMCT has now researched and collated details of all the fatal accidents that occurred at Yorkshire Main Colliery and they will be displaying the names of the deceased, which include at least two buried at Hyde Park Cemetery, at an event on Friday 27 January. Please see our Events page for further details. |
| 20 January 2012 update |
| Heritage Festival and Local History
Fair approaching Not long now before the 12-day Heritage Festival, organised by Doncaster Libraries, kicks off. It runs from the 6th to the 17th of February and only the middle Saturday is the Local History Fair, where the Friends will be present. See our Events page for details. |
| 16 January 2012 update |
| Asda at Working Morning At Saturday's Working Morning the Friends were joined by Carolyn Halls, the Asda Community Life Champion from their Bawtry Road, Doncaster store. We're delighted to participate in strengthening Asda's links with the local community... and Carolyn enjoyed herself, too! |
| 9 January 2012 update |
| An Appeal - New Secretary needed Voluntary organisations such as the Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery rely on people giving up some of their spare time to help make things happen. We have achieved a great deal over the past couple of years and we want to maintain that progress. Our Secretary, Phil, has recently had to stand down from that role due to other commitments. We thank him for what he did as Secretary and we’re delighted that he has agreed to continue serving on the Committee. So we need a new Secretary. The duties are not especially onerous, as we try to spread work around so as not to overload anyone. The main task is to take notes at our monthly Committee meetings and at the AGM, type and distribute them. Some work on the quarterly newsletters would be welcomed, too. If you are keen to see our recent progress maintained and you would consider taking on the role of Secretary, please contact Richard Bell (see Contacts page). Thank you. |
| 1 January 2012 update |
| A Happy New Year! The Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. |
|
|