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 NEWS PAGE - 2015 ARCHIVE |
| 24 December 2015 update |
| Original gates back in place The latest stage of the restoration of the former Lodge and entrance arch saw the re-fitting of the original gates. These gates had been removed a few weeks ago and taken away for grit-blasting and galvanising. They were then powder-coated to give them a black finish. All this work is being carried out thanks to the investment being made by Adrian Welch, of Adrian Welch Glass & Glazing, owner of the Lodge and archway.   |
| 14 December 2015 update |
| Entrance Arch restoration The restoraton of the original entrance arch was a condition of the sale of the Lodge to Adrian Welch, back in 2014. The arch was a cause for concern, due to gradual subsidence of the foundations causing it to lean backwards. To prevent a collapse, Doncaster Council had erected a scaffolding support frame behind it in the 1990s. By lowering the centre of gravity of the structure (through removal of the apex above the arch), underpinning the foundations, and building in steelwork supports to the back of the piers, the arch has been saved and the scaffolding removed. The former buttresses, to both faces of the two piers, have yet to be rebuilt, but the arch is looking lovely. The photographs show the arch viewed from outside the cemetery (left) and from inside (right).   |
| 29 November 2015 update |
| Annual General Meeting notes available The notes of the recent AGM have now been completed and are available for download via our Downloads page. They include the outgoing Chairman's report on the past year, as well as a copy of the 2014/15 financial accounts. |
| 24 November 2015 update |
| Changes to Committee for 2015/16 At last week's AGM the following people were elected to serve on the FoHPC Committee for the coming year, with immediate effect. Chair - Vacancy Vice-Chair - Vacancy Secretary - Helen Slade Treasurer - Margaret Bark Committee Member - Richard Bell Committee Member - Phil Dilks Committee Member - Sheila Dilks Committee Member - Andria Johns Committee Member - Vacancy Committee Member - Vacancy You will note that there are now four vacancies, including both Chair and Vice-Chair, following Richard Bell and Margaret Herbert standing down from their roles due to other commitments. |
| 3 November 2015 update |
| Open Meeting & AGM Update As you may have seen on our Events page, the Friends have a combined Open Meeting and AGM planned for Tuesday 17 November, starting at 7:30pm. It is to be held in the meeting room at Club 39, College Road, Doncaster, DN1 3JH. Everyone is welcome to attend. We have an accomplished guest speaker, Pat McLaughlin, coming along to talk to us about "South Yorkshire's Great Houses". In addition, there will be reports on the Friends' achievements of the past year and the formal business of electing the officers and committee for 2015/16. Please come along if you can. Directions to Club 39 can be found here. |
| 13 October 2015 update |
Arch stabilisation begun |
| 12 October 2015 update |
| Working Morning report This month's Working Morning achieved a great deal, even with only three volunteers, but it wasn't without its negative side, too. On the plus side:
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| 6 October 2015 update |
Water leak from damaged tap  The leak was first reported on Sunday morning and is thought to be as a result of an act of vandalism. If you have any information concerning the act of vandalism please contact the Police (101) or Doncaster Council on 01302-736000. |
| 5 October 2015 update |
| War Memorial bid for cemetery The Friends have submitted an application to Heritage Lottery Fund which, if successful, will allow us to provide and install a new war memorial just inside the cemetery's main entrance. The memorial would carry the names of all 109 men who lost their lives as a result of military service in the two world wars. While these individuals are named on gravestones and family monuments throughout the cemetery, the proposed memorial would record them all in one location. Also included in the project would be educational elements, to bring these brave servicemen to the attention of the general public in various ways. At the present time the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database lists 108 qualifying individuals. However, we are in correspondence with CWGC over adding a certain William Coulson, who we believe also qualifies for an official war grave. |
| 21 September 2015 update |
| Recent Guided Walk success Eighteen visitors, most of whom had not been to Hyde Park Cemetery before, came along to the 'Discovering Doncaster's Past' Guided Walk on Sunday 13th September. Feedback was excellent and everyone seemed to enjoy the event. |
| 22 August 2015 update |
NCS volunteers complete new garden  The team of young volunteers working on their National Citizen Service have completed their transformation of an unloved corner of Hyde Park Cemetery. The area just inside the main entrance has never looked particularly attractive, but now it is a garden with a selection of evergreen plants that will create a natural welcome for visitors. While the Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery paid for some of the plants, others were funded from the NCS budget and the rest were kindly donated by Stonecrop Nurseries of East Lound, near Haxey. |
| 21 August 2015 update |
Work starts on Entrance Arch  |
| 18 August 2015 update |
| NCS youngsters volunteering at cemetery Two groups of young people taking part in the Government-backed National Citizen Service scheme have been helping to improve Hyde Park Cemetery. The first group was working in the cemetery last week and not only created a hedgehog habitat, they also did lots of cutting back and tidying of trees and shrubs, This week, a second group is transforming an unloved corner of the cemetery into a pleasant and attractive garden area. |
| 9 August 2015 update |
| Memorial Meadow bursts into flower After a slow start, the Memorial Meadow, which we sowed in Sections H and I in May this year, has now bloomed! It brings some lovely colour to the lower section of the cemetery, as well as providing great habitat for wildlife. The Memorial Meadow is so called because it commemorates the thousands of people who are buried in unmarked public graves in Hyde Park Cemetery.    |
| 8 August 2015 update |
| Wren nest found? While clearing away sucker growth from the base of the Oriental Plane tree, a tiny bird's nest was discovered. With an internal diameter of only about 40mm, we think it may have been built by a wren. The photos below show the nest and a general view from beneath the tree where it was found.   |
| 27 July 2015 update |
| Council funds footpath re-surfacing As evidence of their commitment to the maintenance of Hyde Park Cemetery, Doncaster Council have just funded the re-surfacing of substantial sections of footpaths. After years of neglect, the first batch of re-surfacing for many years was carried out in November 2010. Since then, other lengths of footpath have deteriorated badly, leading to further work being carried out last week. The increased number of visitors that have been using the cemetery since the Friends became active can now enjoy safer and easier progress as they walk around the site.    |
| 19 July 2015 update |
Bat Walk 2015  Yesterday evening's Bat Walk attracted over 30 visitors who searched the cemetery, guided by Rob Bell, the 'Bat Man' from the South Yorkshire Bat Group. Most encouraging for the future is that about one-third of those attending were children. Not as many bats were seen or heard compared to last year but several common pipistrelles and one noctule bat (similar to the one pictured above) were seen. A delightful surprise was a hedgehog spotted towards the bottom of the cemetery by one of the children. Rob Bell commented that long grass and the lack of badgers should make this area an ideal habitat for hedgehogs. A very enjoyable time was had by all. Another Bat Walk will be arranged for 2016. |
| 13 July 2015 update |
| Ivy clearance begun Two adjacent graves in Section E have been almost completely obscured by ivy for some years. At last Saturday's Working Morning work began to clear away the offending unsightly vegetation. There was insufficient time to complete the work on this occasion, but it will be finished next month.   |
| 9 July 2015 update |
| Stirling graves restoration completed The project to restore the graves of world-famous locomotive engineer, Patrick Stirling, and two of his sons has been completed. The following photographs show the graves' condition before restoration and their current condition.    |
| 30 June 2015 update |
| Doncaster 1914-18 project The 'Doncaster 1914-18, At Home, At War' is a Heritage Lottery Fund-supported project, being managed by Doncaster Council's Heritage Services department. The project is marking the centenary of the First World War, encouraging people across Doncaster, and anyone else with a local connection, to help build a picture of life in the area between 1914 and 1918. The Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery are liaising the Doncaster 1914-18 project to maximise the benefits of our WW1-related activities. By clicking on the following links you will see posters relating to the Home Front Weekend on 18/19 July and also an archaelogical dig for which volunteers are being sought. More information about the Doncaster 1914-18 project can be found at this link. |
| 29 June 2015 update |
| Stirling grave restoration nearing completion The restoration of the graves of Patrick Stirling, Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway from 1866 to 1895, and two of his sons, Robert and Patrick, is nearing completion. The replacement white marble crosses will be installed later this week, so concluding what has been a very successful and rewarding project. |
| 13 June 2015 update |
| More roof progress The roof of the Lodge has taken another step forward with the installation of all the rafters. It won't be long before the entire Lodge is watertight for the first time in two decades.  |
| 8 June 2015 update |
| Tree Trail launched! The new Tree Trail around Hyde Park Cemetery was launched yesterday, under blue skies and in warm sunshine. A good crowd of visitors assembled to see the unveiling of two new sculptures by local artist Leon Clemitshaw. Then they were able to watch a live wood-carving demonstration by Leon, as he made 'fairy castles' from tree trunks! Many people followed the Tree Trail, which visits 12 different tree specimens, most of which have been in place for very many decades. Full details of the Tree Trail can be found on the Trees webpage of this site.    |
| 6 June 2015 update |
Another milestone for the Lodge  |
| 3 June 2015 update |
| Busy period ahead The Friends have three events coming up over the next two weekends. Please check out our Events page and come along if you can. |
| 16 May 2015 update |
| Great day at Local History Fair Friends' volunteers Andria and Helen greeted dozens of visitors to the FoHPC display at today's Local History Fair. This annual event, held at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, was well attended, including many people spending time chatting to us and sharing information in both directions. |
| 10 May 2015 update |
Horticultural endeavours  Yesterday's volunteer Working Morning focussed on sowing the wildflower seeds for the Memorial Meadow. This meadow will commemorate all the thousands of people who are buried in unmarked Public graves at Hyde Park Cemetery. A classic mix of perennial wildflower seeds has been used, supplemented for the first year by a mix of annuals. We are looking forward to a colourful display in a few weeks' time. Meanwhile, the bluebell bulbs that we planted in the wildlife area 5 years ago and which have showed no signs of life in recent years have suddenly come into their own this spring. |
| 5 May 2015 update |
| More on the the Stirling graves rededication The restoration of the Stirling graves and the rededication event would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity of many people and organisations. The Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery would like to thank all those who helped make it possible, including, but not limited to the following: Graham Boyes
John Carpenter Co-operative Funeralcare Doncaster Brewery Tap Doncaster Railway Pensioners Doncaster Tourist Information Centre Mr S J Ferrari Linda Goldthorpe Great Northern Railway Society Allan Henshaw Malcolm Jevons Gill Johnson Nigel Megson George Napier Julia Roberts Edward Snowden Molly Stirling Patrick Stirling Victoria Cross Trust Wabtec Rail Ltd Symeon Waller Robert Wise Kenneth Woods …and many other who have supported the appeal anonymously. We should also like to thank Scratch Music for the free loan of PA equipment on 3 May. A copy of the Order of Service for last Sunday's rededication event can be found at this link. |
| 4 May 2015 update |
| Stirling graves rededication The wet weather relented and the sun came out for yesterday's ceremony to mark the restoration and to rededicate the graves of Patrick Stirling and his family. Although new marble crosses have yet to be added to two of the graves, yesterday's event was timed to co-ordinate with a similar ceremony in Galston, Ayrshire, for Patrick's father, the Reverend Robert Stirling. Guests included two of Patrick Stirling's great great grandchildren, who had travelled from Cornwall and Bristol to join us. Also among the visitors was a lady from Nottingham whose father had driven a Stirling Single locomotive. Following the formal rededication event, many of the visitors were taken on a Guided Walk on the theme of "Railways & Railwaymen", led by Andria Johns and Helen Slade of FoHPC.     Photo details: Top left: Patrick Stirling, great great grandson, addressing the audience. In the background are Rt Hon Rosie Winterton; Rev Richard Cook (Railway Chaplain for the North of England) and Richard Bell, FoHPC Chairman. Top right (l-r): Councillor Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor of Doncaster; Richard Bell, FoHPC Chairman; Rt Hon Rosie Winterton; Linda Goldthorpe (nee Stirling), gt gt granddaughter; Patrick Stirling, gt gt grandson; Mayor Ros Jones. Bottom left: The graves of Patrick Stirling (front) and two of his sons, Patrick (middle) and Robert (rear) nearing completion of restoration. Bottom right: Introduction to 'Railways & Railwaymen' guided walk, which followed the rededication. |
| 27 April 2015 update |
Lodge restoration reaches milestone  |
| 23 April 2015 update |
Stirling graves re-dedication event announced |
| 17 April 2015 update |
| Doncaster Heritage Festival details published This year's Doncaster Heritage Festival will run from Monday 11 May until Sunday 23 May, inclusive. Details of the programme, which has been put together by the Local Studies team at the Central Library, have just been published. You can find a poster listing all the events here and full details of the programme here. |
| 10 April 2015 update |
| Stirling graves transformed by cleaning The Victoria Cross Trust carried out the cleaning of the marble monumental stones of the three Stirling graves a couple of days ago. We thank them very much for their generosity. They used their state-of-the-art DOFF stone-cleaning system, as approved by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and other organisations. Spot the difference from the previous photo, below!  |
| 5 April 2015 update |
Stirling graves restoration begins  The work to restore the graves of world-famous railway locomotive engineer Patrick Stirling and two of his sons has begun. Today, Richard and Symeon from the Friends dug away surrounding soil and contaminated chippings in readiness for the stonework to be cleaned by the Victoria Cross Trust later this week. |
| 25 March 2015 update |
| Illustrated talk during Heritage Festival The Friends' Chairman, Richard Bell, will present an illustrated talk entitled "Hyde Park Cemetery - A Biography of Doncaster" on Monday 18th May. Please see the Events page for full details. |
| 20 March 2015 update |
| Stirling Appeal donations mounting Our appeal to raise funds for the restoration of the graves of Patrick Stirling (world-famous locomotive engineer) and two of his sons is making good progress. We thank Doncaster Tourist Information Centre for their generous donation of the profits from last month's sales of Purple Voucher books. We have also received a donation from a third member of the Stirling family, for which we are extremely grateful. |
| 19 March 2015 update |
| Spring on the way? A few hardy daffodils have made an appearance at the cemetery, to remind us that Spring is on the way. Let's hope that it arrives soon!  |
| 15 March 2015 update |
| Signs installed Yesterday's monthly Working Morning was a great success. As well as litter-picking and preparing some of the trees for their starring roles in the forthcoming Tree Trail, three new signs were installed. One of them provides information about the Wildlife Area in Section C (see below left). The other two tell the story of the Memorial Meadow and the public graves that the meadow commemorates (see below right).   |
| 10 March 2015 update |
| Stirling descendant in touch It was something of a surprise to answer the telephone and be told that it was Patrick Stirling on the line! But this was not a contact from beyond the grave, it was a call from the great-great-grandson of the famous locomotive engineer. He had found out about our Stirling Appeal, to restore the graves of his ancestors, and was keen to help. We are hoping that a visit by family members can be arranged to coincide with the completion of the project. |
| 9 March 2015 update |
| Lodge looking good Adrian Welch's restoration of the former cemetery Lodge is progressing well. The quality of the workmanship on the stonework is exceptionally good, as can be seen from these images, taken today.   |
| 6 March 2015 update |
| Stirling Appeal passes halfway point Our appeal for donations to pay for the restoration of the graves of railway pioneer Patrick Stirling and two of his sons has passed the halfway mark. Thanks to several donations which were received recently, including generous sums from
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| 1 March 2015 update |
| Tree Trail signs installed The main carved wooden signs for the new Tree Trail were installed two days ago and look superb. Before the trail is officially launched, a map of the cemetery and a plaque acknowledging the funder will be inset on each sign. For the time being there is a temporary "Tree Trail Coming Soon" notice on each.    |
| 20 February 2015 update |
| Tree Trail coming together The various elements of our Tree Trail project, supported through the Community First Neighbourhood Matched Fund programme, administered by the Community Development Foundation, for the Office for Civil Society, are coming together. Here are some photos of Leon Clemitshaw working on one of two wooden signs that will advertise the Trail in the cemetery. There's also a teasing glimpse of part of a fine wooden sculpture that Leon has made for us.    |
| 18 February 2015 update |
| Stirling Appeal boost The appeal for cash donations to fund the restoration of the graves of railway pioneer Patrick Stirling and his two sons was given a boost today. We received a donation of £100 from a very generous supporter in Western Australia. Money collected at the Tourist Information Centre during Doncaster Rail Week has added to the total, so we are now around one-third of the way towards our target. Much of our planned publicity, through various magazines, has yet to come to fruition, so we are confident that the money will keep coming in. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so using PayPal (click on the Donate button on the 'Home' page). You can also send a cheque made payable to 'Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery' to the address shown on our 'Contact Us' page. |
| 17 February 2015 update |
| Lodge restoration progress Work on restoring the former Lodge has moved into a new phase, with scaffolding now surrounding the entire building. This allows access to all levels for cleaning, repairng and pointing the stonework. Although this photo doesn't quite do it justice, it is looking very good indeed.  |
| 9 February 2015 update |
Stirling Graves Restoration Appeal If you would like to make a donation you can do so via PayPal, using the 'Donate' button on the Home page of this website. |
| 4 February 2015 update |
| Tree Trail progress Good progress is being made towards creating a Tree Trail around Hyde Park Cemetery. A dozen or so trees will be included, with information about the species being provided on marker posts. There will also be new signage and leaflets associated with the Tree Trail. Watch this space for more information over the coming weeks. |
| 31 January 2015 update |
| Another headstone installed One of the most rewarding aspects of the Friends' work is when we help someone to find the burial details of their family members and locate the grave. What is even more satisfying is when that someone then arranges for a monument to be placed on what had been an unmarked grave. The Woods family grave was purchased in 1888 and contains several family members. However, it remained unmarked until this week, when Mr Kenneth Woods had a headstone erected. This is the latest of several examples, where the Friends have been instrumental in graves been given monuments. We hope that there will be many more in the future.   |
| 10 January 2015 update |
| Cutting back shrubs The Council's grounds maintenance team have been busy in the cemetery this week cutting back many of the shrubs and making those areas much tidier, in readiness for the new growth in spring.   |
| 6 January 2015 update |
| Tree Trail project gets go-ahead The Friends have been successful in securing a grant to establish a Tree Trail around the cemetery. The project is supported through the Community First Neighbourhood Matched Fund programme, administered by the Community Development Foundation, for the Office for Civil Society. As well as identifying several tree species, there will be new signage in various parts of the site. The project has to be completed by the end of February 2015, so time is tight. Updates will be provided here over the coming weeks. |
| 1 January 2015 update |
| Happy New Year! A new year dawns and we look forward to further improvements at Hyde Park Cemetery in 2015. Please visit this website regularly to see how we are getting along. In the meantime, we wish you a Very Happy and Healthy New Year. |
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