Cemetery neglect

Sir, Reading last week’s Banner, I was very interested in Mr Currie’s letter ‘The state of our cemeteries’. I could not but agree with his comments. What is happening to our cemeteries?

On attending a funeral in Kilmory, the late Lady Jean Fforde was appalled at the number of fallen headstones around the church. She very kindly telephoned me and offered to open Strabane Gardens for a day if we could get stewards to collect money which her ladyship hoped would assist us to help raise a few fallen stones.

Putting Lady Jean’s suggestion forward at the next business meeting, only one member agreed with this and the other members left me in no doubt that they considered that it was the responsibility of North Ayrshire Council to take care of our cemeteries.

There has been very little done since, apart from stickers being placed on damaged stones in need of repair.

What happens to the stones with no living relatives? Are they to be left to disintegrate and leave our church yards looking uncared for? I would suggest the council keeps a supply of dry cement in stock to assist with the repair of these stones.

As to ditches, it appears they no longer require clearing. The late Neil McLean and myself wrote, telephoned and asked repeatedly for our new cemetery to be drained properly before being opened, but it was never done properly and is now a disgrace.

Our cemeteries should be places one can visit and spend time with our thoughts in peace. What is more helpful than to visit a church with old records and a cemetery with old headstones to obtain information about our past?

Can the council please do something about this upsetting and neglectful situation?

Yours, Edna Picken, Kilmory.