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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 4h

#31DaysOfGraves day15: damaged. A coastal location and soft sandstone have conspired to erase everything about who lies here. But in a rather beautiful way. I hope their memory is preserved somewhere, in the parish records or just in people's minds. St Aiden's Church, Bamburgh, Northumberland.

A weathered sandstone headstone. The weather has completely worn away the inscription, and the bottom of the stone is now much thinner than the top. A series of small channels has been worn into the stone so that it looks a bit like flames.

St Aiden's Church and churchyard, Bamburgh, Northumberland. The North Sea can just be seen behind the church.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 15h

Funnily enough I saw an article the other day about "tombstone tourism".

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 16h

Oh wow, they look amazing - will definitely add to the list! Thanks for posting.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 17h

The detail on these is wonderful!

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 17h

Ah lovely! I went for the Govan Stones today but had considered the similar stones from Kilmartin.

Stone carving of a medieval nobleman, wearing a helmet and carrying a large sword

Another similar carving. On this one, the warrior is facing left and is carrying a large spear in his right hand

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Reposted by Alison M

LizD @bibby4.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 14 Inside: A Viking -age grave marker inside Govan Old Parish Church. It was fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries to reuse the stones, hence the initials and date added later. Free entry to the Govan Stones every day until the end of Oct. @govanstones.bsky.social

A rectangular, grey, stone slab supported against a wall. It bears faint traces of interlace and knotwork carving and what was once a cross. It has the initials WI and the date 1634 carved on it , neither of which form part of the original carving.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 22h

They don't even need A-level standard English to pass A-levels.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 1d

Ah great minds! This is my choice for today as well. What a fantastic place Govan Old is. And the guides are so enthusiastic and interesting too.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves day14: inside. Govan, better known as the heart of Scotland's shipbuilding industry, is home to one of the country's oldest places of worship and to the Govan Stones, Viking era hogback stones, as well as the magnificent pre-Norman Govan sarcophagus. A brilliant place to visit.

Viking hogback stones. A long carved stone that looks a bit like a corn on the cob

Detail of the Govan sarcophagus, a carved stone tomb. The detail shows a soldier on horseback and some carved pattern work to one side

Another detail from the sarcophagus, possibly showing a lamb standing on a wolf (perhaps suggesting the triumph of Christianity over paganism)

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 1d

Love this!

I want to know if she was a terrible dancer.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 1d

Mine died in 1983, and not only do I remember her number, I also remember my mum collecting piles of coins so we could go and phone her from the call box at the bottom of the road once a week because we didn't have a landline at home.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

Ah, sorry! Yes, shocking, but in a not-serious way. 😁

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

Lawks! 😲

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Reposted by Alison M

Turnstone Genealogy - Jane Barton @turnstonegenie.bsky.social · 3d

I'm very proud to be a volunteer researcher, speaker & tour guide for #CWGC. My next public tour of the WW1 war graves in #RutherglenCemetery will be at 11am on 8th November. Free but booking is required: www.cwgc.org/visit-us/eve...
I also offer private tours/talks for local groups by arrangement.

www.cwgc.org

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Reposted by Alison M

Turnstone Genealogy - Jane Barton @turnstonegenie.bsky.social · 3d

#31DaysOfGraves
Day 12: Notable woman
From a visit to Llanaber Church, Barmouth, Wales in the summer, the grave of Fanny Talbot (1824-1917). A friend of John Ruskin and a generous philanthropist, she is noted for gifting the first property, Dinas Oleu, to the newly formed National Trust in 1895.

The grave monument of Fanny Talbot (1824-1917) - a Celtic style grey stone cross with white lettering on a green plinth, recently renovated - stands in the overgrown burial ground of Llanaber Church, Barmouth, Gwynedd. Wales, with the sea beyond.

Black and white portrait photograph of Fanny Talbot nee Brown (1824-1917). Fanny was a landowner and philanthropist, and a friend and correspondent of John Ruskin. Born in Bridgwater, Somerset, from 1874 she lived in Barmouth, Gwynedd, Wales. She is noted for gifting the first property, Dinas Oleu, to the newly formed National Trust in 1895.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

I'd also take a pot of yogurt, some crumpets and some fruit like blueberries or raspberries. Warm up the blueberries in the microwave until they have some juice then serve with the yogurt on toasted crumpets.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

Porridge (is that the same thing as oatmeal?) - my mum always makes hers in the microwave. A couple of minutes. You could also make and freeze muffins ahead of your trip (if you can keep them frozen) and reheat for 30secs or so.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

Since it's Sunday, one more for #31DaysOfGraves, notable women
- a picture of Haworth Churchyard, resting place of Charlotte and Emily Brontë. It's a beautiful spot, but the photo gives an idea of how crowded it is - apparently somewhere in the region of 40,000 souls lie here, in quite a small plot

Haworth graveyard, Yorkshire. Ranks of gravestones among trees.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

It's a beautiful spot.

Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

Ah, lovely transatlantic connection - Grace's fame obviously spread further than I realised! Ida lived much longer though. Poor Grace contracted TB on a visit to the mainland and died only 4 years after the rescue that made her famous.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 2d

#31DaysOfGraves day 12: notable women. The tomb of Grace Darling at St Aiden's Church, Bamburgh. Grace was the daughter of the lighthouse keeper on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast and in 1838 took part in a rescue during a storm that brought her national fame.

An elaborate Victorian tomb in a churchyard. The figure of a woman lies inside three arches that support the roof

Detail of the head of the figure. Under her mattress the stone is carved with seaweed, a reflection of Grace Darling's connection with the sea.

The same tomb in a wider shot. In the distance is the North Sea

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 3d

So true. We were at Vindolanda yesterday and by far the most fascinating things for me are the everyday objects - a collection of bucket handles that could have been made last week. The amazing tablets full of the mundane details of life at the edge of empire.

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Reposted by Alison M

Turnstone Genealogy - Jane Barton @turnstonegenie.bsky.social · 4d

#31DaysOfGraves
Day 10: Urn
Urns seem to have been a popular choice as grave monuments during the earlier phase of #RutherglenCemetery (late Victorian). They're vulnerable to the ravages of neglect and vandalism, but those that remain in place are very photogenic.

In the foreground, the Speirs family monument with draped urn. Behind it, the Stewart family monument with an amphora style urn with handles, and in the background many more gravestones laid out on the slope of the hill. Darkening sky, full moon rising behind the hill. Rutherglen Cemetery, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Another image of the grave monument of the Speirs family, a tapered pillar in polished granite with white lettering, with a draped urn still in situ on the top. Rutherglen Cemetery, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 3d

It's weird isn't it. I'm not a particularly tidy person and there is a lot of *stuff* in our house, but I was quite neurotic about the kids making a mess when they were wee. I look back at it now and think "huh, that was odd". I think I just felt like unmanaged chaos might overwhelm me.

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 3d

For #31DaysOfGraves, day 11: military, my favourite stone in all of Scotland. I'm not sure if it's really a grave, so much as a memorial, thought to be depicting a battle between the Picts and the Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, way back in 685AD. The wonderful Aberlemno Cross.

A stone slab containing a cross carved with intricate and beautiful Pictish designs.

The same cross standing in front of the church where it lives

The back of the same stone, carved all over with a battle scene. There are soldiers in horses and on foot and at the bottom right a soldier being pecked by a raven

Detail of soldier being pecked by a raven

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