Saturday 26 May 2012

Visiting Arnos Vale Cemetery

This photo belongs to Arnos Vale Heritage Trust

Not long ago, I started helping out at our local Brownie Group because my youngest granddaughter, Millie, had finished Rainbows and was a bit nervous of joining the Brownie group because she said that all the girls were much bigger than her and that made her uneasy.
I had been thinking of doing a bit of voluntary work because, now that I'm feeling better, I miss the work that I did at the school and wanted to have a bit more contact with children and their mums. I still know quite a few people from the local school and they recognise me from when I worked there.
Anyway, Millie seems to have settled into Brownies a bit better now, so I think I'll stay on for a bit as a helper because I know that Brown Owl doesn't always have enough people to help.

So why am I writing about the Arnos Vale Cemetery?
This Friday, we were booked to go with the Brownie pack on a wild life excursion. In the past, Arnos Vale became very run down and was closed to the public for years and it became a natural wild life sanctuary.
If you want to read more about this then you can look up the link.
I am only really writing about the outing.

I was surprised that the very day we were due to visit, my granddaughter had been sent home from school with a high temperature and as I was committed to go on the trip to help manage the numbers, I went without Millie.
There were volunteer guides that took us all for walks round the huge cemetery and explained about all the local flora and fauna and the children helped to place traps on animal runs. The traps were not to catch the animals but would help to identify their footprints as they ran over special carbon paper to get the bait. They were being enticed into the traps by hotdog sausages for the hedgehogs and cakes for the mice and voles.
The other animals that were definitely about, were foxes and badgers.
Inside the area was a kind of forest and the birds were all singing loudly and it was hard to imagine that we were right in the heart of our city.
The cemetery was very old and some of the Victorian monuments were extremely showy, tall and interesting. Nature had taken its course, and many of these ancient sculptures and showy grave stones were only held together by thick ivy, so for safety's sake, we all had to stay on the designated paths.

I felt healthily tired by the end of the evening and slept very well that night. 
However, I really did enjoy the trip and found it very informative. It is a place that I would never have thought of going by my self. So I'm very pleased that I decided to help out the Brownies.






16 comments:

Mimi said...

I was shocked when I read about the animal traps, until you explained!
Sounds like a good outing, and the icing on the cake was a good night's sleep afterwards! Isn't it lovely how these unexpected bonuses come from being a helper?
My girls loved Ladybirds(as they're called here) and Brownies, and I occasionally helped out; it was fun!

Sueann said...

I love old cemeteries...always interesting structures. Glad you had a good time.
Hugs
SueAnn

dianefaith said...

Your outing sounds like fun, and I'm only sorry that your granddaughter didn't get to go, too. Old cemeteries can be such quiet, sweet places . . . and this one added interesting wildlife. I enjoyed your account of it.

CiCi said...

Cemetery turned wildlife sanctuary, very interesting. Hope your granddaughter is feeling better. I know she must have been sorry to miss the outing.

Dimple said...

What fun, but I'm sorry your granddaughter couldn't go. I loved Brownies and Girl Scouts.

How interesting that a cemetery in town has been allowed to go wild! The genealogist in me think it is a shame to have that happen, but the explorer says it's wonderful!

I enjoy your blog, Maggie, and I have awarded you the Illuminating Blogger Award for illuminating, informative blog content. Drop by http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/
to pick up your award.

Many blessings!

Ayak said...

Sounds like a very interesting place Maggie. I love cemeteries and can spend hours reading the gravestones.

Suburbia said...

I've often wondered what it's like there and now you have made me really want to go!

Hope Millie is better now?
Sx

FeltByRae said...

I shall definitely have to visit there, I have a bit of a 'thing' for graveyards, in the nicest way of course... I find them peaceful and interesting

Well done you on volunteering - I find that I get more out of volunteering than I put in, so I guess there is nothing *truly * altruistic about me!

Akelamalu said...

Arnos Vale sounds like a fascinating place. :)

Jackie said...

Very fascinating, post, Maggie.
I do hope that Millie is feeling better. She sounds like a sweet girl. My granddaughter is smaller (shorter/petite) than the girls her age, and she says things about people making fun of her for being "short"...and I tell her that her feet go all the way to the ground just like everyone else's. I wish our granddaughters could meet. I think they would be lovely friends.
Hugs and much love to you, Maggie.
Jackie

Brian Miller said...

very good of you to go on even when she was sick...our city cemetary is pretty amazing...lots of history there and things to do...and glad you are helping out the brownies that is a pretty cool organization...

Jeni said...

Fresh air and walking -two of the best things in the world for any of us to partake of that gift. But to have the chance to also see the sights you saw -that's icing on the cake! (Or maybe the good restful sleep was actually the icing on the cake?)

D..J. Kirkby said...

How lovely that Millie has you there for comfort. Grandmothers ares special people.

Anonymous said...

What a shame that Millie missed the trip, but how lovely that you've started helping out at Brownies. I was a Brownie, quite a shy one, but I got lots of badges and felt very proud!

I love going round old cemeteries, they're so interesting.

CJ x

Suldog said...

Sounds like a lovely day. I very much enjoy cemeteries. Some think it odd, I suppose, but they are very peaceful and usually very pretty places.

Secret Agent Woman said...

That sounds really nice. I like the healthy kind of tired after a good day.