Friends of Redcar Cemetery
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Friends of Redcar Cemetery
NEWSLETTER
June/July/August 2025
Together We Can Make A Difference
Welcome to our latest newsletter. This edition is being financed by the retiring collections at the funerals of Mrs Brooksbank, Mrs Wood and Margaret English. Our thanks go to these families for kindly thinking about us at this sad time, and in remembrance of their loved ones.
We have just celebrated a very special day - VE Day in Europe where in 1945 peace was restored much to the delight of millions of people around the world. Many people died and are buried in our cemetery so we felt we had to mark the date. The 'Pay Back Scheme' attached two beautiful poppy wreaths to the old cemetery gates. The ladies of the scheme made large poppies on stalks which were placed on the RAF, Yorkshire Regiment and Navy memorials and all Commonwealth War Graves. Thanks to them for all their help.
Again with an 80th VE Day celebration in mind ten of us were invited to Redcar College were we were joined by veterans from Redcar British Legion. The staff and students provided us with beautiful sandwiches and cakes and many cups of tea and coffee. The party as well as celebrating the end of hostilities gave the confidence. The picture shows Cole one of the students in conversation with Soo - and Stephanie two of our members. Thanks so much to Trudie and all her staff.
We arranged our own celebrations too thanks to Soo who organised a meal in the Park Hotel. Lots of gossip and catching up between volunteers who don't get an opportunity to mix much because some do gardening and some man stalls. Pictured are Soo and Ged in matching gangues giving a forties look.
Reflecting on the happenings of 80 years ago, many people then would be hopeful for a brighter future. Others sad about family members they would never see again. The family of Jack Stinton was one of these. On his headstone, it states he was killed by enemy action on January 13th 1942. His epitaph reads, "He counted not the cost". He was killed with seven of his colleagues while serving in an ambulance unit. This happened in an air raid shelter on Warrenby Works.
To remember the ending of hostilities we purchased a lantern which was kindly funded by the COOP Funeral Service. We placed this on our RAF Memorial overnight. A small remembrance service was held by our small gathering. Our members met around the lamp which leads the way in the darkness. We kept the flame alive for all those lying in the cemetery that we would never forget and may it always reflect in the work we undertake in the cemetery.
We will also remember all our Dads who have passed. This Fathers Day we will have a stall in the cemetery and we will be preparing by painting pebbles, making cards and crosses for visitors to place on loved ones graves. We will as usual carry out a survey of visitors opinions about the cemetery and how it can be improved.
On Fathers Day 15th July we will have staff in the cemetery 10am - 2pm
Page 2 - Gardening and Maintenance
We gather many friends in the community and through their work they help us with ours. Hazel the Head Gardener at the walled garden Kirkleatham has been really helpful. The propagation workshop she organised was good for us with very useful hints and tips on planting and taking cuttings. She helped us organise a plant sale which went very well. We were not sure people would come into the cemetery just to buy plants but it proved very popular. Unfortunately some people missed the sale so we may have another one maybe in the walled garden.
Jackie the Community Champion in Tesco helps us by donating plants that need care and attention which they get in abundance from our gardeners before we plant them in the cemetery borders. We welcome our new members Angie, Barbara, Rob (Meadowvale Funeral Care) Mick and Marcy, they seem to have fitted in very well with the group. We are also lucky to have two elders from the Mormon Church in Redcar help us each week. As they come from all over the world they always have a fascinating story to tell while hoeing and weeding.
Here is Kay who does a great job organising the Tuesday gardening group. She has taken up the RHS challenge to establish a small space garden. Together with Dawn and Mick they have set out a grave space and planted seeds supplied by the RHS. Watch this space.
Over the years we have received many donations and have fundraised. We have bought power tools in order to keep the cemetery looking good and we were advised that suitable training was required for us to carry on. We are grateful to Trevor Thompson Cemeteries Bereavement Manager and Shirley Pacitto for organising these training sessions which everyone thought worthwhile. We have just purchased a battery operated power washer which providing you have an adequate supply of water in a remote place is useful for keeping our seats clean from bird droppings which unfortunately is a constant battle.
This photo shows Fiona and Lois painting the 'Tulip Tree' sculpture dedicated to the Yorkshire Regiment in time for the 80th Anniversary of the ending of hostilities in Europe. This sculpture by Steve Iredale is now fifteen years old and it is in fact a dead cherry tree which has been preserved as best we can. The roots seem to be holding up.
Last year we had the wooden surround replaced by Middlesbrough College students with a very stout brick one which is brilliant. The plaque dedicated to the Yorkshire Regiment has just been varnished to keep it in good order. The Faith, Hope and Love sculptures have been oiled and bases treated, with this good dry weather we are up to date with our maintenance this year.
We are very fortunate to have lan and his drone to take aerial pictures of our cemetery which gives us a different slant on identifying where things are. It is certainly strange and surreal.
Page 3 - Fundraising and Funding
We have had a very successful tombola in Morrisons thanks to the staff as always and to everyone who donated prizes and all of our supporters who bought tickets. We had most of the team manning the stall and it got very busy. Well done everyone.
We are planning a garage sort in time for Armed Forces Day where we will have a stall as usual on the High St thanks to Billy and his son but this year we don't know how it will plan out due to the refurbishment of the High Street. We are getting help this year with transport from the RCVDA.
Soo is continuing making and selling her 50p cloth bags in all designs and will have them on sale at our various events. Thanks Soo. Talking of events Soo and Lois had a stall in Locke Park organised by the Chris Cave Foundation with her 'Every One a Winner' straws and was very popular. Thanks to Teresa and her staff.
We have had special help from another local group who work in the 'Rose Garden' of Borough Park. Jackie and Mike Carling organise a weekly coffee morning from January to March which is always well attended. We have a bric-a-brac stall there on the last but one morning, also a cheque was kindly gifted to us.
We are taking up a new challenge and teaming up with James from the Palace Hub and having a stall at the Hub during the 'Kite Festival' on Saturday 14th June. Bob by and get yourself a bargain.
We have had a fantastic notice board fabricated and erected by Marty and staff from Steel River Fabrication of Marske. This is a unique design and will tell of our activities for years to come. Thanks to RCBC for their contribution and our fundraisers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jim Morrisroe, the boilermakers team and management of Lackenby Beam Mill for fabricating and erecting our three notice boards which we used continually for over ten years plus information boards and gates during their 'Help in the Community' scheme.
We are very fortunate to have the staff of the Redcar Branch of the Darlington Building Society raising money on our behalf. We have had table tops in their branch in the past and they have just completed a sponsored walk to Saltburn for us. Our thanks to management, staff and the dogs. Two of our members Trevor and Sandra joined the walk to Marske.
In the last eighteen months we have had 38 headstones laid down because they failed the authorities safety test. This test is vital because some of these stones are weighing well over one ton. We would love to see them upright again but the expenditure is proving a stumbling block. We have a stonemason in Wales ready and we have a funding bid in, so fingers crossed.
We will have a stall in the Palace Hub on Saturday 14th June 11am - 3pm
Page 4 - The Dream is Still Green
The Tree Trail - We are working through this new project 'Once Upon a Tree' but it seems we are not making much progress, then we get a break through. All the plaques are now fixed on the 50 chosen trees. Thanks to John, Kay, Ged, Wendy and Dot and with the invaluable help from Holly from Tees Valley Wildlife Group. We have been given a redundant notice board from the High Street refurbishment scheme and we are hoping Marty from Steel River Fabrications can refurbish it so we can erect it at the start of our tree trail and it will be of some use again. We are having a meeting with Trevor from the Bereavement Service Department re the positioning of it in the old section of the cemetery. Watch this space for progress.
The Leaf Keep - Little did we know when we started this project how much work would be involved and by how many men and women. We are just amazed by the enthusiasm of so many people from big organisations to individuals. We are well on our way to achieving the green dream now. At the moment we have the Middlesbrough College students and their tutors working in the soil compound making and erecting the structure. This is after construction company Robertsons and hauliers Hewitsons moved hundred of tons of rubble from the compound and levelled it off then the 'pay back' scheme men and our gardening group dug ten holes ready for the posts. On top of that there was a great mound of broken down leaves which needed to be bagged and once again our members tackled this, a fantastic team effort. When the Middlesbrough students have finished the work the Redcar and Cleveland College Students and their tutor Adam from their construction department are building the path so we can get wheelbarrows in and out to process the leaves. We are putting in a funding bid to help with the cost of this and Hazel the Head Gardener from the Walled Garden has helped by donating some construction bases.
Some of the wood has been kindly donated to us by MKM. We have contributed to the extra cement, roofing material and wire mesh as required.
We feel these two projects are linked in the fact the children studying the trees will adopt one and the leaf formation and that leaf will go into our leaf keep to break down to be put back into the cemetery as leaf mould. Youngsters will help us collect leaves in the autumn and understand the life cycle.
We are finding it difficult now to fundraise as we do not have enough venues and transport to get there. We are needing extra help selling on stalls too so if you can help please get in touch. This is a very important part of our work.
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