Monthly Archives: August 2021

Billy, Val and Geoff were delighted to welcome members of Southampton Clausentum Rotary, and guests, to the Old Cemetery, recently, for an evening walk. The sun shone on us and the walk visited the four different sections of the cemetery, Anglican, Non-Conformist, Hebrew and Catholic with fascinating stories being related from each. Billy and Val spoke about the ongoing work of FoSOC in helping the city council with conservation work and were able to show the new flower border, created by FoSOC, just inside the main gate. The new memorial, to those with no grave marker, was also shown to our visitors, this being the generous gift of a member of FoSOC who wishes to remain anonymous. At this time of the year, the light does tend to fade after 8pm but the walk was completed in slightly nocturnal circumstances! … Continue reading →

Twenty-one people attended Geoff’s ‘American Connections’ Walk on 15 August dedicated, by Geoff, to our late – and much missed – member, David Palmer (photo: David and Geoff, November 2015). Pausing at the new memorial stone for those with no marker, Geoff explained the reasons for it and the generosity of the anonymous donor. Appreciation was shown with a round of applause. Some pathways and sites visited had been cleared, specially, by FoSOC members Bruce and Tim. Tim strimmed a section that included one of the selected graves. For Joseph Koepfli, Bruce had uncovered the lower part of the stone marker that had sunk into the ground. Subjects covered varied considerably from opposition to the slave trade (Rev. Thomas Adkins) to the Mayflower (Pilgrim Fathers’) Memorial told at William Bagshaw (Sheriff of Southampton 1913), 15th August being the 401st anniversary … Continue reading →

On Sunday afternoon my good friend, John Vetterlein, aka ‘The Hat’   led his first ‘Wildflower and Butterfly’ walk around the Old Cemetery since Sept 2019 for fifteen visitors. The weather was quite overcast, and we were expecting rain but luckily it stayed dry. As always John had a massive amount of Flora to show us but suspected we might not see any Butterflies. Near the main entrance he showed us Oxeye Daisies, Hogweed, and several other flowers. On the way to the Main Carriageway, we passed Broad-leaved Everlasting Sweet Peas and, on the Carriageway, some Creeping Thistle and further on drifts of Rosebay. We then made our way to the meadow side of the Cemetery and as usual John found something edible in the form of Crow Onions and everyone agreed, they were very tasty. As luck would have it … Continue reading →