First open day this year at the Kilmorey Mausoleum.

At last I have got a little bit of spare time, and a modicum of enthusiasm at the moment; to add another Blog entry about the Open Day two weekends ago, for the local St. Margaret's residents, at the Kilmorey Mausoleum.

After a lot of hard work over last winter, the gardens are looking good.

It surprised us that 198 people turned up on the day, which started out quite sunny, but descended into typical Bank holiday cool grey skies weather in the afternoon, with rain arriving later in the evening. 



















I was in charge of the wood burning Kelly Kettles this time, which provide hot water for the Eco Teas stall area, where also some nice home made cakes were provided!

Views around the woodland area in the dappled sunlight, whilst we still had it!

As it was an open day, the Mausoleum was open to view inside.

With the heavy door open, the shining skylights can be seen.

To find out more, see the Kilmorey Mausoleum website link.

It was a long day for all the volunteers concerned, and we eventually got to pack everything up at about 5.30 p.m. In the gloomy, cold, rain threatening evening skies! Though a good time was had by all involved that day.

Amble around 'cheerful' Brompton cemetery!!

Fairly recently, I ended up at Brompton Cemetery, doing some local field research regarding the original history of the Kilmorey Mausoleum.

With the background of Chelsea football ground, and the incongruous sound of the cheering crowds drifting in and out in the distance, on a Saturday afternoon in the quiet of the cemetery; whilst I was on a photographic exploration of the historical grounds. With also a few joggers around me, and some people walking through the park like grounds, taking a short cut through the area.

The Brompton Cemetery was opened in 1840, as an example of the first privately financed and run cemetery in London.
It was also the first to be nationalised soon after, due to financial difficulties! and is still publicly owned today.


Giving the impression of fading away into the infinite distance, of one of the colonnades viewed in the Great Circle.

 The stylised coiled snakes represent entering the dark underworld through the iron gates, and into the eternal circle of life and death.






And into the deathly dark, dusty, forgotten and silent unending world of the catacombs.....


























In the mid 19th Century, the Egyptian style was very fashionable, and was finding its way into Mausoleum design.

This early example called the Courtoy Mausoleum, built in grey granite, and seen crumbling today, was built for the very wealthy and secretive Courtoy sisters, and was regarded as highly controversial in its day. Various rumours were spread around at the time, regarding pagan influences and rites carried out with the structure.

It also has a legend spread around, that it was designed as a time machine by a Victorian eccentric inventor, to allow the interred to travel in different dimensions of time and space!!
Pity that it can't travel in time itself, and repair the large chunk of stone that broke away from the pyramid style roof!

More strange information can be found at this link!

The Mausoleum provided the inspiration for the grander Kilmorey Mausoleum, with no expense spared, constructed in 1854 in Circle 1 originally.
See the Blog website link for the Kilmorey Mausoleum, as it is today.








The Circle 1 as seen today, crammed with more profitable single graves!

Views of 'poor relation' generic kit style Mausoleums, also still around the Brompton Cemetery.

Other ornate monument designs can also be seen.

Another no expense spared Gothic Church/Chapel style Mausoleum still around, built by by the co-founder of Standard Oil, the largest and most powerful oil company of it's day.

A final view of some of the local residents perching on the monuments. A fitting end to an interesting photographic afternoon experience, on a cool windy day!

A busy weekend - Kilmorey Mausoleum open day, and cycling in London.

I hope anyone out there in the blogging world that's reading this had a good weekend!
I had a busy time over the weekend, first helping out at the Kilmorey Mausoleum open day, which was very successful and quite hectic! since I was also the 'official' photographer as well.

We just managed to get the banner and bunting up in time, as the visitors started to turn up!

The visitors were keen to explore the grounds, and visit the Mausoleum.

























Interesting lens flare effect, due to the bright sunshine for a change!



Managed to also get out to the east end of London, and do some cycling around Rotherhithe, Bemondsey, Shad Thames and Tower Bridge. Took some interesting pictures as well, and here are a few:                  

After a bike ride through the crowds around the Tower Bridge area and the London Assembly Building, it was nice to stop off at the Angel pub by the river near Rotherhithe, and have a rest and a nice drink!













Then back to the routine at home this week, and adding more to this Blog! That reminds me, must do some shopping soon - such is life!......

Kilmorey Mausoleum & the August Bank Holiday....

Another day has flown past, and it's a nice bright morning for a change, as I type this. As you get older, the days seem to fly past, and it appears to get quicker the older you get!

Yesterday was the typical gloomy Bank Holiday, which the U.K. (in most places!) is famous for. Ideal for setting up this blog on the computer, then catching some sun in the late afternoon, when it felt almost like a belated summers day.

Normally I would have been doing my bit of voluntary work yesterday at the Kilmorey Mausoleum at Twickenham, but since it was a Bank Holiday, we usually decide to take a day off.
I got drawn into this volunteering, purely by chance a couple of years ago when doing some photography, and one Monday noticed a rarely seen sign on the black wooden entry door. The Kilmorey Mausoleum is a historical building on a local wild life site, and is maintained and run purely by volunteers, and for my sins, I became one of them!

It provides a local educational venue for schools and groups of children and adults, and has two open days to the public, with one coming along soon in September.

Here's a nice moody looking autumnal view of the Mausoleum tomb building!

The site is still regarded as a burial site, but the grounds are now managed to encourage local wildlife and plants.

A late summer view with the Field Scabious being lit by the sun.

We also have a website, and you can visit it at:
http://sites.google.com/site/kilmoreymausoleum/












So that's one of the ways I keep fit during the week, doing some work at the Kilmorey Mausoleum grounds. It's a lot cheaper than gym membership, and can be just as strenuous at times!

I also cycle there, when It's not raining too heavily; and cycling is another of my interests, using bikes I have salvaged and rebuilt from scrap. The last bike ride was on Saturday to Old Isleworth (the remnants of) by The London Apprentice and the River Thames, whilst there was still a bit of sun. It was a hard cycle back in places, with the gusting winds picking up, dark clouds building up overhead, and steadily riding uphill for most of the way. I was glad to get home and give my legs a rest!