Bats, bees and blessings

Honey Bee
Honey Bee

Spooky Saturday night in Burngreave Cemetery

On Saturday 18th April around 30 people from as far away as Rotherham came to search out bats in the cemetery. Robert Croxton from Sorby Natural History Society started the evening with an interesting slide talk in the old mortuary chapel. At dusk he led the group out into the darkness to listen and look for the bats, which we know live in and around the graveyard.

Unfortunately the night was too cold for them to appear and the only bat we saw was Patrick Amber’s homemade version.

Photograph and story Saleema Imam

Cemetery Bees

Sadly the two bee colonies sited in our cemetery perished during the winter. We still don’t know why. However several local people have recently attended the ‘Basic Bee Keeping Training’ offered by Sheffield Bee Keepers Association and will be sharing the care and maintenance of the two new bee colonies we will shortly install in the cemetery. We spent a lovely warm sunny Sunday together in the apiary at the Sawmill in Ecclesall woods inspecting their hives and handling the bees. If you are interested in learning about bees visit the cemetery any Sunday between 11.00am and 3.00pm. We have protective clothing available if needed.

Story Saleema Imam

Cemetery ceremony

On Sunday April 18th Vicky Smith the current artist in residence at the cemetery chapel launched her latest mixed media installation. Afterwards a moving blessing ceremony took place for all those buried in the cemetery – both in the chapel and outside in the sun.

This document was last modified on 2016-10-07 10:40:40.