well done crusty, great turn out last night and I wish you well with this initiative.

Hope the city can really see the benifit in investing in the conservation and repair of this absolutely amazing place

whats this all aboot then ?..the dead zone ? :skull:

The Necropolis: The dead centre of Glasgow

ach lads, you're pulling my leg....'specially you Mo.

the Necropolis is one of the most amazing places in Glasgow. Th people who made Glasgow the second city of the Empire are buried there. In tombs designed by Thomson, Rochead, Wilson, Mackintosh, Burnett, the architects who constructed it.
http://www.freefoto.com/browse.jsp?id=1089-06-0

If you're not joking and have never been well please go. What a view you get over the Cathedral too. Unfurunately Vandals and time have caused a problem and it's decaying

Crusty's part of a group of people who have formed to stop it falling into further dis-repair, they need support.

Cheers Alan, I was really pleased you could make it, you too Gweilo. It was good to finally meet you, sorry we didn't get a chance to speak properly though, I was stuck on "meet & greet" duties. We've been working with the Council and local communities since January so it's good to see us progressing to this stage as now the real work can begin!

We launched at the Merchants' House last night in a bit of a romantic notion as it was the Merchants' House actually founded the Necropolis and ran it as a business for 130 years, before handing it over to GCC in the 1960s. As Alan said, there is hardly an architect who helped build Victorian Glasgow who hasn't prduced something for the Necropolis, it's a sort of microcosm of Glasgow at the time when it was Second City of the Empire.

Ronnie, our chairman, has recently published his book on the Necropolis entitled Death by Design: The True Story of the Glasgow Necropolis (http://www.blackandwhitepublishing.com/nonfiction/deathbydesign/deathbydesign.html) and a steal at £5.99 (Bargain Books do £1 off)! Our website is at www.glasgownecropolis.org (http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/) and will be updated soon I should expect. If it's something that interests you, we'd love to hear from you and would be delighted if any of you joined!

Thanks again Alan and Gweilo!

Best,

Pol

ach lads, you're pulling my leg....'specially you Mo.

:laugh: Alan aye i'm pullin yer leg mate, been there many times and aye its a great place i'm dyin to get in there again..LOL, seriously-Crusty well done on this project it was well overdue on this important burial site of the citys fathers.. who is funding the project if you dont mind me asking?

:)

Good luck with the project chaps. St James' cemetery in Liverpool fell into disrepair, but The Friends of St James' was formed a few years ago and things have vastly improved.
Links:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/bishops_to_visit_hidden_site-guided_tour_of.html
http://www.g0ifk.u-net.com/

I've no affiliation with them, by the way. Just appreciate their efforts. You can read their Spring 2005 newsletter by clicking here (http://www.g0ifk.u-net.com/spring2005nsltr.htm)

Good to see the launch Crusty! Its great that the Necropolis is getting the attention it deserves at last and with GCC backing to boot! It was also great to finally get to meet you properly and I really enjoyed myself in Babbity's afterwords. Sorry not to get to speak to you Alan. Saw you seated towards the front but was stuck at the back by the booze (naturally!).

Cheers

Gweilo

The group is self-funded at the moment Mo (i.e. membership fees [which are very reasonable!]) although funding applications will be made where and when applicable and for specific purposes. We do have some projects up our sleeves so we're working very closely with GCC in order not 'step on thier toes' in respect to responsibilty of ownership. It's all in our minutes actually, which are availale on the website :)

Thanks for the links there Dave, St James' are an interesting case study to say the least, although admittedly I never knew of it until I became involved in FGN. I dare say I'll have a look at some point during the summer months. :)

Good to finally meet you too Gweilo, glad you enjoyed the booze (at both the launch and Babbities), hope you can make it to our drinks more often :)

Cheers,

Crusty

Did you all know that Charles Rennie Mackintosh's first recorded commision was for a monument in the Necropolis. Unusually for him it was a Celtic cross which was unfortunately toppled last spring and is still lying face-down on its slope:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/DeathByDesign/Photos/toshie.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/DeathByDesign/Photos/CRM_broken.jpg

Unbelievable or perhaps would you credit it would be better. You are too polite to say if the letter in yesterdays Herald stating that this was actually done by the council's contractors is correct. Seems this act of vandalism might have resulted from an overzealous drive to make the place safe. No excuse for this really. It wasn't as if toshie's effort wasn't documented or known about. Could they not have made more effort to secure it rather than just shove it over?

There's a thing, we had always attributed it to whatever young team was on duty in April '04. We'll no doubt discuss this at our meeting on Wednesday, does anyone have a link for the article? This is something thats very much on our agenda, i.e. advising the Council on best practice in the treatment of this landscape and strctures contained therein. I'll say this for GCC though, they are more than keen to learn and have the Necropolis secured, and also make up fo the last 40odd years ...but thats about all I'm allowed to say at the mo.

Unbelievable or perhaps would you credit it would be better. You are too polite to say if the letter in yesterdays Herald stating that this was actually done by the council's contractors is correct. Seems this act of vandalism might have resulted from an overzealous drive to make the place safe. No excuse for this really. It wasn't as if toshie's effort wasn't documented or known about. Could they not have made more effort to secure it rather than just shove it over?

Whole lines of gravestones and monuments lying flat are now a common sight in Liverpool's cemeteries.

Here's an article from the Echo

SHOW SOME RESPECT
Liverpool Echo November 24, 2003

REST In Peace are the last words we say when we bury our dead - but there are hundreds of people in the cemeteries of this city who are getting precious little rest and precious little peace.

My mum Peggy and my dad George are buried in West Derby Cemetery. And, compared to so many people buried here, they still rest in peace. Their memorial stone, while it has clearly been loosened, remains in place -although the gravestone of someone else's mother and father, which has been knocked down,partially covers their grave.


Directly behind them, the gravestone of a three-year- old girl who died in a car accident,now lies in the mud.

I am standing here looking at a killing field of destruction - desecration rows -and I really can't believe my eyes.

Like other faithful souls who come here to pay their respects to family and friends, I initially thought I was looking at the results of vandalism. And, in a way, I was. It IS vandalism -authorised vandalism.

I feel very strongly -and I have been criticised for this over the years -that the curse of Liverpool is sentimentality. I'm not sentimental. But I have got sentiment. And I have got love and respect -which is what these people buried here deserve,but are not getting.

I am standing in a graveyard surrounded by loving memorials to good, working people from this city,many of whom were of an age where they would have survived the Blitz. They will have contributed so much, in many different ways, to our society and our community.

And this is how they are being repaid.

I come here every other Saturday with a mate,Malcolm,and my cousin Terry who,because he lost his father at an early age,always considered my big and generous father to be his, too.

We place flowers,make sure that the grave is kept clean, then go and have an all-day breakfast and talk about football -two of my father's very favourite occupations!

Terry's a passionate Catholic who always used to say he wanted to be buried. But he's changed his mind, now. He wants to be cremated, because he can't trust that his grave will be respected and left alone by the authorities.

Malcolm, Terry and I recently came across three graveyard workers here in West Derby. They were saying: 'It's not us! Don't blame us!' -and we know it's not them. They'rejust the soldiers in this sad battlefield.

One of them told us: 'We've received an awful lot of abuse. And the powers-that-be, who say they are doing all this for safety reasons, don't seem to realise that flattened headstones are,in themselves,creating a health hazard -because people can trip over them.' So many people hate to make a fuss. I hate to make a fuss. I much prefer background noise.However, for some months now I've been saying,every other Saturday as we troop off dejectedly: 'Someone should say something'. So, I'm saying it because of the desperate anger that I feel.

And that anger increases when I see the bright red notices that have been stuck upon every gravestone which has been pulled down, for seemingly we'venow resorted to slapping parking tickets on the dead and showing them the red card.

Two questions for our council: Firstly, how on earth are people on low wages, small pensions or the unwaged going to be able to afford to pay for the gravestones of their recently departed to be placed upright and 'made safe'again?

Secondly, what about those heartfelt memorials to people who died decades ago? Who is going to come and make good the damage done to their gravestones? Bluntly, we all must know that those memorials have been knocked down never to rise again.

Now that the damage has been done,I have no easy solutions,but surely anyone with any sensitivity should have placed prominent notices in the ECHO explaining what was going to be done and why.

Believe me,because I was there, there was no warning that this granite and marble carnage was about to occur.

The notices eventually put on the surrounding trees here say: 'TheINITIAL inspection will focus on all memorials above three feet six in height, these being the memorials which could potentially cause fatality if not made safe.' I accept that accidents can happen. Anything could cause a potential fatality. An acquaintance of mine died a few years ago because he drank from an open can of lemonade that contained one very angry wasp. Do we take cans from the shelves and squash them flat? Exterminate wasps? Are we to wear hard hats for the fear of falling meteorites? Never sit in the stalls in case the dress circle falls upon us? Should we all live in bungalows for fear of falling down the stairs?

How we look after our sick and elderly and remember our dead reflects what kind of a society we are.

There are warning signs -including a newly-erected one -at the entrance to West Derby Cemetery. Surely they should be enough. What has happened in this and other cemeteries throughout Liverpool, meanwhile, is more than enough.

On some of the flattened gravestones, there is the inscription: "At Rest" I really don't think so.

Why we're taking these grave steps ...

THE Association of Burial Authorities produced a national guide in January 2001 about the management of safety in burial grounds.

It advised that hand pressure should be applied to gravestones which look unsafe,followed by a topple test which applies pressure of 50kgs.

A spokesman for Liverpool city council says: "The risks are not theoretical.Unfortunately, the rehave been deaths in cemeteries in the country because of gravestones falling.

"A few weeks ago, a three-year-old boy was injured by a cross falling from a headstone in West Derby Cemetery.

"It is believed that gravestones which have been temporarily laid flat pose a lesser risk than unsafe gravestones which are upright."

The council stresses that it will, itself,make safe those gravestones erected many decades ago,if no living owner can be traced.

But regarding the other memorials, the spokesman adds: "The legal position is that, while the city council is responsible for safety within cemeteries, responsibility for themaintenance, upkeep and safety of memorials rests with the grave owner."

Red stickers placed on flattened memorials state: "This memorial has been found to be unsafe and a potential danger."

It adds: "It is the owner's responsibility to arrange for an approved memorial mason to refix the memorial for its safe and continued display."

A programme of inspections began in June will take about a year to com- plete. Cemeteries are being inspected in the following order: Toxteth,Kirkdale,Anfield,West Derby, Everton and Allerton.

Since June,more than 1,000 gravestones have been flattened in West Derby, while several hundred others have been knocked down in other city cemeteries.

St Helens council says 1,149 memorials have been flattened in St Helens and Newton cemeteries.

n Sefton council says it has a policy of automatically repairing stones and has laid down only 10 in the past year. n In Wirral, 700 memorials failed the test and the headstones have either been knocked down or had plastic bags tied over them.

Knowsley has flattened about 30 stones.

Disgraceful. Total lack of respect. To beat the vandals you've got to get in there and vandalize it yourself first? Eh? What kind of warped logic is that?

Disgraceful. Total lack of respect. To beat the vandals you've got to get in there and vandalize it yourself first? Eh? What kind of warped logic is that?

My Mum passed away in Feb this year and I was shocked to see so many gravestones lying flat in the cemetery as we were driving past to go to the crematorium. My first thought was that it was caused by vandals, but the driver informed me that it was Council policy to lay down gravestones that they deemed unsafe. That was the first time I'd ever heard of such a thing. The mind boggles. The cemetery is full of the fallen in WW1 and 2. A sizeable minority of these Heroes are from overseas. Who pays for their gravestones to be made "safe?" It's a scandal in my opinion :bash:

either been knocked down or had plastic bags tied over them

Of course if it really was a matter of urgent safety those carrier bags would be an absolute lifesaver. If the graves are unsafe, either attach a notice to them, a la carrier bag or track down those responsible for upkeep. Glad to see Sefton council have a bit of sense.

When I visited my grandmother's grave in Vancouver, they now have a policy of, surface plaques, rather than vertical tombstones - they say it's easier to cut the grass and no-one can knock down the tombstones, but I must admit it was very bland and had no character.

The Necropolis has such a prominant position on the hills overlooking the 14th century catherdral that not maintaining it would be a travesty.

The Paris's Peire la chomp (opps I can't quite remember the name!) is amazing too.... with Edith Piaf, Jimmy Hendrix (who still has groupies) and our very own Oscar Wilde... it's a tourist mecca!

The Paris's Peire la chomp (opps I can't quite remember the name!) is amazing too.... with Edith Piaf, Jimmy Hendrix (who still has groupies) and our very own Oscar Wilde... it's a tourist mecca!

Is that where people have raves on Jim Morrison's grave?

Is that where people have raves on Jim Morrison's grave?

yup, graveyard raves!

How Vampirish!

yup, graveyard raves!

How Vampirish!

There's only one band to listen to at graveyard raves and that's The Cramps (http://www.carrollsweb.com/rockndog/cramps.htm) .
"If the Addam's Family ever got back together and formed a band, it would sound something like The Cramps"

Just a great rock n roll band, basically.

Was walking about Edinburgh's Canongate cemetery today, where I found Adam Smith's grave. Somehow I can't quite imagine raves there: hard-house tunes devoted to free markets.

ha ha very funny. :)

sorry, somehow lol does'nt do it for me. must be an age thing.

Not to be out-done... ;)

From the Scotsman on Sunday 09/11/05

WHEN I moved to Glasgow, more than a decade ago, one of the first tourist trips I took in my new adopted city was to the Necropolis, that magnificent, crumbling, 19th-century cemetery that sprawls over a good-sized hill on the eastern edge of town.

Its mausoleums and monuments, tributes to those members of the Victorian middle class who transformed Glasgow into one of the richest cities in the empire, soon became a regular stop on the itinerary I would construct for any pals I could persuade to visit me, along with fact-finding trips to other historic architectural gems such as Bar 10, the bar at Rogano, and the Horseshoe Bar.

Invariably the Necropolis would get its visit towards the end of a Sunday afternoon, after we had all stayed up late on the previous couple of nights. My friends and I would turn up at the cemetery in the gathering gloom, a little tired and, I must confess, often a little hungover. Standing in a graveyard, regretting the excesses of the previous evening always seemed to me to be a great way to round off a weekend of boisterous fun. I would send my grateful guests away pondering the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of their own death. The perfect host, I think you will agree.
Even a decade ago the place was looking, well, a little decayed, its grandeur a little faded. Ten years on, the grandeur has faded further. In fact, in places it's getting so faded that it hardly counts as grandeur at all. It is very sad to see.

One man who feels the pain of this decline more than most is Nigel Willis, a grand old gent who would not look out of place atop his own monument in the Necropolis. Willis, with historian and writer Ronnie Scott, author of Death by Design, a guide to the cemetery, is one of the founders of Friends of the Necropolis. The friends are a group of private citizens who came together this summer to highlight the plight of this historic monument, owned and run these last 40 years by the city council, and to try to arrest its decay.
But Willis is more than a friend to the Necropolis, he is a relation. Many of his illustrious forbears have their own monuments in the cemetery. Indeed, in Necropolis terms he is aristocracy.

His most famous ancestor is James Ewing, a West Indies merchant who was also the first MP to be elected for Glasgow after the Great Reform Act of 1832, and a former Dean of the Merchants' House, the society of local businessmen that funded the construction of the Necropolis.
It was Ewing who hosted the meeting in July 1828 at which the leaders of the Merchants' House decided to press ahead with the project. It was modelled on the, even by then renowned, Parisian cemetery Père Lachaise. His reward was one of the prime spots high up on the hill, next to the statue of John Knox. You can pretty much measure people's status at the time in the feet and inches between their last resting place and the Reformation leader's memorial.

"James Ewing was my four or five times great uncle," says Willis, who is forced to refer back to the family tree to confirm that it was just the four. Down the hill from him is a grandfather, "two or three greats, probably two", the Reverend John Dick. Among others is a three greats grandfather, James Merry, and a pair of Humphrey Crum Ewings, one two greats, one three. The junior of these, another West Indies merchant, died on the family estate in Demerara, Guyana. To ensure his remains would stay in a decent condition on the journey back to the Necropolis, he was shipped home in a lead-lined coffin filled with rum.

Wandering around with Scott and Willis - which you might be able to do next weekend, when the friends set up camp at the cemetery for Doors Open Day - provides a ready flow of such tales. Every stone in this place has a story, but some of them remain intriguingly obscure. One monument shows a group of four young children grieving before the grave of their beloved mother. But there is no name on the stone other than that of the sculptor.
Down at the dilapidated Jewish section - interestingly the first burial in the cemetery was that of a Jew, Joseph Levi, in 1832 - Scott points out the grave of Morris Reubens. The stone leans against the wall, outside the official boundary of the Jewish area. "He was not allowed inside because he married a Christian," says Scott. "Tut, tut," says Willis.

Elsewhere you can see the first mausoleum to be built in a British cemetery, as opposed to a churchyard; a merchant's memorial to his dead 13-year-old daughter; a monument to William Miller, the author of Wee Willie Winkie; some early Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a reasonably well-preserved piece by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson. Everywhere you can see the evidence of decay: recently toppled headstones, 'Danger: keep out' signs, and graffiti.
Neither Willis nor Scott seems particularly keen to explore the reasons behind the Necropolis's decline. This is understandable. Much of the blame must lie with the successive Glasgow councils that took over the running of the cemetery in 1966, when the Merchants' House handed it over, along with an endowment worth some £500,000 in today's money. But for the friends, the current city administration remains their best hope if they are, in Willis's words, "to stop the rot".

Yet it is hard to ignore the feeling that the Necropolis has lost out under the council because of its image as an elite cemetery, a celebration of the prosperous Victorian middle class. "It is a giant advert for merchant capitalism," says Scott. Not something that was particularly highly thought of in the city chambers in the 1970s and 1980s, when the rot set in. But despite its image, the cemetery actually holds thousands of 'ordinary' Glaswegians. Some 50,000 people are buried within it, although there are only 3,500 headstones. But there was, no doubt, some discomfort about how many of these people - plantation owners and mill operators - made their money and, perhaps, a limited appreciation of how much they ploughed back into Glasgow.

Things have changed. Even Labour councillors these days know you can't run a city without a prosperous middle class. But the real reason the Necropolis is back in favour is money. It's not, though, a new respect for old money, it is the realisation that this monument could be a major draw for tourists.
Ironically, the council's new interest in the cemetery, while a source of hope for the friends, is also their biggest concern. There is a fine line between preserving something like the Necropolis and restoring it in such a way as to destroy the very things that make it special, including some of that evidence of decay. It is a line the council seems quick to cross.
In recent weeks cheap wooden fencing has been put up, probably just as a temporary measure. But the council has also installed a row of cheap-looking, and already chipped, bright-grey granite blocks along one of the pathways, without consulting the friends. "They are completely inappropriate," says Willis.

Even before he became a friend, Nigel Willis would visit regularly and tidy up the family graves. What really saddens him is that so few others seem to do the same. "Most of the families of those buried here have completely lost touch," he says. "It would be great if we could get them interested again, if they saw the state it was in they would get a real shock."
Maybe that is the saddest Necropolis tale of all. How a cemetery that was set up and run as a private enterprise, and that functioned as a monument to individual endeavour, has been lost to those who owe their current wealth and good fortune to the entrepreneurial successes of their ancestors. That is some hangover.

oops double post. :)

Its about time they started investing in this historical site.



City lights: brighter nights in store for southern Necropolis

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/46980.html

THE centrepiece of Glasgow's southern Necropolis is to become the latest city landmark to be bathed in light.
Glasgow City Council announced yesterday that the main gatehouse of the southern Necropolis, on Caledonia Road, will be illuminated from later this week.
The gatehouse was designed by Charles Wilson, one of Glasgow's most famous architects, who was also responsible for the city's Park Circus and the Gallery of Modern Art in Royal Exchange Square.
The southern Necropolis is the last resting place for scores of prominent citizens, including Alexander Greek Thomson and Thomas Lipton.
James Mutter, councillor for Hutchesontown, will switch on the lights at a ceremony on Friday night.
Members of Tram Direct Theatre Company and Gorbals Youth and Community Theatre will also perform at the event.
Glasgow: City of Light is a city-wide lighting strategy. Prominent buildings that have been lit up include the Gallery of Modern Art, Concert Hall, City Chambers, St George's Tron Church and Tolbooth Steeple at Glasgow Cross.
On the Clyde, the Glasgow Weir and the George V, Victoria, Kingston and Glasgow bridges have all been illuminated.
Other buildings due to be lit include the Mitchell Library in November and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum next June.

And it is a Historial Place, just as much as Ediburgh Castle, Stonehenge or anything else, it is a Tourist destination.

Maybe the council should work out they will be losing MONEY by distroying tombstones (bt CRM? jeeppers) they have a rething and start INVESTING IN IT!

Grr... make me angry!

Thanks to Mossman's the old Glasgow firm of monumental sculptors that are responsible for many of Glasgow's major architectural sculpture commissions:

http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=2064872005

Did the Friends have a hand in this Crusty?

Other than informing Glasgow City Council of the works existence, no, we didn't have a hand in it (but were told about it a while back). It's great that it's happened and it will hopefully be the first of many to be restored ...all I can say though ;)

when the rot set in.

:hahaha: :hahaha: :hahaha: :hahaha: :hahaha: , thats as good a joke as Ive heard for a long time. I like the place as well, its fascinating, but having a 'Merchant Capitalist' as my wagemaster sounds a little bit scary :sleepy:

Fantastic.. Bout time the Necropolis was recognised for its importance of Glasgow. :)

£30m bid to turn Necropolis into city tourist attraction
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5046364.html
A HISTORIC Glasgow landmark could be in line for a £30million upgrade aimed at turning it into a world-class tourist attraction.

Council chiefs plan to apply for a huge Lottery grant to restore the Glasgow Necropolis.

They hope the work will turn the graveyard into a rival for the Paris cemetery where American music icon Jim Morrison is buried.



http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/upload/021205ngrave_lg.jpg

God! They didn't keep that under thier hats for long, I've been holding off for a public announcement before I let on! Great news I'm sure you'll all agree, this investment has been a long time coming and it wouldn't have happened without the support folk have shown for the Friends of the Necropolis. So thank you everyone :)

Unfortunately this a bit of a double-edged sword (as these things generally are) as it means other projects (which are also badly in need of investment) will have to be shelved or put on hold. Will keep you all updated.

Thanks and well done crusty for promoting the scheme looks like its all go for the lottery funding.. 30 mill ehh? a lot of dosh for a project like this. are ther some other activities planed for as an extension to the Necropolis or is it just laying out and refurbishing the graveyard stones and so forth?

The bid is actually just under £30m (at around £27m ish I think) and that will pay for restoration of the larger monuments etc, new drainage system, path upgrades, possibly an enhanced lighting scheme, promotional activities (Id imagine) and there talk of excavating behind the facade to create a media centre which could also be a bse for genealogy research. It seems a lot of money but when you take into account the scale of the works and the site it soons adds up!

The Friends have our own project up for funding at the moment which includes upgrades to a stretch of path and implementing the thirdstage of the lighting strategy devised by Nich Smith and with this we hope to set the standard for works caried out in the Necropolis. We have a good few months to wait before we know if we've got the funding so I'll keep y'all posted on that too.

In the meantime... the more people visit theNecropolis the greater the chance of all projects succeeding in thier funding aplications, so if you're bored (and don't mind the cold) plase get up there and make urself seen! Even better, join the Friends at the link in my signature :)

Wow crusty! That is good news and I really do wish you luck! The Necropolis is such an asset for Glasgow so it would be good to reap the benefit.

Totally Gweilo! Pere Lachaise in Paris is second only to the Eiffel Tower in terms of visitor numbers so that gives you an impression of what the Necropolis could do for this city! Thanks for the kind wishes... we'll need them!! :)

Awesome news - great to see that such a special place is getting the help it deserves. Good luck to you and your team Crusty :okay:

And thanks to you too David :)

For those who don't know the Necropolis here's a map and I'll post some photos later :)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/DeathByDesign/Map.jpg

Congratulations Crusty on the potentially very good news for a much neglected part of our City.

I have no doubt that the good work of the Friends of the Glasgow Necropolis was instrumental in making Council think about the place and its development potential as a major tourist attraction.

I read Ronnie Scott's book a couple of weeks ago. Fascinating read.

I had like many walked through the Necropolis the odd time but was totally unaware of the fascinating architecture behind some of the tombs and the history and fame of some of its permanent residents.

Congrats Crusty on the news.

As a side note, am I the only one that finds the idea of a graveyard as a tourist attraction more than a bit off?

Chief I appreciate what you mean, but if you give it a second thought some of the greatest 'tourist attractions' in the world are cemeteries i.e. Allied soldiers' cemeteries in France and Commonwealth cemeteries in North Africa and Asia, the USA military cemetery (is it Arlington?). Half a mile from where I lived in London there was spooky, run-down Highgate cemetery wherein lay the remains of a certain Karl Marx.

But I would also strongly urge anyone to go on one of 'The Friends' tours of the Necropolis - you will find out about an array of Glasgow's history. How it became so neglected is an issue in itself... and when you go about the tour you will be struck by the fact that numbers of foreign tourists are already seeking it out.

Fantastic, obviously.

But what exactly is the funding situation (if the question is not too sensitive)? We will bid for funding, we have bid for funding, we expect to get funding, we expect to fail to get funding?

By the sounds of it, the vast majority of this project will be funded by the Lottery (Lotto, sorry...), or will the council chip in? It seems a total non-starter without a huge Lottery funding win.

Again thanks for all the words of encouragement folk! As for the question bout graveyards as tourist attractions... it's called Dark Tourism, is really nothing new (the Necropolis has been a tourist attraction since it opened in the 1830s) and is worth big money!

The funding application will be lodged with Lotto at the end of January I believe. the vast majority of te project will be funded by the lottery as a) that's what they're there for, and b) no-one wants thier Council Tax spent on whats seen as an elite cemetary when there are plenty of other avenues for the money to go. Obviously I can't speak for GCC (the fundiung applicant) but I, personally, am quietly hopeful :)

I can understand that it does go on. Personally, I just find the whole idea a bit wierd. It's like cashing in on dead boadies or something. Though in no way do I mean that to be taken as Friends of the Necropolis are cashing in! I think it's great that the cemetary will be restored. I just find this whole 'Dark Tourism' doesn't sit right with me.

Oh dear... it appears that I'm digging mself in to a bit of a hole here (see I did there? :))

good luck with this, crusty.

Long overdue.

Pentagram, the design practice , sent me a copy of their new feedback book this week. It's a book with comments from critics and writers on various cities they have visited throughout the world.

Anyway, the bit on Glasgow contains a great quote on the Necropolis, city on a hill from a writer from America. I'll post it to you on Monday, when I get back to my office. It's really quite brilliant!

GCC Land services Minutes of the GLASGOW NECROPOLIS PROJECT. :)

http://www.glasgowcitycouncil.co.uk/committee_minutes/public/extdocviewtop.asp?CID=1641&DATE=06/12/2005&TIME=13:00&DAY=&PAGE=1&STATE=Live&FILE=Documents/Live/Policy%20and%20Resources%20Committee/20056/1300_06_12_2005_1641_Report_0612it17.pdf&DocId=27263&Index=d%3a%5cdtsearch%5cindexes%5cLive&HitCount=14&hits=16+30+53+64+74+82+162+172+1bf+40a+411+4e9+8eb+8fe+
Glasgow City Council
Policy & Resources Committee
6 December 2005
Report by Director of Land Services
Contact David McClelland ext 79103
BIG LOTTERY FUND : LIVING LANDMARKS
GLASGOW NECROPOLIS PROJECT
Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to advise Committee of the launch of a new National Lottery
Grants programme ‘Living Landmarks’ and to establish the Necropolis as the Council’s
recommended bid for progression.
Recommendations
Committee is requested to:-
i) approve the progression of the Necropolis Project for Living Landmarks Big Lottery
Funding.
Ward No(s): Citywide:
Local member(s)
advised: no Consulted: no
1. Introduction
The National Lottery launched a new grants programme on 15 June 2005, Living Landmarks. As with
all Lottery bids, proposals from Service Areas are considered in the first instance by the Lottery
Steering Group to ensure that a corporate view is taken of priorities for Council consideration, taking
cognisance of available funding and ensuring that Council bids are not competing with each other.
At its meeting on 29 September 2005, the Steering Group recommended that proposals for the
development of the Glasgow Necropolis come forward for Council approval for a Stage 1 bid.
2. Living Landmarks
2.1 Funding
The programme will provide £140 million in total across the UK. There are two streams of funding: a
single grant of between £25 and £50 million (The People’s Millions) and a small number of grants of
between £10 and £25 million.
If the maximum award of £50 million is made from the first stream, the balance of £90 million would
indicate that somewhere between 4 and 9 grants will be available from the second stream, across the
UK.
Partnership funding will be required as the programme will meet a maximum of 75% of project capital
costs.
2.2 Eligibility
The Council, as a statutory authority, is eligible to apply. Other eligible applicants will include charities
and trusts, public, private and ‘not for profit’ companies.
Note that the eligibility guidelines advise that ‘your project or elements of your project must not be
eligible for grant funding from another lottery distributor’.
2.3 Timeline
The programme will operate in a similar manner to the Heritage Lottery Fund, with a two stage
application process. The closing date for Stage One applications is 6 January 2006.
Projects will be long listed and assessed by April 2006 with decisions confirmed in May.
Development grants up to £250,000 will be available for the preparation of Stage Two submissions for
successful applications.
2.4 Links to themes and outcomes
This is examined in detail below, but note that the application guidelines confirm that Big Lottery
recognise that a project may not meet all of these.
3. The Glasgow Necropolis Project
3.1 Background
Glasgow Necropolis is a unique place. Hewn from a rocky promontory high above the city, it is indeed a
Living Landmark.
The Necropolis was formed in 1832, modelled on Pere LaChaise cemetery in Paris. It is open to every
faith and is truly a socially inclusive place. It covers 37 acres and includes 3500 monuments.
It is linked to the Cathedral precinct by the ‘Bridge of Sighs’, erected in 1835.
The Necropolis is an unsurpassed architectural and landscape treasure, designed to demonstrate
sculptural and botanical marvels, provides limitless cultural stimulation and is a monument to Glasgow’s
greatness.
Access is free.
3.2 Significance
Glasgow Necropolis is included in ‘An Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland’ by
the Countryside Commission and Historic Buildings and Monuments Directorate (1985).
32 of the monuments and gravestones are Grade ‘A’ listed.
It also provides an important green lung in the city, a haven for wildlife, and is a designated Site of
Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
3
3.3 Present Condition
Over the years, the cost of maintaining the splendid tombs, monuments and mausoleum became a
huge burden on the individual lair owners and many fell into disrepair.
The Corporation of Glasgow acquired the Necropolis in 1966 and currently maintains the grounds.
Many of the unique stone features are being irretrievably lost at a critical rate due to physical
deterioration.
The site suffers from many of the problems associated with long term underinvestment, as highlighted
in the Strategic Review of Parks. Areas of the site are unsafe due to the dangerous condition of some
monuments, and there is a perception that the site is favoured by drug users and drinkers.
While the character of the Necropolis has been maintained, and individual initiatives have been
implemented, for example lighting of the John Knox statue, there is an ongoing decay of this glorious
city landmark.
3.4 The Glasgow Necropolis Project
Proposals have been formulated to restore the magnificence of the Necropolis, increase accessibility,
provide educational and interpretative resources and recreate a safe and secure environment both for
local communities and for the city’s visitors.
Specific proposals include:-
• Restoration of all 3500 monuments
• Infrastructure repairs and improvements, including all pathways, walls, bridges, fences and gates,
and ensuring compatibility with the requirements of the DDA
• Creation of gateway entrance features
• Improvements to physical access and signage
• Provision of boulevards and streets throughout the site
• New build visitor centre with access to genealogical records
• Research and create a central archive with details of all burials and all monuments and features.
• Create new and innovative burial provision, e.g., columbarium
• Provision of enhanced security measures including feature lighting, CCTV, etc.
• Creation of a new city landmark feature, visible city wide, e.g. lighting feature
• Creation of access to educational, interpretative and ecological data including publications, tours
and site visits
• Creation of an online resource to allow access to records, publications, etc across the world
• Protection of the SINC, creating access and interpretation and encouraging greater use as an
educational resource
• Provide the infrastructure to support community events, including Arts, Theatre and Music events
• Emphasise the landmark nature of the location by providing viewing and interpretation from the
high points, which command views over the city
The estimated cost of the project is up to £25 million.
4.0 Big Lottery Fund themes and outcomes
The Big Lottery Fund supports projects that meet the following 3 Key Themes:-
Community Learning and Creating Opportunities
There is ample scope within the project to demonstrate this. Learning opportunities include
Environmental, Ecological, Religious, Architectural, Historical outcomes, etc.
Even simple mathematical concepts such as shape and scale are fully demonstrated in the Necropolis.
The project would afford the local community opportunities to learn about all these aspects in their own
environment. School Curriculum opportunities are numerous and varied and there is a clear link to the
wider, even worldwide, community learning agenda.
Opportunities for direct works and employment opportunities are discussed later.
Promoting Community Safety and Cohesion
As outlined, the project is intended to increase security and safety within the Necropolis. This will
enable communities to access and make use of this resource both as a place of learning and as a place
of relaxation and enjoyment.
4
Promoting Well Being
The revitalised Necropolis will encourage use as an outdoor recreational space. Tours and walks, which
would include a healthy walks dimension, will contribute to the health and well being of communities,
including local communities and visitors.
A place to visit with guided walking tours would assist in increasing both physical activity and
stimulating interest and understanding.
4.2 Key Outcomes
The Big Lottery Fund also sets out 4 Key Outcomes:-
Ensure people have better chances in life and are able to better access training and
development
Build stronger communities with more active citizens working together to tackle their problems
Be used to improve urban and rural environments which communities are better able to access
and enjoy
Bring about healthier and more active people and communities
The Necropolis Project clearly offers opportunities to deliver these outcomes by:-
• Providing training and development opportunities for skilled craftspeople in stone restoration.
Hand worked stone is a craft which is increasingly rare and the project could, for example,
provide training and/or demonstrations of such craft; development opportunities would also be
available through the provision of the educational resources described above. Work opportunities
obviously exist throughout the capital investment period in a variety of trades with the potential for
longer term employment in activities such as guiding and interpretation, research and genealogy,
etc.
• There are a number of communities who would benefit from the project, including local
communities with access to active recreations, the wider city community who could also be
attracted to participation in learning and exercise, and the worldwide community who would
benefit from access to the research and educational opportunities. These communities are all
represented within the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis, which currently has over 100 members.
• The project would also improve this unique environment and increase access opportunities and
enjoyment, providing additional appeal through a diverse and high quality landscape setting.
5.0 Living Landmark Aims
The Living Landmarks programme also sets out specific aims:-
Encourage partnership working and community engagement and participation
The Friends of group provides early evidence of local, national and international communities
engagement and participation in the project. This interest would undoubtedly grow with the
development of the project.
There is also ample opportunity for exploring partnership working with a number of agencies, including
the Council, Historic Scotland and other public bodies, and a range of trusts and charitable bodies.
Champion innovation and excellence in the design of the physical environment
The original design of the Necropolis in both architectural and botanical terms was both innovative and
excellent. Restoration to the original condition would meet this aim.
However, the project also offers opportunities for innovation and excellence in the design of the
landscape environment, creation of new burial opportunities (for example a new columbarium), creation
of a city landmark (for example a lighting feature visible city wide), interpretation mediums utilising state
of the art technology etc.
Encourage best practice in the design, construction and management of projects
Land Services has significant expertise in project management of strategic projects, particularly those
with a heritage aspect, for example Glasgow Green Renewal, the award winning Doulton Fountain and
the Kibble Palace Restoration.
5
6.0 Living Landmark priorities
The Living Landmark programme also sets out 7 priorities:-
Meet an identified need and have clearly defined benefits and outcomes
The need is identified both by the Council and by communities, including the Friends group.
Have strong stakeholder and partnership involvement and have developed strategically through
integrating and supporting local, regional and national strategies
Stakeholder and partnership involvement can be demonstrated through both the Council and the
Friends. Local strategies include the 2005 Strategic Review of Parks, with the accompanying
Implementation Plan and the current Archaeology Strategy.
Wider regional and national strategies can be identified which deal with greenspaces, health and
education.
Transform and revitalise communities and the physical environment
The post-implementation review of the Glasgow Green renewal project will provide evidence of the
transformation and revitalisation of communities which would be replicated by the Necropolis project.
Revitalisation of the physical environment is a keystone of the project.
Inspire both the general public and their communities through unparalleled community
involvement in planning and development and have the widest community support
In addition to providing opportunities to local communities, the Necropolis is undoubtedly a site of city
wide importance and is unequalled in the country. Restoration and improvement of the site, with new
and innovative visitor facilities would provide inspiration to a wider public. The width of community
support could extend well beyond the city with both ex-patriates and overseas visitors providing support
for the project.
There is ample opportunity to invite ‘unparalleled’ community involvement in planning.
Offer inspirational design solutions which respect and enhance the physical environment and
the community
This project would undoubtedly require to respect the physical environment, given the nature of the site
as a burial ground, but would seek to enhance it in inspirational ways. The site itself would become a
place of inspiration.
Promote sustainability through lasting improvements to the physical environment and quality of
life
The project would, of course, provide lasting improvements to the physical environment. The quality of
life improvements would include educational and learning opportunities and improvements to safety and
security of a major city asset.
Are committed to learning from past experience of projects and ongoing monitoring and
evaluation
Again, Land Services has significant project management experience. The post implementation review
of the Glasgow Green project will provide evidence of ‘learning from past experience’, and project
management structures include sound governance and financial management arrangements.
It should be noted that to be eligible for funding under the Living Landmarks programme, projects must
meet ALL of these priorities. The Necropolis project does so.
7.0 Whole Life Costs
It is recognised that, following a transformation of the Necropolis, there will be a requirement to find
additional revenue resources to ensure the project continues to provide a quality environment.
Additional revenue streams could arise through:-
• Columbarium internments
• Sale of burial plots
• Commercial activities – tours, sales, etc
• Genealogy centre trading activities
6
• Commercial returns from specialist training modules
Further financial support could be sought from the local business community, who have previously
expressed interest in such a development.
8. Recommendation
Committee is requested to approve the progression of the Necropolis project as the Council’s bid for
Living Landmarks Big Lottery Funding.
SERVICE IMPLICATIONS
Financial: Progression of a Stage 1 application can be undertaken from existing Resources.
Subject to Lottery Fund approval at a scheme value of £25m, Partnership funding of
25% would be required, and subject to other fundraising opportunities, the Council
commitment could be in the region of £5m. This would effectively commit a significant
proportion of two years future Parks Development Programme funding.
Legal: None.
Personnel: -
Service Plan: This project would be a key element of the Parks Development Programme,
contributing to the aims of the Best Value Review of Parks and Open Spaces.
ROBERT BOOTH
DIRECTOR OF LAND SERVICES
December 2005

Have to say I quite like the ruinous unkempt state of the present necropolis, but that can't continue and if this safeguards the site for the future then good news.

Got this quote from Los Angeles graphic designer Kyle Cooper,acclaimed as the most innovative and important designer of film titles since Saul Bass. I think it's pretty damn good.

"At sunrise one morning while visiting Glasgow, I saw what at first looked like a city on a hill. As I looked closer it was clear that it was a large cemetery in the center of the city. I walked for quite a while then found my way to the Necropolis. It may seem morbid to recommend a trip to a cemetery but this place was like no cemetery I could have imagined. The most beautiful typography and textures kept me walking around alone for hours. As I read each inscription on the massive antique monuments everyone seemed to suggest that life is amazing and short and that I best embrace it . It was an incredibly beautiful and life affirming morning , even though I was surrounded by Glasgow's City of the Dead".


This should be part of your submission crusty, it's great.

I have to agree with you Gleegie, there is something distinctly attractive, romantic even, about the ruinous state of the Necropolis. I for one would prefer the Conservation and consolodatin of the site rather than blanket restoration. I also think HS would agree ...now theres a turn up!

Lovely quote there Alan, there truly is something mystical about the Necropolis, which is all part of the attraction (it's not just a cemetary Chief ;) ). I'll show it to GCC and see what we can do, I'll certainly use it for something else too.

Cheers again all :)

good luck mate.

If I can help, I'd be only too happy.

I love this bridge :)

More images on the Glasgow Story website

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/index.php

The "Bridge of Sighs" was built in 1833 by James Hamilton, the son of the more famous architect David Hamilton. It was erected to cross the Molendinar Ravine from Cathedral Square to the new Necropolis, the "city of the dead," that was opened on the old Merchants' Park. The name "Bridge of Sighs" is sometimes said to derive from that of the Ponte dei Sospiri in Venice, which linked the criminal courts with the city's prisons. More likely it refers to the sadness of funeral processions crossing from the Cathedral to the Necropolis.

In 1877 the Molendinar Burn was culverted over and Wishart Street was built along the course of the ravine.

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/images/TGSA01118.jpg

That's some drawing you've done there mate... you'll give Russell a run for his money!

You wish! :)

I WISH is the word ..Chief. :)

Alan, that's very kind of you to offer! ...I may hold you to that ;)

Loveley image Mo... I still havn't got round to posting some, will do later :)

I was going to wait until the papers caught on... but seeing as GCC post thier minutes on thier website...

GCC's P&R committee have decided to go ahead with the the £30million Living Landmarks Lottery bid in January. Cross all your appendages for a month or so everyone... here's hoping! :)

Crusty, when do you think the Council will get an answer from the Lottery Fund? :okay:

Best of luck Crusty!

Cheers Gweilo... The Council will know in May 2006 if the application has been successfull and gotten through to the second stage. If the pplication does get to the second stage the Council has until January 2007 to prepare it's second stage application. Final decisions will be made in July 2007 with payment beginning the following month :) It's a long haul but well worth the effort!

Cheers, Crusty

Glasgow Necropolis

Some nice panorams of the Necropolis, Qt player and BB is a must :) enjoy.

http://www.billward.org/index.htm

http://www.billward.org/pages_nec/images/glwnec1_Layer-11.jpg

Any plans on the go for the rebuilding of the Necropolis crusty?

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5049633.html

Funding for project to light Necropolis at night

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/upload/060306nnecropolis_lg.jpg

GLASGOW'S Necropolis is to be lit up at night after a funding award.
Glasgow City Council and Friends of the Necropolis plan to illuminate two of the most famous monuments on the hillside graveyard.
The project has been granted £25,000 from a Scottish Executive budget to put cash back into communities where quarries once operated.
The council is providing another £50,000 from its own budget towards the overall £100,000 cost.
But a shortfall of £25,000 remains and project leaders are meeting to discuss additional ways to fund the scheme.
Cash allocated yesterday will help pay for a path to be built from just inside the entrance to the Monteith Mausoleum and John Knox Statue.
Ronnie Scott of Friends of the Necropolis said: "We are delighted that within nine months we have set up the group and successfully applied for funding.
"We will now sit down with council officials and look at how we get the extra funding or how to make the project work for the available funds."
Land to the north of the Necropolis was once a gravel quarry and an area beside Tennent's brewery to the south was also used as a quarry.
Environment minister Ross Finnie announced the cash as part of a £750,000 package.

06/03/06

Where did the ET get those figures? They're all over the place! Not much I can say at this stage Mo, might have something to tell you at the end of next week tho.

Cross everything ;)

Well next week came and went... I have a favour to ask you good folk...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/FoGN/streetworkshop_header.jpg

Chris Stewart Architects are carrying out a survey of visitors to, and those interested in the Glasgow Necropolis for a new feasibility study, which is commissioned by Glasgow City Council Land Services in consultation with Friends of Glasgow Necropolis. The feasibility will investigate issues such as accessibility, security and vandalism. However, we will also be looking at proposals for improvements and the possibility of a new visitors centre. We would like to hear your views.

A workshop is being held at various points around the Necropolis area this Saturday 8th April where you can get involved and donate your ideas. You will find the workshops at the following:

9 am Cathdral Square and the Bridge of Sighs
12pm Drygate Housing Estate
2pm Alexandra Parade near City Park

Alternatively, if you can't make it along to any of the workshops I have made a short survey form available for download. If you have a spare couple of minutes I'd be most grateful if you could complete the survey and return it to myself at secretary@glasgownecropolis.org

You can download the survey form >Here< (www.glasgownecropolis.org/assets/files/Necropolis_questionnaire.doc)

Many thanks in advance! Please feel free to pass it round to anyone else you think might be interested: the broader the views the better!

Cheers and best,

Pol/Crusty
www.glasgownecropolis.org

ET (http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5058613.html)


Necropolis to light up night sky

A HISTORIC Glasgow landmark is to be illuminated at night in a bid to drive out criminals from the area.

Trials of a new £160,000 state-of-the-art lighting system for the Necropolis are already under way.

Council chiefs want to encourage local residents to visit the Gothic graveyard both night and day.

The main gates are currently locked at night but it is still a haven for many underage drinkers and vandals.

However, there are plans for more events in the evening at the cemetery, which it is hoped will make it more accessible to local people.

Now Glasgow City Council and Friends of Glasgow Necropolis want to install a new lighting system.

And the public will get the chance to have their say at a Necropolis Hallowe'en event next week.

It's hoped to install lighting running from the entrance up the path to the top of the hill.

Dennistoun councillor Frank Docherty wants the historic graveyard - based on Paris's famous Pere Lachaise - to be much more accessible.

Councillor Docherty said: "The Necropolis is a kind of sleeping giant of history sitting right in the middle of Glasgow. People walk past it every day and don't realise the history that is on their doorstep.

"The ambient lighting system will go some way towards addressing that."

Jim McQuillan, parks and developments manager, added: "The lighting trials are ongoing and the Hallowe'en event is part of that. We don't want to cover the whole place in CCTV cameras because it would take away from the charm of the Necropolis.

"But there is no getting away from the fact that the cemetery does attract certain unwanted people at night because it's a dark, concealed area."

Nigel Willis, acting chairman of Friends of the Necropolis said: "We kickstarted this last year and it's going very well.

"We want to raise the profile of the Necropolis and encourage a more positive usage of what is a splendid historic setting."

A final decision on the lighting system must also be approved by Historic Scotland.

The Necropolis boasts 30 listed monuments. Two of the most famous on the hillside graveyard, the Monteith Mausoleum and John Knox Statue, were illuminated earlier this year, as the Evening Times revealed.

27/10/06

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/upload/271006nnecropolis_lg.jpg

:)

w6Ia_uzWjhY

Nice piece, Mo, but I can't help but be saddened by how many broken monuments there are and last time I was there, some of the minor paths were fairly overgrown. Would love to see some money available to give the place a discrete and respectful bit of TLC.

Aye definetely needs a big cash injection Gap74, place is in a sorry state like you say, such a treasure of architectural heritage there as well... dunno why the council wont look after it better and have more intiatives put in place.

Crusty Bint was trying to do something with the council a few years back dunno if it still on goin though.

Hope the council realise what they have and start to secure this place better...sad to see some of the statues bein topled off their pedestals, dunno what these idiots that vadalise these graveyards get out of doin something silly like that. :rant:

Thanks Chris for your post in the Public realm post re Necropolis which reminded we had a thread on the subject. :)


Craig and Mila have a chat among the dead at Glasgow Necropolis...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkrq4Dd1gt8

Dkrq4Dd1gt8

Mila :drool:

You really don't want to know what i'd be willing to do together with Mila. She'd need but ask...

You really don't want to know what i'd be willing to do together with Mila.

Everything?

and anything

You're a man* after my own heart :)

















Unless you're a woman? Oh gawd...

I loved Mila Kunis when I was a teenager and That 70s Show was on Channel 5. I'm genuinely pissed off that everyone is now raving about her 15 years later.

I loved Mila Kunis when I was a teenager and That 70s Show was on Channel 5. I'm genuinely pissed off that everyone is now raving about her 15 years later.

She was 14. It's one thing to be a hipster and boast about how you were into x, y or z before they were famous, but...

She was 14. It's one thing to be a hipster and boast about how you were into x, y or z before they were famous, but...

Yeah, and I was 15 :dance2:

13/00471/DC (https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=MJ55YHEX0FZ00) | Installation of replacement gate to mausoleum | The Necropolis Cathedral Square Glasgow

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k484/mori786/maus1_zpsb9a21ad6.jpg