There’s another great chance to wander the grounds of this glorious cemetery and to learn more about it’s history and beautiful buildings, with a free guided walk scheduled for this Saturday.
Extra-Mural Cemetery gate 116 Lewes Road at Vogue Gyratory.
Bank Holiday Monday. While most of Brighton was busy rioting away on the seafront we were peacefully ensconced up in the blissfully tranquil Woodvale cemetery and crematorium for an illustrated talk on Death and Mourning in the Victorian era.The venue was the Extra-Mural Gothic Chapel, built in the 1850’s and our speaker was the wonderfully informative Sarah Tobias.
Unlike today, death was very much a matter of fact part of every day life in Victorian England and with big families and high mortality rates, many people were often in constant mourning. Mourning itself was an intricate and symbolic affair filled with ritual and lasting for up to two years (Queen Victoria herself was in mourning for forty years). As such it spawned a whole industry dedicated to remembering the dead – including clothing, photos, jewellery, death masks and casts of limbs. The talk was illustrated with slides featuring all aspects of Victorian undertaking, including dress fashions, accessories and memento mori. For added atmosphere we were joined half way through by two mysterious figures kitted out for the occasion in full Victorian mourning dress.
We were told about some of the fascinating aspects of this part of Victorian life, as well as some of the more unsavoury – like the rise of the resurrectionists who made their living robbing graves to supply the medical industry (That dastardly duo Burke and Hare being a famous example) .Particular reference was also made to local history and Extra Mural cemetery itself. In the mid 19th century the dead were buried in local churchyards but disease and overcrowding led to the creation of large rural cemeteries. These new cemeteries, of which Brighton’s is one of the most beautiful, were called Necropolis – City of the Dead and were laid out as cities complete with avenues and streets.
We learnt about the two stages of mourning, and the etiquette involved in visiting the dead -including the importance of the Victorian death bed and why the use of narcotics was discouraged so as to keep the dying more lucid – in the hope their last dying words would contain something revealing and enlightening. Bodies could be laid out in the home parlour for up to 12 days (though this practice was frowned on for health reasons and 5 days deemed more sanitary) and during this time, straw would be strewn on the road outside to muffle the noise of the horses. The correct etiquette in dress was very important; though men need only worry about the correct width of hat band, women were required to be cloaked top to toe in dull black fabric for at least a year and a day, with nothing allowed to shine lest the souls of the departed catch their reflection and become confused.
This was a fascinating talk full of interesting and revealing insights into Victorian life. There is another date scheduled for this talk on 16th May. Coming up in July, Sarah will be conducting a guided walk through the Victorian part of the Extra Mural cemetery. This cemetery is a beautiful place steeped in history and the grounds are vast and enchanting – full of grand mausoleums, beautiful stone statues and some nice examples of 19th century Egyptian-style funerary monuments – all surrounded by ancient trees and wonderful wildlife. The Great Cemetery tour will be taking place on July 5th at 11am from the Bear Road entrance.
If you can’t wait tilll then there’s the Original Brighton Cemetery Tour Special taking place Surndays 10th, 17th and 24th May as part of the Fringe Festival. Starts at 1.30pm at Woodvale Lodge, off Lewes road.
For more information about what’s going on at a cemetery near you – click here.
As lovers of all things Mystic and Otherworldly here at thee Nook we wanted to try something a bit different this Easter, so on Good Friday we went on the Easter Path walk around Brighton. Organised by Beyond, the walk was a contemporary interpretation of the Easter message, loosely based on the Stations of the Cross, using a series of art installations set up in shop and church windows across Brighton.
Our first stop was outside the Brighthelm centre, where a digital photo montage was used to illustrate the betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. I think most of us can in some small way relate to that ‘lying awake all night completely alone and dreading the next day’ feeling – as the rest of the world sleeps on oblivious. Somewhere during this dark night it is said that Jesus was in such agony his sweat was as great drops of blood falling to the ground. I wonder what that must have felt like?
The photo montage itself started life in Glasgow during anti war demonstrations; Jesus is shown in the garden surrounded by modern images of authority while he considers the cup of suffering that lies before him. He is alone in his awareness of what is to come while Judas is represented as a dark shadow behind him.
‘Jesus is Condemned’ was the title for the next piece at Sydney Street Bikes in the lanes. The image displayed here was of a pair of waxen hands bound in rope and this shop was chosen specifically for the iron railings permanently guarding the shop window. Our guide, Martin, explained that the image of a God being bound and restrained by human hands is a very powerful one that shows us how cruel the human race can be and how much power we have. This got me thinking about Jesus as someone who had been judged to have broken the law and the way we punish crims in our own society.
We then made our way to Daves comic shop for the display called Jesus receives the Cross. This consisted of a cross made out of comics from a series called Final Crisis, featuring a force known as the God Killer. I don’t know much about this series myself but the location seemed a good one in as much many good comics feature similar themes involving redemption, death and resurrection.
Framework was the shop used for the next installation, Jesus Falls Three Times; a contrast to the invincibility of comic shop heroes, as we were once again reminded of the frailty of Jesus as he stumbles through tiredness. Still in the lanes we then made our way to Bell, Book and Candle for the next stop, called ‘Jesus meets his mother’. The exhibit in this window was a simple but thought provoking one, highlighting how it must have felt for both sides to meet in this way. I think most of us close to someone who has been bullied, mistreated or beaten up often feel terrible at what their loved one has endured and here we were left to wonder what his mother must have felt at seeing her son treated like this.
In all there were twelve stations on the walk and at each one we were given time and a chance to reflect on different events leading up to the crucifixion. The walk finished at Fishtail Neon, a wonderful place on the seafront dedicated to all things neon that creates, among other things, light installations from recycled fairground rides and displayed here were some fantastic multicoloured crosses celebrating the resurrection.
I thought this walk was a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the Easter message and what I liked best about it was the unscripted spontaneous feel that came with trying to ponder on Deep Stuff while surrounded by the hustle and bustle within the sights and sounds of a busy city. Scattered as they were across Brighton, tucked away in shop windows, each one of the displays brought a life of their own to the Easter story in a very open and accessible way.
For those unable to make the walk, all the exhibits from the Easter Path plus a few extras are being brought together to be exhibited at the Old Market on April 26th from 7pm, with bar open from 6.30pm. There will also be a visit from Siku, the artist who created The Manga Bible and he will be talking about his work.
Nestled atop of the car park overlooking the station, and trading (most) Sundays 6am -2pm, the Brighton car boot fair is a local institution and widely regarded as the best boot sale for miles. It’s a browser’s paradise, full to bursting with sellers and stalls, where one off private attic clearouts vie with market traders, antique dealers, book stalls, video, CD and DVD sellers.
From beautiful antiques and vintage clothes to glass parakeets and empty plastic bottles, you never know what you might find here and it’s this eclectic, mercurial mixture of the exotic and mundane that makes this bargain bazaar the perfect antidote to the bland, predictable homogeneity of high street shopping.
Apart from the fact nearly all our bookcases, and more than a few of our books, have been bought here, what I love most about the boot fair is the variety of stalls. Some are beautifully laid out and are works of art in themselves, while others look like they’ve just been thrown together, but are no less inviting for that.
However, this Sunday, our usual fun and frolics at the car boot has been tinged with sadness as, from Sunday 19th April, it will be moving to the multi storey car park in Brighton Marina. Apart from the fact the Marina has to be the ugliest, most soulless place imaginable, and nowhere near where we would want to spend our Sundays, the new opening times, which will be till 12pm and not 2pm, will make it difficult for us lazy bones to get all the way down there in time.
Nevertheless we wish it well – the traders have been messed around by engineering works for months now so maybe their new home will work out better for them, we hope so, but we will miss you!
Been taking it easy this weekend; just meandering around in the sun, enjoying the weather and local art. This stuff is from the Kensington St, North Laines area and is amazing….
This next one’s from Circus St….
We love the West Pier! Even in its current state of ancient, delapidated decrepitude it is a magnificent and magical structure. Last Sunday 21st February we were lucky enough to go on a free taster tour of the West Pier and seafront promenade, organised by the Brighton West Pier Trust.
It was a beautiful sunny day (for a change!) and our guide for the tour was Geoffrey Mead. The tour lasted about and hour and a half, during which we learnt about the architecture and stories behind Briton’s most famous pier and of seaside piers in general.
Construction on the West Pier commenced Easter Monday 1864 and was designed and engineered by Eugenius Birch. Looking across its rusted shell outlined against the ocean’s horizon, you can really appreciate the beautiful symmetry of the structure which is all the more remarkable when you learn all the pylons were placed by eye and put in by hand.
The main purpose of the Pier was to see and be seen and throughout the 1800’s and early 1900’s various structures were added to enhance this Victorian catwalk. As we made our way along the seafront to the Brighton Fishing museum, we learnt more about Brighton’s transient population and fishing heritage; a town that has evolved from a nocturnal culture built upon tidal patterns and worked by the moon, unlike its more heliocentric, agriculturally based neighbours.
The story behind the West Pier’s decline also provides a fascinating insight into changing fortunes of the British seaside and as we finished up in the Fishing Museum we were told more about the future plans for the Pier, including the i360 and restoration options. This still continues to be a contentious issue, and for another side of the story click here.
There was an opportunity to ask questions at the end and to find out more about the work of the West Pier Trust. Our guide’s enthusiasm and knowledge of Brighton’s geography and the Pier in particular really brought its history to life. This particular walk was a one off but from March 8th 2009 tours will be taking place every Sunday at 11am. Tickets will cost £5.
The last Sunday in January we went on an interesting and absorbing winter walk around Old Brighton, courtesy of the Brighton Archaeological society. The walk began on a wet (very wet!) Sunday afternoon outside St Nicholas Church on Dyke Road. This church is the oldest building in Brighton and its ancient cemetery provides the final resting place for a few of the city’s well known historical characters, including Phoebe Hessel and Martha Gunn.
From the St Nicholas we made our way to another churchyard, this time belonging to the Brighthelm centre on North Road, where we learnt that it was here, during a recent building works, where developers unearthed a vast underground set of catacombs, believed to be a mass burial site for cholera victims. We then continued down Church Street, a very lively and popular area of Brighton that was a haven for thieves, prostitutes and pick pockets in the 18th and 19th centuries. Pausing briefly at the corner of Jubilee St, the site of a lot of new development, we were told of the old stables and factory that used to belong here and how this was traditionally a farming area. This is hard to believe as you take in the surrounding ultra modern architecture, including the fantastic Jubilee library, but there are still traces of the past still visible, including an old farmhouse tucked away on Jubilee Street.
As we made our way to the Lanes and Brighton’s ‘Old Town’, pausing briefly to hear about the secret passages and underground tunnels in the Royal Pavilion, we learned of the archers who practiced the long bow nearby, of the rise and fall of the fishing industry and how the city’s fortunes were restored in the 1750’s by Dr Russell, who wrote a book extolling the virtues of bathing in sea water. We finished off by the Town Hall in Bartholomew Square, the site of a small chapel and priory dating back to 1100’s.
The walk lasted approximately 90 minutes during which our guide, John, was a mine of information on Brighton past and present. We would definitely recommend this walk to anyone who wants to learn more about local history and the Brighton and Hove archaeological society run a varied lecture programme of lectures and guided walks based on local history and sites of archaeological interest. More can be found about them on their web page:http://www.brightonarch.org.uk.