The Friends group had over 120 members in 2015-2016 and held committee meetings and work sessions throughout the year to maintain the Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries. They organized educational walks and events that attracted hundreds of people and helped raise awareness of the cemeteries. The group also contributed to research efforts, continued maintaining burial records online, and submitted a grant application to renovate historic civilian memorials in the cemeteries.

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ANNUAL REPORT for 2015-2016 TO THE AGM OF FRIENDS of BROCKLEY AND
LADYWELL CEMETERIES JUNE 2016
The Friends group was formed in July 2007, and at the end of March 2016 had a membership
of 128, up from 110 at the end of March 2014. The majority of members live in and around
South-east London, with others further afield.
The Friends group had six open committee meetings during the year, plus one General
meeting in addition to the AGM. The meetings were held in the Chapel in the Ladywell
Cemetery.
8 general “work sessions” have taken place, including two in conjunction with the Council’s
Nature Conservation Department’s Nature’s Gym. Work has mainly been removing sycamore
and ash growths, as well as Turkey Oak saplings, in both Cemeteries. One session dealing
with Japanese Knotweed was also undertaken by two members with the necessary
qualifications. Numbers attending have varied between 2 and 5, representing approx. 64
hours’ work over the year.
A series of walks were held throughout the year. A wildflower walk in April, led by Tom
Moulton and Peter Robinson attracted around 60 people, proving that the diverse Nature of
the Cemeteries is a draw.
The group also started working with The Big Ideas Company first with a Gallipoli-themed
walk around ANZAC Day, and another in a pilot project aimed at raising public awareness of
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials in the Cemeteries. Our contribution
has been acknowledged by the CWGC.
Walks were also held in conjunction with the Gallipoli Exhibition and the Deceased Online
launch. Three other history-themed walks were held, led by Mike Guilfoyle and Peter
Mealing. Our thanks to them and to Mick Martin for research and contributions to the ever-
expanding knowledge base. The annual Brockley Max tour, led by Jeff Hart, attracted a good
crowd. It is agreed that there is an “embarrassment of riches”, which the group enjoys
communicating to the wider public.
As part of the Brockley Max Arts Festival, the week-long arts event in May & June, as well as
the tour, the group also assisted in the mounting of a performance of “Brockley’s Buried
Treasures” produced by local theatre group Penny Dreadful, using professional actors and
local people, based on stories of people memorialised in the Cemeteries. The group’s Vice-
Chair, Mike Guilfoyle, gave invaluable assistance, helping the performance to be a
resounding success.
There were several notable events during the year including the celebration of the 8th
Anniversary of the Friends in July. A trio of members had visited the area around Arras in
France so a feature of the displays were photographs and maps of the trip. Photographs of
invertebrates and birds decorating the panels and walls added a colourful and informative
touch. As ever the refreshment table selling homemade cakes, tea and coffee, was a great
success. The plant stall raised some useful income, as did the walking sticks fashioned out of
ash and sycamore prunings by Bob Clark. A successful series of walks took place. It was
estimated that around 200 people attended. Names were gathered in support of the bid to the
Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to renovate the civilian war memorials.
We also hosted a Public Art Exhibition in the Chapel commemorating the Gallipoli landings.
Of particular note was the unveiling of a plaque to poet, soldier and painter David Jones, in
December 2015. Thanks are due to Mike Guilfoyle for negotiating with the occupants of the
house in Arabin Road, arranging the manufacture of the plaque with Lewisham Council Local
History staff, and liaising with the David Jones Society over the financing. The Mayor of
Lewisham, descendants of David Jones and members of the David Jones Society were among
the attendees.

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The Burial Records for all Lewisham Cemeteries have been scanned and transcribed by a
commercial company, Deceased Online. Although the Council retains ownership of the
records, some members expressed concern about the arrangement. Unrestricted access was
negotiated for four members of the group so the records could be used for historical research.
We held our sixth Remembrance Day event, laying wreaths at the Ladywell and Brockley war
memorials. Poppy crosses were placed at three relevant memorials in between. Up to 20
people including children attended the event.
Members have continued to work on identifying names on headstones which relate to the
Great War. Knowledge is gradually being built up in this area, with another trip to France
planned in 2016.
The group had stalls at a couple of events, helping to raise the profile of the group: at the
Friends of Nunhead Cemetery Open Day and the Hilly Fields Midsummer Fayre .
The group is represented on the Council’s Biodiversity Partnership, and supplies details of
work done and numbers attending for a national reporting scheme. Bird sightings are also
reported. Advice is also given to the group on biodiversity matters.
The Friends remained a member of the National Federation of Cemeteries’ Friends, and sent
delegates to the 2015 AGM in Leeds. The group will be represented at the 2016 AGM in
Newbury.
The group is also affiliated to Voluntary Action Lewisham, an umbrella organisation which
offers training and advice to voluntary groups and organisations.
The website and BlogSpot, managed by Patrick Napier, continues to be the group’s public
face, with articles and information regularly uploaded. It is also the channel for enquiries
from within the UK and abroad about friends and relatives buried in the Cemeteries.
According to the Google statistics, there were 7809 visits during the year, up from 6271 visits
last year. The majority of visits were, of course, from the UK, but there were quite a few
from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, as well as European countries. In the top ten
subjects were Margaret McMillan, Jane Clouson, Elizabeth Watkins and David Jones.
Research into the histories of individuals memorialised in the Cemeteries continues.
Members also keep a few graves “tidy” at the request of descendents unable to visit the
graves.
The bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure a grant to renovate the Hither Green/Sydenham
civilian memorial in the Ladywell Cemetery and the Deptford Civilian airship memorial was
completed and made. A decision had not been received by the end of March 2016. The
Ladywell Ward Assembly granted £3000 towards the project. More intensive work on the
location of the separate graves has thrown up some “interesting” anomalies.
Work continues on a publishing programme. Vice-chair Mike Guilfoyle is preparing a guide
to the Cemeteries, featuring 100 individuals. Mike also gave a talk in November to the South
London Local History Group entitled “Death Beneath the Waves”.
I would like to thank all members for their continued enthusiasm and support over the past
year, although more “willing hands” are always welcome.
The group would like to thank Alison Beck and Colin Burgess, the Council Officers
responsible for the Cemeteries, for their co-operation in the past year.
Thanks are also due to Nick Pond, of the Council’s Nature Conservation Department for his
advice and to Jess Kyle and Judith Simmons for arranging the Nature’s Gym work sessions.
Geoffrey Thurley
Chair

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