The Friends group had its highest ever membership of 176 at the end of March 2022. Throughout the year, guided walks, talks, and events were held, including Remembrance Day ceremonies and Open House tours of the cemeteries. Research into the histories of those buried continued, with articles published online and in podcasts. However, engagement with Bereavement Services revealed concerns about maintenance and plans for future use of the chapel. The Chair's report thanked members for their support but announced it would be his last as he retires from leadership roles in the group.

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ANNUAL REPORT for 1st
APRIL 2021– 31st
MARCH 2022 TO THE AGM OF
FRIENDS of BROCKLEY AND LADYWELL CEMETERIES JUNE 2022
Following a year of being restricted by Covid, 2021 gradually got back to normal with meetings,
work sessions and guided walks taking place.
The Friends group was formed in July 2007, to promote, preserve & protect the cemeteries as well
as bringing to a wider public some of the wonderful stories resulting from ongoing research. At
the end of March 2022, the group had a membership of 176, the highest it has ever been. The
majority of members live in and around South-east London, with others further afield including
abroad.
The first committee meeting of the Friends’ year, in April was conducted via email and on the
phone. Subsequent meetings have been held “in person” in the Chapel, observing the restrictions
as they applied at the time.
We held our AGM in late July, the date being adjusted to comply with covid regulations, with
Vice-chair Mike Guilfoyle talking about his third guide in place of Tessa Boase who was unable
to attend to give her talk about her book and the founding of what was to become the RSPB. Ms
Boase has indicated she will be available for the 2022 AGM in June.
In March, we hosted Deborah Hedgecock, curator of the Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham, who
gave an illustrated talk on painter Beatrice Offor. Afterwards, committee member Julie Robinson
led a walk to the grave in Ladywell Cemetery.
Our 14th
Anniversary Open Day took place on Sunday 11th
July. Despite an electrical fault in the
Chapel, which meant hot drinks could not be served, takings were up overall on previous years. It
was a sterling effort by all those involved.
The group again took part in the Open House/Open City in September, running two short guided
walks. Booking of places was via the Open House website; around forty people attended.
We also attended the Nunhead Cemetery Open Day, which had been moved to September because
of the restrictions, and the Hilly Fields Fayre which took place in July. Both attracted new
members.
Guided walks and tours took place throughout the year led by Mike Guilfoyle and by Jeff Hart,
including a tour linked into the Brockley Max Festival.
The group once again facilitated events in the Chapel for the Quaggy Printmakers art group, in
May/June and in December. Regrettably, it appears that this co-operation will no longer happen.
We held our twelfth Remembrance Day event, which attracted an attendance of around twenty
people. The ceremony at the Cross of Sacrifice was followed by a walk to the Deptford memorial
via four points of relevant interest. A donation of £42 was made to the Royal British Legion for
the Remembrance Day wreaths and small wooden crosses. The group also donated £20 to the
project to waymark the Western Front as a walking and cycling route.
A total of eight work sessions have taken place. Work has mainly been removing sycamore and
Turkey Oak saplings, in both Cemeteries. Numbers attending the Sunday morning sessions have
varied between one and three, representing approx. 38 hours’ work over the year. Members also
took part in a Nature’s Gym organised session in February.
The two “welcome” signs for the entrances, of which we took delivery of early in 2021, were
installed. They make useful additions to the group’s noticeboards which are situated nearby. The
seat that had been awaiting re-installation by Bereavement Services for several years, after
members had prevented its theft, was installed by members of the group in its intended position
near the chapel.
The group applied for a grant from the Council’s Neighbourhood Construction Infrastructure Levy
fund for a range of projects including publications, benches and interpretation panels. As we were
granted only an eighth of the sum requested, the number of projects has had to be reduced.

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The Friends remained a member of the National Federation of Cemeteries’ Friends. However, the
Annual General Meeting in June was again cancelled, as was the annual Cemeteries Week in May.
The group engaged with Bereavement Services on several occasions. One concern is that the
Brockley Grove gate remains blocked with fencing and earth. It is understood that the obstructions
were to be removed as part of a training exercise, but this is yet to happen. It is recognised that
Bereavement Services is stretched in terms of staffing and funding, but the responses to our
concerns were not as prompt or as encouraging as we would have liked. The safety of the
electrical supply in the chapel was pursued, resulting in a replacement cable to one of the sockets
and the repair of the main switch enclosure. We are grateful that the Chapel is available for our
meetings, and for the use of a storage facility. Alison Beck, Bereavement Services Manager, left at
the end of January and Colin Burgess, Operations Manager, was appointed in her place. Colin has
told the group that he is thinking of a change of use for the Chapel, and has asked the group about
its use as a coffee “shop”. We have been told that the group will be kept updated about these
plans.
Research into the histories of individuals memorialised in the Cemeteries continues. Thanks are
due to Peter Mealing, Mike Guilfoyle and Mick Martin assisted by Phillip Barnes-Walden for
continuing to research the names and histories of the deceased in the two Cemeteries. This
includes the Princess Alice disaster and the primary school teacher Gertrude Middleton. Mike has
written three guides so far, with the fourth in preparation. He also contributes articles to the South
London Press on notable deceased. Mike has also voiced a series of podcasts for Tempest
Productions on a range of people in the Cemeteries. A promotional video of the Cemeteries and
Friends’ group has been made by one of our members, a professional video historian. This is now
on the website, under the ‘Links’ heading.
Local history posts have also been published on the Ladywell-Live website, an initiative of the
Ladywell Ward Assembly. These activities seek to raise the profile of the group, even if it doesn’t
translate into increased membership unfortunately.
Members continue to keep a few graves “tidy” at the request of descendants and others unable to
visit the graves, including that of Rorke’s Drift veteran Gunner Arthur Howard. The group is also
responsible for the planting on the Hither Green & Sydenham and Deptford civilian memorials.
The group is represented by the Chair 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 given to the group on biodiversity matters.
The BlogSpot, managed by Patrick Napier, continues to be the group’s public face, with articles
and information regularly uploaded. According to the Google statistics, there were 8730 visits
during the year down from 10,600 visits the previous year. Patrick warned that last year’s total
might have been affected by “bots”, possibly from China. There are some 300 “visits” of very
short duration this year too. The top subjects Jane Clouson, Beatrice Offer and Mary Ann Bevan.
Thanks are due to Patrick for the vital work of posting the many historical items and event notices.
Members have suggested that website, rather than a blogspot, would be better at coping with the
amount of information being uploaded. This remains a “suggestion” as no-one has volunteered to
tackle this task.
I would like to thank all members for their continued enthusiasm and support over the past year,
although more “willing hands” are always welcome.
This will be my last Annual Report as I am not seeking re-election either as Chair or as Secretary.
I have held various officer positions since just after the formation of the group, and feel that it is
time for me to step down.
Geoffrey Thurley
Chair