State of Eastbourne cemetery is not respectful

I’ve got to add my thoughts and feelings to the Herald’s piece about the state of Ockynge Cemetery printed last week click here to read.

Colin Hudson, a huge thank you goes to you for calling the state of the cemetery diabolical and also James Woodgate in letters click here to read for saying that its disgraceful both descriptions are so very accurate.

I’ve several generations of my family graves there in the cemetery and go to visit to tend most months but this last month to say the least I didn’t know where to start.

I did the best I could trying not to step on other graves to get to my sister and parents’ graves with the long grass and felt in turn great anger and sadness that it is all in such an terrible mess.

There will be an accident with injuries before long and can only hope that there is someone else there with them to call for help.

In all honestly I understand the huge problem of climate change and also we must do all that we can to help save our planet but still don’t believe that any cemetery should have no maintenance but just left to wilderness . It’s not respectful to both the visitors nor the dead and respectful is a word that we should have all grown up with.

I’ve been told by a few that it’s beautiful there and I suppose that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I personally can not see any beauty just neglect , a damning disgrace and a way of saving money .

The wildlife has always been there with birds, butterflies and bees etc and that hasn’t changed over 60 odd years.

We have the Sussex Downs , the parks and many of us have left areas in our gardens to help the wildlife besides planting new plants to attract pollinators but do we really need to let Ockynge Cemetery get to this terrible state ?I thank the authorities for their suggestion that any family member can ask for a path to be cut to help them get to where they want. I will be in contact and we will see how that works.