Sunday September 9th 2012. Foster Hill Road. Cemetery National Heritage Open Day.
Sunday November 4th 2012. Foster Hill Road Chapel. Remembrance Service (Scottish soldiers)
Sunday December 2nd 2012. Foster Hill Road Chapel. Carol Concert by the John Bunyan Singers.
Sunday January 20th 2013. Open Day at Norse Road Crematorium. Tours and a talk.
Sunday March 17th 2013. AGM of the Friends followed by a talk by Kevin Varty.
Tuesday June 4th & Sunday June 9th 2013. Natural History Walk with Jon Bishop.
Saturday June 22nd 2013. Coach Trip to Norwich.
---------------------------FOR MORE DETAILS OF EVENTS..... SEE BELOW---------------------------
Sunday September 9th 2012. National Heritage Open Day at Foster Hill Road Cemetery.
The event will start at 2pm. There will be guided walks, both Heritage and Natural
History starting at the chapel at 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm. The cemetery records books
will be available for anyone to use to find particular graves, or just for general interest.
Added Attraction.
A display of vintage cars by the Chiltren Vehicle Preservation Club.
Sunday November 4th 2012. Remembrance Service.
This is especially for the Scottish soldiers who died in WW1 and is organised by the Scots Society of Bedford with the support of The Friends.
Assemble at 10.30am at the chapel, for a short service at the Cross of Remembrance.
All are welcome.
Sunday December 2nd 2012.
Carol Concert by the John Bunyan Singers.
Foster Hill Road Chapel at 2.30 pm. The chapel will be festively decorated, and after the concert seasonal refreshmnts will be avilable for all. There will be no charge for this event which is open to everyone, but a retiring collection will be taken in aid of Sue Ryder Hospice, Moggerhanger and the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Sunday 20th January 2013.
Open Day at Norse Road Crematorium.
There will be conducted 'behind the scenes' tours of the crematorium followed by a talk. We finish with the Annual Tea Party at which the Friends provide loads of homemade cakes and biscuits for all to enjoy (goody bags to take home !!) There is no charge for this event but donations are always welcome which will be given to a local charity. The tours start at 1pm and take about 30 mins (last tour 2.15 pm). The talk, which starts at 3pm, is by Father Denis McSwiney on "Burial Customs from the 1800’s". All are welcome.
Sunday March 17th 2013.
Annual General Meeting of the Friends and a Talk.
This will take place at the Chapel Foster Hill Road. The AGM starts at 2.15 pm and will be followed at 3 pm with a talk by Kevin Varty, that should be amusing and light heart, entitled "Victorian Mourning Etiquette". There will be refreshments available after the AGM and before the talk. This is a FREE event and all are welcome to attend.
Tuesday June 4th &
Sunday June 9th 2013.
Natural History Walk at the Foster Hill Road Cemetery.
Jon Bishop,who is a park ranger for the Bedford Borough Council, will be taking members and guests on natural history walks on each of the two days. Meet at the chapel in the Cemetery grounds for the walks to start at 2.30 pm on Tuesday June 4th and at 2.00 pm on Sunday June 9th. The walk will take about I hour and will finish at the capel where refreshments will be available (tea, coffee, juice and biscuits) This is a FREE event and all are welcome to attend.
Saturday June 22nd 2013.
Coach Trip to Norwich.
The coach trip this year will be to Norwich. Those who wish to can visit the Rosary Cemetery and there will be time for lunch and exploring the city. The Rosary Cemetery was one of the first non-religious cemeteries to be established in Britain. It is a fine wild site with many graves of famous people and a wide array of exotic tomb stones.
We shall leave Bedford at 9am prompt and leave Norwich at 4.30pm to return. We shall go direct to the City Centre and will collect a Blue badge guide who will stay with us for about 1 hour15 minutes. The guide will travel with us around the city and explain how it was built-up over the years and point out interesting features. Those who wish to go to the cemetery will stay in the coach and be taken there. The rest of the group will then be at liberty to do their own thing in the City. There is certainly plenty to occupy you. The Mustard Museum, the Castle Museum, the Cathedral, the fascinating old streets and churches, loads of shops and open spaces. It will be a difficult choice to make.
I would advise those who wish to go to the Rosary to take a picnic lunch as there will only be liquid refreshment available there. Those staying in Norwich will have a good choice of eating places. It is possible to walk from the Rosary to the city centre if you wish to divide your time between the two venues. An information sheet will be available on the coach listing the places of interest and also a town centre map.
Contact Margaret Carpenter 01234 360003 for more details or to book a place.