A group of Westend residents start journey to find out more
about the lives of those buried at their local cemetery
Though we have already run two drop-ins, last Monday was officially the first weekly Stories of Stones activity session at Westend Library in Benwell.
STORIES OF THE STONES is an exciting new project about celebrating the history of St Johns and Westgate Hill Cemeteries in Benwell and Elswick and the lives of the people buried there.
The session saw local resident, volunteer and local history enthusiast – Ian help David to start tracing his family tree where he learned about his great grandparents.
Digital storyteller – Jullie Ballands ran a cyanotype workshop, getting the group to create blue photo prints using images and leaves that had been collected from St John’s Cemetery
Project poet -Donald Jenkins shared the poem he had written on behalf of Benwell raised resident – Carole about the exciting life her grandmother lived as possibly Newcastle’s first women ice cream driver and daring circus performer.
If you have any friends, family or ancestors buried at either St Johns and Westgate Hill Cemeteries or are interested in local history – get in touch. We are going to create a poetry book and develop this website to honour their memories, celebrate local history and nature.
We have a weekly drop in, cuppa, chat, research and arts activity session running on Monday afternoons 1-5pm @ Westend Library, Condercum Road NE49JH (opposite Lidl). Just drop in OR find out more info by dropping us an email: Julie Ballands julieballands@gmail.com or Donald Jenkins bornlippywordy@gmail.com
I think what you are doing is a great thing for the people of the area a lot of my family are buried there, my father Thomas William Welton was buried in 1971 in elswick cemetery he was 42 at the time of his death he was a long distance lorry driver.
I wish I was able to come to your session but I live in South Yorkshire, good luck to you all I will keep watching out for your follow ups.
Thankyou Sandra. Thanks for your kind message and letting me know me know about your dad.
I would be happy to chat with you on Zoom/phone call to see if there is a way to involve you in the project. Drop me -Don an email at bornlippywordy@gmail.com or reply to this message with your email and I will get in touch.
Thanks
Donald Jenkins