Dear Readers, it must have been about nine months since I was last in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery – certainly I haven’t been since I broke my leg at the beginning of July 24. So it was wonderful to be back on this cold, bright day, and I managed a couple of miles in spite of the freezing conditions. It reminded me of the pleasures of a slow amble on a frosty day (if you’re well wrapped up) – every leaf, every puddle, every headstone and every stone angel has its intricate details picked out in a way that you can’t see under any other circumstances. So here are a few of the highlights. I hope you enjoy them!

First up, look at the sunbeams through the trees, here in the woodland part of the cemetery. I imagine that the water vapour arising from the melting ice makes the sunlight visible.

Photo Credit – John Bolitho

Photo credit – John Bolitho

Then there is the way that the frost paints foliage and brings out the details of lichen.

And then there are the frozen puddles – a trip hazard for the unwary, but they remind me of the layers that you sometimes see in quartz. How do they form this way, I wonder? I shall have to have a muse, but let me know if you have any ideas. The last one reminds me of a seahorse 🙂

And finally there are the angels. The cemetery has some very fine examples of statuary, none better to my mind than some of the angelic host above the Victorian graves.

Oh, and finally, how about ‘the dog’? I’ve written about this handsome chap before – his owner was one William French, who had encouraged the dog to go swimming in Highgate Ponds when it clearly didn’t want to (French was apparently drunk, which may help to explain the circumstances). The dog appeared to get into trouble, and so French waded in, whereupon the dog rescued itself, and French disappeared and drowned in only four feet of water. Apparently, according to the policeman who was called to the scene, all of French’s friends were drunk too. The dog seems to have been the only one to come out of this sorry tale with his reputation intact, and indeed someone else seems to think so too – the dog is currently sporting a very attractive white ribbon, and has a mug at his feet with ‘Mr Silly’ emblazoned upon it.

You can read the whole sorry tale, and the tales of many other of the ‘London Dead’ on this wonderful blog. Highly recommended!

And so, I’ve returned home intact, without slipping or falling over, and things leg-related seem to be improving all the time. What a relief after last year! And next week I am seeing a foot and ankle specialist to see if we can work out why my feet are so numb, and why my ankles are so dodgy. I shall keep you posted!