Norma Explores
Slowly discovering the hidden places and local tales of rural Britain in Norma, the campervan. Accompanied by Silver, a grim little bear who particularly loves dark history. Side-quest : The Jeevar Archive of East Anglian images from 1974 - 85
- New post on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/normaexp...
- Day 26 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'figure' Sadly, this headstone is so badly worn its impossible to make out who lies here. Only the figure remains standing proud of the surface... 📍Holy Trinity, Marham, Norfolk
- Day 25 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'graveside ornament' I wanted to share this wonderful thing I found earlier this year. Every war grave has been marked with a Tommy silhouette, even the ones without a headstone. It really highlighted just how many WW1 & WW2 casualties lay here ⬇️⬇️
- Day 24 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'unique animal'. Ive taken a bit of a liberty and chosen a reptile 🐢 But I couldn't not share this wonderful tortoise. 📍St John the Baptist, Aylmerton, Norfolk
- Day 23 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'cross' It was Christmas Eve when I visited the grave of Fanny Adams. It was also Christmas Eve in 1867 when her murderer was hanged for his crime. Her cross was decorated with tinsel and toys had been left for her. Cont ⬇️⬇️
- Day 22 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'landscape ' The tiny church of Kirkmaiden, perched on the cliffs on the South West cost of Scotland. Probably one of the prettiest places to be laid to rest 😍 I have shared below a short about one of the burials there ⬇️
- Day 21 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'bronze'. An unexpected find in a Somerset cemetery. The grave belongs to Lt Col John Marshall Field MBE. 📍East Coker cemetery, Somerset 📷⬇️
- Day 20 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'Wreath' This lovely fruity Wreath is up on the wall inside the parish church and remembers Edward Bunting Loynes - church warden for 54 years. 📍St Nicholas, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
- Day 19 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'Social Group'. I dont know anything about this grave marker, but I like it. 📍All Saints, Faringdon, Oxfordshire
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- Day 18 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'mistake' A smugglers headstone today to Robert Debney and William Cooper, who died in an unfortunate accident on 22 June 1778. The mistake is that the headstone notes the men as being 28 and 18 respectively, but parish records show Debney was 30. 🧵⬇️⬇️
- Day 17 #31DaysOfGraves is 'relocated' I've chosen a very old one today. Two Roman coffins, discovered in 1815, which now sit outside of the Norris Museum in St Ives (Huntingdonshire)
- Our Epitaph: East Anglia podcast relaunched today! Episode one available on Spotify, YouTube, Substack, and probably some places Ive never heard of! open.spotify.com/episode/5rGH...
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- Day 16 #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'obelisk' The plaque reads 'Sacred to the memory if Henry Nicholas Ground ME of East Howle Colliery. Who died 11th March 1881, aged 31. Erected as a tribute of respect to his memory by the workmen and friends.' 📍Found in St Lukes, Ferryhill, Co. Durham.
- Day 15 #31DaysOfGraves is 'damaged'. I've chosen this ceramic headstone, one of many in this style in the cemetery. It belongs to Pvt Joseph Gale of the Royal Sussex Regiment. He died in Eastbourne Hospital on March 30th 1916, aged just 24. A casualty of the Great War. 📍South Hetton, Co Durham
- Day 14 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'inside' Not an intentional interior viewing of this collapsed vault, photographed last year. 📍St Thomas a Becket, Ramsey, Huntingdonshire.
- Day 13 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'skeleton' Today, we are at the grave of George Hopper. The tomb has some fantastic carvings, but beware! It is said that if you see Death's scythe move, you will follow George to the other side! ☠️ 📍 St Mary's, Barnard Castle, County Durham.
- Day 12 #31DaysOfGraves is Notable Women. I'm sharing one of my favourite effigies.The reclining figure of Rose Claxton, who died in 1601, aged just 23. 📌 St George's Church, Rollesby ▪︎ Norfolk
- Its day 11 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is military. This was always going to be a difficult one. I primarily record military graves and have almost 10,000 photographed. Their stories are all worth telling, so I decided to select one for aesthetics. Cont.... ⬇️⬇️⬇️
- Y'know what I dont have pictures of? Urns, apparently. Its day 10 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is Urn. After going through about 7000 photos, I came to realise its something I dont photograph 🙈 So please enjoy possibly the only image I have that comes close ⚱️ 📍Cottenham Dissenters Cemetery
- Day 9 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'hand'. I've borrowed an image from my side-quest, The Jeevar Archive, today. The grave is that of Mary Richards. According to local legend she died at the altar, just moments after the wedding ring was placed on her hand as she was being married. 🧵⬇️
- Day 8 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'Glass' Here at St Nicholas' Church, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, the beautiful stained glass window is reflected in the memorial to a son of the town lost in the First World War. Alfred Gordon Calthrop 2nd Lt 11th Bttn Royal Fusiliers. KIA near Ypres.
- Dovecote Barnack, Huntingdonshire - I dont know exactly where this was or if it is still standing... so if anyone local can enlighten me, I'd be most grateful!! It worldvgave been photographed between 1974 and 1978, I think!
- Day 7 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'Angel' I've actually chosen three, all from 📍 All Saints, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Ive added a close up of the last one, as he's less than angelic looking these days....
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- Day 6 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'gender' I've left East Anglia today to bring you the joint grave of 'great friends' Mary Warren Taylor and Constance Applebee. The tablet to Constance is modest, but her contribution to women's sport certainly wasn't. ⬇️ Cont' below ⬇️
- One from The Jeevar Archive (Find us on IG!) St John the Baptist, Little Maplestead, Essex • March 1985 Originally a chapel of the Knights Hospitallers. Built around 1340 and largely rebuilt in the mid 1800s. Grade II* listed in 1962 GRID REF : TL 82248 33997 ringside.corrupted.stem
- Day 5 of #31DaysOfGraves and the prompt is 'bird' I've chosen this beautiful simple this creatures. It sits atop a heart shaped headstone (📷⬇️) belonging to a little girl. 12 year old Brenda Walden was tragically killed on 29th July 1963. I will share her story below. 📍St Mary's Church, Titchwell
- Day 4 of #31DaysOfGraves is 'languages', & I was reminded of these beautiful headstones in Duncombe Cemetery at Ferryhill, County Durham. I dont often photograph recent graves, but they stood out sitting side by side. Unfortunately, I dont know anything about the lady and gentleman they belong to
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