I might seem strange but there I was, with my daughter, and others, sipping mulled wine, eating pigs-in-blankets and mince pies – and lots of other goodies – in a chapel in the middle of Brookwood Cemetery.

Billed as a Christmas Mingle this ‘free community event’ was hosted by the various groups with an interest in the cemetery. 

This is the second time I have had food in the chapel, the previous time being after the service of remembrance for Arthur Melville the artist.

Brookwood Cemetery got into the national newspapers again: Father Alexis, of the Saint Edward Brotherhood sited within the cemetery, drew my attention to a headline in a recent issue of the Daily Express: “The beautiful UK village home to Britain’s largest cemetery with 235,000 graves.” Some village.

May we all have a peaceful, calm, prosperous and happy 2024.