World cemetery experts head to Wirral for conference

Aug 27 2008 by Laura Jones, Birkenhead News

Flaybrick

DELEGATES representing cemeteries all over the world will be coming to Wirral next month.

Experts from Estonia, Sweden, Spain, France, Croatia, Poland, Austria and even Australia will arrive on September 17 for the European Cemeteries Conference.

The three-day event will see delegates discuss restoration, volunteering and vandalism.

Conference organiser John Moffat said: “The Friends of Flaybrick have been working on this for five years in partnership with the council and have overcome the setback of not getting funding from the Capital of Culture Company.

“We have put together a conference that will - for the first time - bring together the volunteers, councils, English Heritage and the Institute of Cemetery and Crematoria Managers.

“My hope is that the conference will bring lasting benefit to the UK cemetery voluntary sector.

“But if nothing else, it’s really something to have the bosses of Pere Lachaise and Highgate, two of the world’s most famous cemeteries, coming to Flaybrick.”

Daniel Pascal Herve, head of Paris cemeteries, shares Mr Moffat's enthusiasm.

He said: “We are very interested to attend as we want to develop voluntary work in the cemeteries of Paris.”

Delegates will be welcomed by the Bob Moon, Wirral Council’s cabinet member for Culture and Tourism and Professor John Tarn, president of the Friends of Flaybrick.

The conference will include visits to Birkenhead Priory, Birkenhead Park, the Anglican Cathedral and Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, where ground staff have worked hard to bring up to a good condition.

The conference is backed by the Association of Significant Cemeteries Europe, Wirral Council and the Wirral Society.