Next Saturday, 19 November, Dr Roger Bowdler will lead a lecture walk around the graves, starting at the Chapel of Rest at 12 noon. Don’t miss it. Friends of St George’s Gardens invite you to come along and join the walk.

Roger knows more than anyone about the graves in St George’s Gardens. He worked at English Heritage/Historic England for 28 years, ending up in charge of listing. He is now a Partner at the planning consultancy firm of Montagu Evans. His specialism is funerary architecture – tombs, churchyards, cemeteries and war memorials. He is currently writing a book on the British cemetery 1820-2020 with Brent Elliott (former RHS librarian and Victorian expert). The Friends have known Roger for many years and are delighted that he has agreed to do another lecture walk for us.

Also a date for your diary. There will be carols and mulled wine in the Gardens on Saturday 17 December, also at 12 noon. The wonderful Third Age Ukulele Band will accompany, just as they did last year. And we will have two fabulous singers from Songhaven to boost our voices. This year’s charity collection will be for the Trussell Trust which runs a network of foodbanks providing emergency food and support to people in crisis.