Grave consequences!

[Rewcastle]

Thats excellent stoney. Did you mention to him that your mothers father was a master stonemason?

Rewcastle

[stoney]

Thats excellent stoney. Did you mention to him that your mothers father was a master stonemason?

Rewcastle

...oh yes!

[stoney]

Further to my tale of woe concerning my parents' headstone, I'm pleased to say we have found a stonemason who appears to know what he is doing and has a real love for his work.

He can make the necessary adjustments to comply with regulations and will do some restoration as well, for less than we were being quoted elsewhere! 

As you can see from the date of today's posting, nearly 18 months has elapsed. The stone is STILL not sorted, despite many phone calls and visits to the stone mason! (He must be a VERY busy man!)

In desperation I searched the web for stonemasons in nearby towns who might be prepared to take on the necessary work.

I located one in Coventry - and here's a funny twist! It's owned by the same company that bought out my Grandad's stonemason business in Carlisle!

I'm awaiting a response - will let you know the progress! (but if it takes as long as the other bloke perhaps we ought to order OUR headstones, too, while we're at it!)


Do you think we might be able to get "mates-rates"?

[stoney]

Further to my tale of woe concerning my parents' headstone, I'm pleased to say we have found a stonemason who appears to know what he is doing and has a real love for his work.

He can make the necessary adjustments to comply with regulations and will do some restoration as well, for less than we were being quoted elsewhere! 

As you can see from the date of today's posting, nearly 18 months has elapsed. The stone is STILL not sorted, despite many phone calls and visits to the stone mason! (He must be a VERY busy man!)

In desperation I searched the web for stonemasons in nearby towns who might be prepared to take on the necessary work.

I located one in Coventry - and here's a funny twist! It's owned by the same company that bought out my Grandad's stonemason business in Carlisle!

I'm awaiting a response - will let you know the progress! (but if it takes as long as the other bloke perhaps we ought to order OUR headstones, too, while we're at it!)


Do you think we might be able to get "mates-rates"?

Well, we didn't get "mates rates" but our new headstone was fitted last week and it looks superb, I have to say! (see the "before" and "after" piccies)

I'm just pleased it's all done and, split three ways between me and my siblings, the cost hasn't been extortionate.

And here's another twist - one of the men in the yard at Coventry (where the work was done) had worked at the old branch in Carlisle which was started by my grandfather and his brother! 

Funny old world, isn't it!   

Stoney.


P.S. .....and now I hear that councils are being urged to stop doing "topple" tests on memorial stones partly because of a public backlash and also that the risk-factor had been grossly over-exagerrated in the first place! duh! 

[stoney]

Some say Death is the end.....

....apparently not, where my parents are concerned.

If you look back up this thread you'll see the saga concerning my parents' headstone.

The previous entry to this suggested it was all done and dusted.


Alas, not so!

When I went up to put flowers at the grave at the weekend, coinciding with my Mum's birthday and Father's Day, I noticed the stone looked out of kilter. Although, given a lot of the other stones are at angles it was hard to tell if it was just a visual thing.

But my sister went up this morning, armed with a spirit-level - and yes, it was toppling forwards again!

I dug out the paperwork from 18 months ago and contacted the masons. They said until someone has been out to inspect the stone they can't comment. however, if there is subsidence they can re-set it - but there will be a charge! How much, I've no idea.

It just goes on and on and on! If the council had left the blessed thing alone it would have been perfectly alright.

And what's to stop the stone tilting again in another 18 months?

I've told our kids to have me cremated and they can please themselves what they do with the ashes! Sad isn't it - to think I come from a line of stonemasons and I don't want a headstone when I die!

Grrrrr! 

[Trillium62]

How many people have been killed by gravestones? This really is carrying things too far. It's probably the same mob that piled up all the old gravestones into one heap at my former parish church! What an unsightly mess they made. There was quite some discussion about this problem on an earlier thread.

Regulations here in Ontario, Canada, require payment into a fund to maintain headstones in perpetuity.  This was done after a headstone fell on a child visiting a cemetery and killed her.  Apparently all members of the family were deceased, so there was no one to pay to fix the unstable headstone. 

On another note, I paid a visit to my great-grandparents yesterday, and was horrified to discover the headstone broken off its base and lying on the ground.  I've already made a phone call for a quote about having it cleaned, freshened up and uprighted.  They're buried on hilly ground, so I guess it was only a matter of time.

Carol

[stoney]

Yesterday, I found a message on the anserphone saying that the masons have been and readjusted the stone and there is to be no charge.

Mind you, I've yet to go and see for myself.....