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Date Posted: 12:10:49 05/25/11 Wed
Author: Orchid Lubber
Author Host/IP: cpc2-hawk1-0-0-cust806.aztw.cable.virginmedia.com / 82.32.99.39
Subject: Flower Power
In reply to: WJO 's message, "Good luck!" on 16:18:23 05/24/11 Tue

Well, there I was travelling down the motorway at about 110mph. I was returning from dear Mama's, so you understand the haste. I'd made ridiculously good time for a Friday and decided, after a bit of will I won't I, to stop off at Cheltenham for a bit to eat.

My trendy jeans had really lost their designer quality when I'd been forced into some dirty work at Mama's and the ripped look, looked just what it was really. My scrawny knee sticking out of these scruffy jeans. Well you know me, I'm used to looking rather out of place and it wasn't no posh nosh place either, so I just fronted up and sneered and made barely audible comments to myself if anyone looked my way!

Next stop was a quick trip up Prestbury way and see what is going on. This might seem a strange thing to say about a cemetery, but the last couple of years, usually something is happening at BJ's grave - like a massive amount of money being spent by someone on flowers and plants. Note the recent addition of the two rose bushes - hopefully you'll have seen the pix and know of what I talk!

The drive through the cemetery seemed just the same as usual. I go around the back of the chapel, before passing close by it, and pulling up adjacent to BJ's grave. But not this Friday my dear. The whole of the car park and every parking space was taken. There were cars pulled onto the grass wherever there was a spot. There was even cars pulled up the little walkway to Pamela's grave. I couldn't park anywhere close and ended up pulling in to a place near the entrance gates of the cemetery. Of course I had to find out what was happening, as more and more people arrived and were walking up on foot to the topmost part of the place.

OK. This really was the time to have thought out the trendy jeans thing a bit more closely. I did actually have a respectable pair in my grip. But no no, off went I to investigate. Blue jean baby with tee shirt to match.

Big mistake as I made my way around the narrow vehicle strewn roads of the cemetery till I finally turned the corner into the topmost burial section. Probably, I guess, anything up to a thousand folk were up there, with a procession of mourners gathering wreaths from a flat bed truck, and walking them through a guard of honour and into this mass of folk, obviously (even to my jean bedecked frame), standing round a grave. Of course they were generally dressed in black. (I've since found out that the funeral arrangement announcement stipulated dress to be black and white!)

I felt really uncomfortable. Not that I went anywhere near the grave, but suddenly, even for a casual visit to the cemetery, I felt disrespectful to be dressed in such a way. Of course I was still curious about this huge gathering which had 15 limo's in attendance. Those 10 seater models!! One of the limo drivers told me he thought it was the funeral of an Irish family who were widely travelled - as it were. (I had figured it must have been a former Mayor of the town at the very least.)

I walked back to my car as the folk just kept a comin, and by this time leaving the grave. Of course now I'm thinking these jeans have doubly cursed me, because these mourners are going to be having one helluva party, and me wants to be a part of that. This dude, Jim-boy (as I now know the deceased to be called), is going to get the send off he seems to so richly deserve, and I'm kinda thinking Jim was the kind of guy who really would have that, 'The more the merrier' attitude.

The limo's passed out of the cemetery gates and though I was sorely tempted to tag along, I refrained, grabbed my camera as the last car disappeared, and I walked back up to the now deserted site (except for a few other amazed cemetery attendee's), of Jim-boys grave. I no longer had shame for my attire. Just jaw dropping amazement of the scene in front of me. It doesn't take an expert on flowers to work out a small fortune must have been spent on tributes to this popular guy.

Well as you can see from the pic here; the floral display and tributes are second to none. Well perhaps royalty or world leaders. I know of course that Brian's funeral was probably the biggest ever funeral in Cheltenham, but I'm quite sure the floral tributes came no where near to matching what you see here.

So anyway, that is my trendy jeans story. It kind of struck a note with what you said you recently experienced at a funeral.

Hope no one feels offended by the picture. If so just say and I'll remove it.

Photobucket

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