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Friday, 7 November 2008
7th November 2008
Mood:
 lyrical
Topic: New Monuments
As mentioned in my post on November 3rd, I went back to my local church yard with camera in hand to photograph the newly discovered monuments which have been hidden by dense vegetation for many years. Below are two of the three monuments discovered a few days ago: 
Spending some more time wandering around my wife and I discovered another three tombs which have recently been rediscovered. I can only conclude that the local Historic Society are on a mission and a very interesting one it is too. I'll post some photo's of the other discoveries soon! Take Care 
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 6:22 PM GMT
Updated: Friday, 7 November 2008 10:31 PM GMT
Thursday, 6 November 2008
6th November 2008
Mood:
 mischievious
Topic: Fame at Last
Last year a film crew spent time filming at West Norwood Cemetery for a TV documentary called "Dead Art". The filming also included the cemetery open day, and yes you've guessed it my mug appears in a couple of scenes. 
Sat right in the middle of the shot above, on the wall, is my family and I.
And here in the bottom left hand corner is yours truly having a little rest between taking pictures  If you would like to buy a copy of the DVD then the "Friends of West Norwood Cemetery" still have a few copies available for £8.50 each inc p&p. Details can be found on their website http://www.fownc.org/
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 11:29 PM GMT
Updated: Friday, 7 November 2008 9:10 AM GMT
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
4th November 2008
Mood:
 cheeky
Topic: How it begun!
To finish off from yesterday I will explain how Dark Destiny came to be. To start with the name or URL was acquired long before the site concept evolved. I'm not altogether sure why I brought it, I think it was at a time when I was buying domain names purely because they were available and I liked them. So I had a domain which sat idle for months until I read a report in my local newspaper. Before I carry on I should go back even further. Growing up, and still living, in a town which dates back to medieval times I have always found the many churchyards which surrounded me to hold a fascination. As a child I suppose it might of been the 400 year old gravestones with skull and crossbones on which marked the resting place of plague victims and the associated ghost legends. Then as a young adult I think it was the peace and tranquility which provided a brief rest-bite from the hectic daily round of work, married life and fatherhood. I still find such places tranquil and relaxing but now it's the history, symbolism, architecture and the combined beauty of both man-made stone art and mother nature which captures my interest. Back to the newspaper report. One of the most interesting graveyards in town had become victim to a Friday night drunken rampage. Multiple statues and more then a dozen headstones had been kicked over and smashed, most of the destroyed monuments were over 150 years old. This drunken act caused a small outcry among the locals and despite offers of rewards the offenders were never caught. It occurred to me that if the vandalism continued this way then in years to come there would be little if nothing left of the Victorian monuments and the memories they represent. I decided the only practical way of trying to preserve what was left was by photography. Cutting a long story short things kind of escalated as my interest in both photography and Victorian monuments grew. The thirst for bigger more significant memorials could only lead me in the direction of London and the "Magnificent Seven". Here's a few photo's taken in 2007 of the graveyard in question: 
Today my collection of photographs is massive. What is seen on Dark Destiny is only a tiny percentage of the photo's taken. On average each outing nets me around four to five hundred photo's which will hopefully one day provide a valuable record of the past.
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 1:59 PM GMT
Updated: Tuesday, 4 November 2008 10:55 PM GMT
Monday, 3 November 2008
3rd November 2008
Mood:
 lazy
Topic: New Monuments
I've not managed to get out too much lately apart from visits to hospitals and doctors, but on Saturday I had a wander around my local town center and a large church yard which resides there. It must be at least 3 months since I had a walk round there and it is in fact the churchyard which is responsible for the creation of Dark Destiny, I shall explain all that in a minute. Anyway while checking that all my favorite statues etc were still intact I came across three substantial monuments which were all unfamiliar. On closer inspection and a little head scratching later I recalled that previously there had been nothing more then a very dense bush at the location in question. The stone work on two of the monument was in pretty good condition considering their age and when I'm next going in that direction I shall take a camera so I can post a pic or two here. But the point I'm trying to make is that in this particular graveyard, which incidentally is over a thousand years old, there must be another ten to twenty large bushes which have grown up around headstones, tombs and statues and now conceals their very existence. I can't help but imagine just what long forgotten monumental gems lay hidden from view in thousands of graveyards all over the UK. I would love to get the shears out and see whats revealed, does anyone know the legalities of such a move? Time has beat me for the moment as the dinner requires my attention so I'll explain the fundamentals of how Dark Destiny was born and the connection to the above graveyard in another post very soon. Bye for now
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 5:02 PM GMT
Updated: Monday, 3 November 2008 6:03 PM GMT
Friday, 31 October 2008
31st October 2008
Mood:
 not sure
Topic: New Addition
 Received news today that my operation to remove the cancer from my bladder won't be until December. My consultant has tried every trick in the book to get things sorted quicker but there are just not enough available operating slots, even to pay private at over four thousand pounds will not get it done any quicker.
Thankfully he thinks it will make no difference to my long term health but when you have cancer which could be removed in a minor procedure lasting around 30 minutes it is very frustrating (and uncomfortable) having to wait so long.
Back to more cheerful things! To cheer my wife up and to take our minds off things we have a new addition to the family. Meet our new puppy "Hugo" or more appropriately "Hurricane Hugo". His fast, smelly, destructive, stubborn and far too clever for his own good but my wife loves him to bits.
Yesterday we updated the site with some photo's of Hanwell Cemetery which were taken back in May this year and coming soon will be photos of Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery.
Until then, be good.
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 11:45 AM BST
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
22nd October 2008
Mood:
 sad
Topic: Cancer
Life can throw things in your direction sometimes which really knock the crap out of you. I suppose writing this will help me come to terms and accept things a little more but it isn't easy.
Friday just gone I was informed that I have cancer. I have a tumour in my bladder which obviously needs to be removed in the next couple of weeks. My consultant is confident that the thing is superficial and once removed no further treatment will be required (there's always nagging doubts though) apart from regular scoping and scans to make sure all is well.
Despite changing attitudes towards cancer and the short time in which I have been diagnosed it's amazing how some people (thankfully not many) can still make you feel unclean, it's almost as if they think they might catch it from you. But at the same time I've also been overwhelmed with such sincere offers of support and love which has really restored my faith in human nature. Thank you so much to my family, friends and the amazing staff (Mr Lane, Helen, Denise to name a few) at Hertford County Hospital.
Anyway I have a wife and kids who mean the world to me so what more incentive do I need to make sure I'm around for years to come.
At present I won't be travelling about taking photo's but I still have a few updates in hand to keep things fresh for a month or two.
For the moment though, look after yourself and make the most of every day.
Best Wishes
Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 11:42 AM BST
Saturday, 9 August 2008
9th August 2008
Mood:
 accident prone
Topic: Putney Vale Cemetery
It's the half way point in the kids summer holiday and to celebrate I decided on a trip to Putney Vale Cemetery. This part of the year is my least favourite, a little sunshine and everyone seems to take leave of their senses. 
For example, I've never understood the concept of a garden barbeque. The hottest day of the year and it seems that half the population are busy producing salmonella burgers in a cloud of putrid smoke. Why on a blazing hot day do people insist on setting fire to a pile of charcoal, heating it until it's glowing red and then complaining that their too hot and "we need a good storm to clear the air".
Anyway as you can probably tell, since my last blog life has been a little challenging. My wife's Grandmother finally passed over after a long battle with cancer and we have spent countless hours at our local cancer clinic with my wife being subjected to every intrusive test known to mankind. 
Thankfully everything is going in our favour and I would like to thank all the dedicated Doctors and Nurses who do a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances (caused by the NHS and that twat Gordon Brown).
Taking a chance on the weather we got an early start and after one train two tubes and a half hour bus ride we arrived at Putney Vale Cemetery in South London. Within ten minutes of our arrival the light faded and the heavens opened forcing us to take shelter under a gazebo type structure adjacent to the Chapels/Crematorium. 
The morning followed the pattern of showers every 10 minutes or so and most of the photo's were taken from the shelter of two umbrellas kindly held by my wife and son.
The older area of Putney Vale Cemetery which is to the rear of the Chapels is home to some wonderful monuments and a lovely Egyptian style Mausoleum. The rest of the Cemetery is a little bland with modern style headstones set out in symmetrical rows. The only exceptions are the unusual (for the UK) above ground vaults which stand in blocks of five vaults wide by three high, and appear to be very under occupied. The other nice feature of the Cemetery is the walled memorial garden for the interment of cremains. With two impressive (albeit not functional at the time of our visit) water features and some well thought out planting this made for a very pleasant and tranquil area for reflection. 
I'll go into more detail when the photo's are uploaded but Putney Vale is home to it's fair share of famous persons including the "Carry On" actress Hattie Jacques and F1 driver James Hunt. I arrived armed with a list of names to look out for but unfortunately apart from one we failed to spot the graves or memorials of the remainder.
By 12.30pm we had pretty much finished and decided to catch the bus back to Putney Bridge tube station where we had planned to make our way to Covent Garden and the London Transport Museum. Thankfully our decision turned out to be a wise one as the clouds couldn't control themselves any longer and the rain lashed down for the next few hours. 
Unfortunately the Transport Museum turned out to be a disappointment and certainly not worth the £10 per adult admission. If you are interested in trains then the National Railway Museum in York is the place to go, and it's free. Next we headed back to South Kensington and had a wander around the Science Museum (which is also free) and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Before boarding the tube back to Kings Cross we took a walk down the road to have a look at the Royal Albert Hall. Considering the amount of time I've spent in London it's surprising that I can't ever remember seeing this impressive piece of Victorian Architecture. Unbeknown to me they hold regular tours of the hall and it's something I shall keep in mind for a future trip. Just across the road from the RAH is Hyde park and the amazing Albert Memorial which towered impressively into the gloomy London sky. 
By the end of the day luck appeared to be on our side. Within minutes of arriving at Kings Cross by tube the underground station was closed and swamped with police and fire-fighters. To the sound of the emergency alarms going off everywhere we tried hard to find out what was going on. The Police said "a small incident, nothing to worry about", station staff said "flooding on the Northern Line" and the announcer on the loud halo system said "due to extreme overcrowding the station is now closed". We never did get to the bottom of it, even back at home I could find no reference to the situation even on the TFL website.
Thankfully, despite the rain, the photo's didn't turn out too bad. Even so, I strongly suspect that it won't be far off Christmas by the time I get round to uploading them to the site. That also means another school holiday to contend with, wish me luck I still have three weeks of this one to deal with.
See you again soon!
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 11:24 AM BST
Updated: Monday, 3 November 2008 11:40 AM GMT
Saturday, 28 June 2008
28th June 2008
Mood:
 surprised
Topic: Brockley/Ladywell
It was a day of highs, lows and frustration. The morning round of tea, toast and nagging the kids to get ready was going well and to scheduled, but, I was just about to put my boots on to leave when the telephone rang. 
Unfortunately the call brought news of the sudden admission to hospital of my wife's Grandmother who has bravely been fighting cancer for the past 3 years. After my wife had finish talking we had long since missed our train and so we set off in a sombre mood to catch the next service to Finsbury Park.
Once there we took the tube to Victoria mainline station but arrived just seconds after the 10.43 service to Sevenoaks had departed. With half an hour to wait for the next train we watched the display board intently so we could pounce on the designated platform once it had been allocated. Thankfully we didn't have to travel all the way to Sevenoaks but only had to go as far as Crofton Park which took around twenty minutes of clanking through the maze of tracks which head into Southeast London. 
Upon arrival a right turn at the station exit and a short walk later we were greeted with the sight of the charmingly overgrown Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery. Up until 1948 these were two entirely different cemeteries which just happened to be next door to each other but when the local council took ownership they sensibly merged them into one.
The plan was simple, we would work our way through from the Brockley side and exit via the Ladywell gate and head back into town via Ladywell station to London Bridge. Unfortunately, as with most things that day it didn't quite go according to plan.
Within minutes of our arrival we were greeted by the tailless cemetery cat who accompanied us for around the first hour of our visit. I can only assume this friendly lady cat lived in one of the cemetery lodges as it's collar gave it's home address as Brockley Cemetery. We worked our way through the Brockley side and soon arrived at the Mortuary Chapel which was surrounded by some impressive but also bomb damaged monuments. That said, rumor has it that there are still two unexploded bombs nestling within the cemetery, so tread carefully should you ever visit.  Having found a bench my wife and kids decided to have a sit down and a drink as the sun was getting fairly hot. Not being one to sit still for long I decided to go and explore on my own which turned out to be a very time consuming mistake. Just to clarify, I'm very good at finding our destination (especially a cemetery where I seem to possess a sixth sense), but finding my way back has always been a problem, one which is safely dealt with by my wife's excellent sense of direction. Anyway, after 10 minutes or so I found a whole new section which we had somehow missed on our way through. I took some photo's and moved on where I found a new part still under construction, after a few photo's my phone rang which alerted me to the fact that I had already been gone around 45 minutes. Of course it was my wife asking where I was and how long was I gonna be? I told her I would be heading back shortly and that was my intension, but again fate intervened.
Now the next hour reminded me of the 1978 film "The Legacy" starring Roger Daltrey. The beginning of the film involves a couple who were lost in the English countryside, they drive around for hours trying different routes but always ending up at the gates of this spooky mansion. Well to put it bluntly, that was me! I walked around for what seemed like bloody hours taking different routes along narrow tracks with six foot high foliage each side but every ten minutes or so I ended up at the Brockley gates. It didn't matter what way I went I just couldn't find my way back. The sun was beating down on me, my legs were full of thorns and I just had to admit that I was lost.
Pausing for a moment I realised that I had two choices, I could wait for dusk and try to navigate by the stars or I could swallow my pride and ring my wife's mobile. Fearing I might not survive the desert heat until nightfall and I may well fall prey to vultures (see how the heat and solitude were getting to me) I opted to call my wife.
When she stopped laughing we arranged for me to stay put once I found the Brockley gates again and she and the kids would meet me there. By the time I had found the said gates again they were already waiting and I can assure you they made no attempt at protecting my feelings as for the rest of the afternoon I was subjected to constant jokes and jibes.
The time was now getting close to 3 'o clock so any hope of visiting another cemetery were abandoned. Instead we had a short walk along the South Bank near the London Eye and then headed to Camden Town for a relax by the canal.
As usual I'm not sure of when our next outing will be although I've already decided on the destination. During most of the summer holidays we have no trains at the weekends on our usual line into London but we do have the Great Eastern route into Liverpool Street to fall back on. But then again maybe I should save the train fare and buy myself a SatNav instead. Friends of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries - http://www.foblc.org.uk
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 10:19 AM BST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 5:42 PM GMT
Sunday, 1 June 2008
31st May 2008
Mood:
 silly
Topic: Hanwell Cemetery
It's been a very hectic few months of late, with the sudden death of my father-in-law last November, life has become even busier then usual. Photographic trips in and around London have had to take a bit of a back seat for the moment and with the rising cost of living and train fares (it now cost me £30 or $60ish each trip) I have decided not to attend any open days this year but instead I aim to visit other significant London Cemeteries to add to the Dark Destiny collection.
Recently I splashed out on a new SLR camera, I felt the need for a higher spec camera which would give me greater flexibility as well as more gadgets to play with. I've spent the last few weeks in some local church yards putting my new toy through it's paces. I was fairly happy with the initial results although I have a long way to go before using it becomes second nature. So planning our latest trip I decided to take my old camera as a psychological crutch just in case of new camera nerves. It meant extra baggage which is never a good thing but in the end everything turned out well and I'm reasonably pleased with the results.
What the new camera does mean, is that hi res versions of most future photo's may be made available to purchase for interested parties. I must admit, I'm not entirely sure that's an avenue I want to go down but it's something I may consider as a means of helping to expand DD nationally and possibly internationally, as has been discussed recently at Dark Destiny towers. 
Anyway, back to our latest outing which was well timed (not) to coincide with the now infamous Circle Line drinks party. To reach our destination we took a Heathrow Connect service from Paddington to the lovely old fashioned Hanwell Station in west London. This pleased my train mad son immensely as the through lines at Hanwell are heavily used to the point where there is barely five minutes between either high speed express services or the slow clanking freight trains which thunder through constantly. Just one thing (before I forget), if anyone should consider visiting this area make sure you don't attempt it on a Sunday as it would appear that no trains stop at Hanwell and you will most certainly end up at Heathrow airport instead.
Our targets for the day seem to have somewhat of an identity crisis as both Cemeteries on the Uxbridge Road have signs calling themselves Hanwell Cemetery. Looking on our street map the northern cemetery is named as Kensington & Chelsea and on the southern side of Uxbridge Road the cemetery is shown as Hanwell. But just to confuse things further the latter also has a nice plaque on the gate displaying the name "City of Westminster Cemetery", so for the purpose of DD we shall go with the names Kensington (northern) and Hanwell (southern).
Navigating our way along the Uxbridge Road my soul almost departed my body as a passing motorist gave us two short but unexpected honks on their horn. Upon checking my flies I discovered that everything was intact and the reason for the loud greeting remained a mystery. After regaining composure we got our bearings and decided to photograph the Kensington Cemetery first. 
The immediate thing that struck me upon entering under the Gothic stone arch is how well cared for the cemetery is. The further in we walked the more impressed I became. The centre of the cemetery is dominated by the chapel which in turn is surrounded by a fantastic selection of impressive statues and monuments. The whole chapel area has a feeling of time standing still, the only outside modern noise being that of the aforementioned railway. The whole time we were there we saw only one other person which makes this the most tranquil cemetery we have visited in a long time.
After pausing for refreshments we made our way back out to the Uxbridge road where we crossed over and found the entrance to the Hanwell Cemetery. The first thing that attracts one's attention is the large Arama mausoleum which towers over a small scattering of other less imposing mausolea and monuments. Yet again the cemetery is impressively cared for by the council and is indeed a true credit to them and their staff.
We spent a good couple of hours taking photo's and enjoying the peace before heading back to Hanwell station. Yet again while walking the Uxbridge Road we were tooted by another passing motorist, I always thought that we had a fairly inconspicuous presents but it seems I may have been wrong (again). Back at Waterloo we headed for South Kensington where we paid a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum and to round off the day we parked our bums on Finsbury Park station at 8.30pm in the hope of having a listen to the Bruce Springsteen concert that was taking place at the near by Emirates Stadium. We were a little disappointed as the wind was blowing in the wrong direction but we did manage to hear a few snippets of "I'm on fire" before boarding our train back to Dark Destiny towers. I'm not sure when our next trip will be but if you have any suggestions as to what cemetery we could visit next then please do let us know, the only requirement is that it has to be from the Victorian era as the modern cemetery has very little of monumental interest.
Over the next few months we have photographic updates from Mortlake, Paddington, Kensal Green, Great Amwell, Kensington and of coarse the lovely Hanwell, so check back soon, bye for now, Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:25 AM BST
Updated: Monday, 3 November 2008 12:41 AM GMT
Sunday, 23 March 2008
22nd March 2008
Mood:
not sure
Topic: Paddington Cemetery
 At 6am it was blowing a gale and lashing down with rain. After all my planning it looked as if we were going nowhere. But being an optimistic fellow I thought I'd leave it until 7 o'clock before making a decision, as with the British weather you never can tell.
Just gone seven the rain stopped and the sun emerged from behind the clouds. Considering this was most likely to be the best day over the Easter weekend we packed some food and drink and headed for the station. Everything was going well until after I'd purchased our tickets and we emerged onto the platform to be greeted by an intense blizzard.
The run into Kings Cross was a quite one and the further south we travelled the better the weather became. Jumping on a Victoria line tube train we changed at Oxford Circus for the Bakerloo Line to Waterloo. There we boarded an overground service to Mortlake.
Our first destination was to visit the unusual mausoleum of Sir Richard Burton which is located in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalen's. We followed my map and found our way to a lovely church with a very interesting graveyard. The only problem was that the Mausoleum of Sir Richard Burton was not there.
Not far away a lady was tending to some plants in a flower bed, so I swallowed my pride and asked her if she knew the whereabouts of Sir Burton. With a well controlled grin she informed us we had the wrong church and the one we were looking for was the other side of an adjacent school. Thanking her we followed her directions and within five minutes we arrived at the correct St Mary's and the sight of Sir Burtons Mausoleum. 
Sir Richard Burton was a Victorian explorer who harboured a fear of the dark. When he died his wife had the mausoleum built in the shape of a Bedouin tent and a large stained glass window was incorporated in the rear sloping roof to illuminate the inside. The stained glass window has long since been replaced with a clear plate glass one and some kind soul has had an access ladder installed for the morbidly curious to take a peek.
Taking cover during the intermittent hale and snow squalls we did manage a few photos of the mausoleum as well as some other interesting monuments before we retreated back to the station for our train back to Waterloo.
Once there we boarded a Jubilee line train to West Hampstead and then changed to the overground where we alighted at Brondesbury Park. A short walk later, and with no mistakes this time, we arrived at Paddington Old Cemetery.
The Cemetery far exceeded my expectations. Litter free, very little sign of vandalism and very well maintained, this was a refreshing place to visit after our last trip out to Woodgrange Park. We had only been there for around fifteen minutes when the mother of all blizzards erupted forcing us to almost abandon any hopes of photography and take shelter under a tree. 
Fortunately the snow stopped but the gale force winds didn't. We persevered for around an hour longer desperate for a few good shots but in the end the bitter winds forced us to retreat back to the station were we retraced our steps as far back as Bond Street. There we picked up the Central Line for Tottenham Court Road from which we seeked the shelter of the British Museum.
The next couple of hours was spent fighting the vast crowds at the museum, but at least it was warm. Having explored the Egyptian artefacts among which were some nice lead coffins it was soon made clear that the staff wanted to go home and it was time for everyone to move on. Back at Kings Cross we filled our bellies in our traditional manner before grabbing one of the few benches on the station so as my trainspotting son could take a few photo's.
Now picture this if you can! The time is about twenty past seven and my son discovers that at 21.37 a Grand Central express from Sunderland is due, and as you have by now guessed he is desperate to see this new spectacle. In my quest to keep everyone happy it cost me over £6.00 in Kings Cross Cornish Pasties to bribe my Wife and Daughter into hanging about so my son could satisfy his Grand Central lust. 
In the end everyone got what they wanted and eventually we got comfortable in the warmth of the 21.56 departure home. Unfortunately it didn't stay warm for long as someone on the way home decided to let an extremely toxic fart go. The guy in front of us turned round and sent an accusing look in my direction before opening the window to disperse the fumes. Had he thought about the laws of physics he would of concluded that the culprit had to be forward of his position (direction of travel) and the finger of suspicion was firmly pointing at the long haired guy reading a book and looking extremely flushed.
Anyway the photo's from this outing will be posted sometime soon, so until then keep warm and always remember innocent until proven guilty!
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:10 AM BST
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