Dogs of Paddington Old Cemetery

Dogs of Paddington Old Cemetery Don’t Hound Our Hounds! We are a group of 100+ people fighting Brent Council's proposed ban on off-lead walking of dogs in Paddington Old Cemetery.

Brent Council recently announced it wants to ban dogs from being off-lead in Paddington Old Cemetery (POC). Queen’s Park...
18/11/2024

Brent Council recently announced it wants to ban dogs from being off-lead in Paddington Old Cemetery (POC). Queen’s Park doesn’t allow dogs off-lead, so the only local alternative for dog owners who want their dogs to have the freedom to run and play off-lead would be Tiverton Green (TG). Indeed Brent Council has been suggesting TG to us with enthusiasm. ⁣
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Over the next few posts, we’ll explore the various reasons why TG is NOT a suitable alternative to POC for dogs or their owners. ⁣
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𝟭) 𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟
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One of the most obvious reasons why TG is not a satisfactory alternative is its size. TG is exactly a quarter of the size of POC and is already visited by a large number of dogs every day. Because it’s nothing more than a field, during busy times it’s common for dogs there to get into fights. Dog experts do not recommend allowing a large number of dogs to run around together in a confined area. Tiverton Green is particularly dangerous for smaller dogs & those of a nervous disposition. ⁣
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POC is not just 4x the size of TG, it’s also made up of several different areas which mean dogs have much more freedom to run around and explore without finding themselves face to face with other dogs or indeed people. ⁣
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According to the all-day observational study DOPOC carried out on 5th November 2024, just under 300 dogs visit POC daily. Adding all of those dogs to the dogs who already visit TG would be a recipe for many more dog fights, injuries and possibly even worse. ⁣
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Many of us don't feel that our dogs are safe in TG and would therefore be obliged to use our cars to drive to Regent's Park, Hampstead Heath, Kensington Gardens or Gladstone Park This would take much more time, would mean paying for parking & creating an increased carbon footprint. Our survey on 5th November showed most people who take their dogs to POC do so on

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𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦!⁣
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With thanks to for help with content creation.⁣
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The Graves of Paddington Old Cemetery by Cordelia UysPeople who love visiting cemeteries are called Taphophiles, and the...
18/11/2024

The Graves of Paddington Old Cemetery by Cordelia Uys

People who love visiting cemeteries are called Taphophiles, and there are many of us. We enjoy reading the inscriptions on headstones, which sometimes provide a tantalising glimpse into the past.

The gravestones in Paddington Old Cemetery (POC) are in turn fascinating, moving and sometimes even comical. One grave provides a resting place for the two wives of a Victorian gentlemen, one of whom he describes as 'My favourite wife'.

It's strange to modern observers that Victorians often chose to put their address on their gravestone. One wonders what purpose that could have served? This inscription provides a moving example: 'Erected by a sorrowing mother and sisters in affectionate remembrance of Henry Thomas Proctor Shepard departed this life at 30 Beaufoy Terrace, Maida Vale, October 20, 1864, aged 29. The only son of his mother, and she was a widow.'

It is heartbreaking to see how many children died in infancy or early childhood. One of the mausoleums in POC has an inscription that reads 'In loving memory of darling little Gladys, born 28th April 1885’. Sadly it's impossible to read when Gladys died.

The oldest grave I’ve found so far belongs to Bosworth Jane Shellshear who ‘departed this life December 11th 1858, aged 6 months.’

The grave of ship's Captain William Curling RNR who died 11th May 1897, has an anchor carved into the headstone. POC is also the final resting place of several Generals, including Major General John Allen Wright of HM's Bengal Staff Corps, who died 1st March 1882, aged 58; and General William Robert Corfield of HM's Indian Army who died 30th November 1884 aged 30.

Some of the older headstones have clasped hands carved on them, which can mean a final farewell or an eternal bond between the living and the dead. Some of these graves must belong to Jewish people as they also carry the inscription 'Mizpah' which means watchtower in Hebrew and is loosely interpreted as ‘May God watch over you'.

One of the prettiest tombstones belongs to the Clarke family and is topped by a statue of an angel with a raised arm. On one side it has an embedded oval photo of a smiling Daisy Florence Clark, wearing a flapper-style hat, who died in January 1927 aged 37.

There's a handsome Celtic cross to commemorate the Australian-born faith healer James More Hickson who died in November 1933. According to the message on his gravestone, ‘he preached the gospel and healed the sick’ in an impressive number of places: North and South America, Canada, Bermuda, France, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Ceylon, India, Philippines, Japan, South Africa, Tasmania, New Zealand, Australia and China.

Reading about all these people who lived so many years ago adds a touch of history, melancholy and fascination to our daily dog walks in Paddington Old Cemetery.

Please support our campaign to prevent Brent Council from banning off-lead walking in POC. You can visit our website to see what you can do to help:

http://www.dogsofpoc.co.uk

DON'T HOUND OUR HOUNDS!


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Paddington Old Cemetery
London
NW67SD

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