Photo of the month
This summer has been perfect weather for slugs and snails, many of which live in the cemetery. Most of them seem to have migrated to the garden of The Lodge and have descimated our vegetable crops!
On Tuesday March 20th a group of 75 children, armed with sketch books, descended on Ryde Cemetery. They were from Years 3 and 4 of Dover Park Primary School and had come on a cross hunt and to look for the signs of spring.
This wonderful photograph is one of a number sent to us by Colin Caws in New Zealand and shows the King of Spain's visit to the IW Gun Club at Ashey on 17 August 1910.
The day bloomed bright and clear and Osborne House, the former home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, looked distinguished and grand in bright sunshine.
Despite the glorious early October weather the summer ("What Summer?" I hear you say) is drawing to a close and there are signs of autumn in the cemetery.
The six-spot burnet moth is brightly coloured and is active by day. As a result it is often mistaken for a butterfly. People generally think that moths only fly at night but in fact a number, including the six-spot burnet moth, fly by day.
Ryde Cemetery was established on ancient meadow land and has never been subjected to the use of pesticides or herbicides, so in the summer time when the grass is allowed to grow in the Old Parish Cemetery it fills up with beautiful old English meadow flowers.
It seems to be a great year for primroses and as always there are carpets of them throughout Ryde Cemetery.