Crazy church ruling

[joeluke]

http://www.dailymail....r-councils-order.html

Totally insensitive, headstone was correct size but had too many roses on it, and was too shiny!!!

Common sense should prevail in cases like this, people are allowed to 'adorn' graves with cuddly toys, tacky trinkets etc yet an ordinary headstone like this has to be removed


Not too sure about the sons demolishion of the headstone though, his late mother is lying beneath him and he's hammering her headstone to bits

[EvianBaby]

I read this yesterday and would be interested to hear the other side of the story.

[ummmm]

That's awful.

[Sqad]

joe......you are "on fire" today mate.....;-)

Does look a bit "garish" and "over the top" but I agree with you that "commonsense should prevail."

I bet mother couldn't care a toss.

[HowardKennitby]

Some of the comments on the article make the valid point that all graveyards have rules about size and type of stone etc. and all the local suppliers would know what these are.

[jno]

sounds like he came to a deal with the church and then broke it.

[ummmm]

Could you imagine having to do that though?

[hc4361]

I bet there are no tacky adornments in that church cemetry.
The rules are very clear, so why didn't he stick to the agreed headstone?
Three months from the burial date is very quick to erect a headstone.

I see it has been there since December. The news report gives the impression that the family was given just 24 hours to remove it. I suspect that the Church has been in communication with the family since December and the family has refused earlier requests to replace the headstone.

[hc4361]

He didn't have to smash the headstone. The stonemasons who erected it could have removed it sensitively; possibly ground the extra roses out and done something with the finish.

[ummmm]

I suppose. Still must have been heartbreaking.

[hc4361]

He had time to get the press involved to take photos, I see.

There is more to this story than meets the eye.

[Sqad]

hc......my thoughts entirely.

[rockyracoon]

It must be heart breaking for the family but them's the rules, if they let everyone break them and do as they liked then the place would be turned into a circus.

[ludwig]

The photographer was lucky to be there just at the moment when he decided to smash up the headstone.

[ummmm]

It's very emotive.

[WELSHYORKIE]

hc - we had my late wife's headstone in place within 3 months also. Apparently graves are constructed differently now that allow such a thing (according to our undertaker)

[joeluke]

Apparently headstone was correct size. The excess roses and the stone being too 'shiny' are pathetic antiquated C of E rules

Agree about him stage-managing this stunt for the press, he got maximum exposure about his plight by showing a total lack of respect to his late mother

As he owns a skip hire firm, I wonder if he had a mini skip dropped in the church car park ready to take the headstone rubble away?

I sympathise with him but he's just made himself look like a brainless thug with his actions. If he settles any business disagreements in the same manner his customers best watch out.

[jno]

what others have said...I imagine the reason for the rules is they don't want the cemetery filled with grandiose family tombs

http://www.taraandkar...ovialiste-com-ar1.jpg

or people competing to see who can get the most lavish gravestones.

http://s0.geograph.or...0/449013_527526fe.jpg

Whatever, it's their church, their rules. He could have looked for a cemetery with fewer restrictions. But he came to an agreement and then broke it, then he called the press in so the world could see him smashing his mother's tombstone. I can't summon up much sympathy for him. If jno jnr does the same thing to me, I shall be cross.

[joko]

if it was truly a garish monstrosity i would understand but a couple of extra roses and a sheen? ridiculous!

I agree that he should not have agreed to the rules then broken them, asuming that nothing would happen as itd be too late, but this ruling sounds a bit over the top -
i also think his reaction is over the top and for dramatic effect rather than because he had no choice - he wants to make a point and garner publicity - and hes done just that.
the matter should be publicised and addressed

[hc4361]

Pity he hasn't told the whole story.