From Leytonstone to Warsaw and back, via the local graveyard

1:01pm Thursday 20th November 2008

Comments (3)   Have your say »

By Claire Hack »

Apparently, we could be stacking our dead one on top of the other in a matter of decades.

Too sickening to be true? Unfortunately not. According to a government report released last year, cemeteries in England and Wales will be full in about 30 years - and in Waltham Forest it's more like 15.

Subsequently, a pilot scheme is being launched next year whereby councils will be able to dig up abandoned graves, rebury the remains already in there a bit deeper and put new coffins on top.

This, dear blogfans (I think I can safely say there are at least two of you now), is the news I was greeted with after returning from holiday on Wednesday morning.

Ploughing through about 150 emails, I found this out through a google alert from the Times website (you can read the article here) and usefully enough, the council already had a statement prepared on the matter.

It's enough to send shivers up anyone's spine in my humble opinion but it seems there might not be much of a choice - there just isn't room to accommodate new graves in the cemeteries we've got.

There have also been two separate but equally violent attacks in Leytonstone in the last few weeks and it was my job to interview one of the victims.

The poor guy was innocently walking home one evening at the end of October and ended up being beaten over the head and robbed for his mobile, leaving him needing a metal plate in his face.

The aim of publishing the interview, of course, is to try and catch those responsible and encourage anyone with information to come forward, but from the sounds of things, people might be too scared.

On a slightly more upbeat note, I went to my very first West End show at the New London Theatre last night, after scoring free tickets in exchange for a review.

It was a production of new musical Imagine This, set in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, and while I've never seen so many luvvies in my life, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I took a friend along and was pleased to find out we were sitting were next to two of the production's investors - in other words, some of the best seats in the house.

It is nice to be a reporter sometimes.

The review should be in next week's paper with a bit of luck, so I shall refrain from giving away too much and leave you with the following consideration when going to the theatre:

Please, please, take your fellow audience members into account. Everyone is there to enjoy the show and it's very easy to spoil that by being inconsiderate.

Do not, therefore, wear heavy perfume or aftershave - it will only make the people next to you gag.