Chilling With London and Its Dead

Yesterday afternoon I thought I would go out for a wee wander around  my local neighbourhood and just walk and see where I ended up. Sunday is now a day of total rest for me, where I refrain from work, exercise and even blogging. I love Sundays.

I just followed my nose to see where it would take me. I tried to walk down streets that I had never ventured down before. After about 45 minutes or so of walking I stumbled upon Kensai Green Cemetery, which from the outside looked like it would be perfect for chilling out in, with Londons dead. It looked vast, it is in fact over 72 acres in size.

I find Graveyards wonderful places for escaping from the busyness and craziness of London. I couldn’t resist not entering into a place full of London’s dead to see what it was all about. I eventually found the entrance and ventured forth into an amazing labyrinth of gravestones, tombs, memorials and mausoleums in honour of the dead.

Kensai Green Cemetery is fairly old, it was opened in 1833 and it may not be the most famous graveyard in London,which is a good thing because there were very few people wandering around to spoil the calmness of this amazing place. For me chilling out with the dead is a perfect way to relax and clear my mind for moving forward in life. Bering surrounded by London and its dead is also a timely reminder that life is for the living and that we have to make the most of it while we are here.

I walked past  thousands of dead people, including Royalty, Generals, Dukes, artists, musicians, peasants, crooks I meant to say politicians, same thing I suppose and your average Joe all buried side by side. In death we all become equal and whether it is the simplest  wooden cross or the grandest mausoleum they represent the same thing, which is the ending of a life.

One thing that always reminds me that none of us know how long we have got in this great adventure known as life, is when I read a gravestone and see the ages of the dead people buried deep underground. You will find young children who’s lives had only just began, buried next to people who that had long and full life’s, that is something I will never understand.

A few people have said to me, that they  could never wander around a spooky graveyard by themselves, there is something not quite right about that. I personally don’t get what they are saying, they have lost me with their crazy way of thinking. For me personally there is no better place to go for a wee bit of piece and quiet. It is almost heavenly wandering around with London’s dead.

Kensai Green Cemetery is a place, which I found to be the perfect escape from life, it is most definitely a gem of place to visit. I would rather spend time chilling out in a atmospheric graveyard than one of London’s Royal parks, as much as I like them, they can sometimes get a wee bit too busy with the living.

To all those that grimace and break out in a cold sweat at the prospect of wandering around a graveyard don’t be afraid, the dead wont trouble you unless you trouble them. Dead London can sometimes be the most interesting place to be…….

Related posts:

1. Chilling Out In London’s Little Venice
2. The Black Lion Historic Kilburn Pub