Whilst Adrian and John were visiting the local churchyard to tend to a family burial plot, they noticed that some of the plots in the churchyard were in quite a poor state.

Some were overgrown with long grass, weeds and general litter, others had headstones covered in lichen and other deposits making it difficult to read, some were even entirely overgrown with bracken. This got them wondering as to who was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of these plots. After making enquiries to the cemetery operators, the local council and even the vicar, they discovered that none of those agencies were responsible for their upkeep and it is entirely down to the relatives to do so This led them to think that there were numerous reasons why the plots were unattended. It may be due to the physical inability of the relative, they might have moved away from the area or were simply emotionally unable to visit the plot, even though they would like to do so.

 

Another consideration was, that the head stones which are a physical memorial of remembering those who have passed, had fallen into such a condition. We felt that if the relatives saw them in that state it would cause distress and that they would want it restored back to a condition that reflected the love and loss that it was previously intended to do. This then was the motivation for starting up the Norfolk and Suffolk Grave Conservation Service.

From the outset, the whole ethos of the company was to be customer led. We would be the customer’s representative when they were unable to be so. The business is built on three core components. These are

Respect, for not only the client but also for those departed.

A tangible memorial left by those clients should be maintained to a standard wished by the relatives.

We will always try to do our very best to meet the client’s needs in a professional and empathic manner.