Englischer Friedhof

I have a bee in my bonnet that will land me in trouble. Look out for this page vanishing almost as soon as it's been posted.

That foto is rather a good one, being of our new locum taking the Remembrance Day service with a German grave in the foreground.

There are *many* Germans buried in this Protestant cemetery - nowhere else for them - and George Psaila tends them all and keeps the graves tidy.

According to George, not once can he recall any sort of official visit by a representative of the German consular corps; nor, I gather, has anyone thanked or acknowledged his work.

I am intrigued by this and am of half a mind to pursue the matter further.

But herein lies a quandary: the German consulate is above a favourite restaurant overlooking the Liston. I pass it daily and could easily pop in and pop my question.

My nerve fails me because the current consul, Mr K Gisdakis, is a personal pal of someone I fear to offend.

So here I sit, cowardly lips buttoned for the nones.

Grave Commission. Still in cautious mode, let me write in my favourite currency, hearsay. As I stood there, head bowed, I couldn't help rankling at the desecrations around me of some of the grave placings.

I was there the day after it had been completed and walked with a George who could hardly stem the tears of rage.

Look at the noble simplicity of that cross, insulted by the crass cookie-cut 'foundation' of the graves beyond. All hearsay, remember, chaps. Hearsay.

According to GP, a delegation from the WG Commission arrived to inspect and shore up (or whatever they called it) certain graves. They were, apparently, unwilling to conduct their inspection on foot and made G open the gates for their vehicles to come thru. I saw the damage the vehicles had done, not just on the corner stonings but on the paths.

Lucky for us all I don't have photographic evidence or the Corfucian Irregulars would be executing a midnight raid on a certain office and firing off emails to certain WGC prefects.

I don't know: look at this rubbish. Talk about sore thumb out-stick. Does it look respectful to you? Any thought gone into it, think'st thou? Exactly.

I have asked George to alert me when next these types turn up and I will be there with camera and camerades to observe and 'discuss' their concept of tasteful grave-scaping.