Headstones For Liverpool Fans

As one of the most successful clubs in world football it is no surprise that headstones for Liverpool fans are so popular. You need not walk around any of the city’s cemeteries for long before seeing headstones marking the grave of someone who was clearly a Liverpool fan.

There are various options for Liverpool FC related headstones. If you wish the whole gravestone can be hand carved into the shape of the club crest, or alternatively a conventional headstone can be used with the club badge then etched or sandblasted onto it. The beauty of modern technological advances is that traditional hand crafted methods can exist side by side with new techniques. Sandstone, Portland stone and marble are easier to carve, while granite is ideal for etchings or sandblasting.

lfcheadstone

You may instead consider having the Liverpool FC crest printed onto a ceramic plaque which is then fixed to the headstone. These plaques are kiln finished and extremely durable against extreme weather conditions and vandalism. These plaques can also be added to existing memorials that are already fixed in the cemetery, so they can make ideal gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and so on.

If having the Liverpool FC crest is too indiscreet, then perhaps a simple inscription may be more suitable for you. There are many phrases associated with the club, You’ll Never Walk Alone especially, which can alternatively be abbreviated to Y.N.W.A. and added to the headstone inscription. 

One aspect of a Liverpool FC related headstone you need to consider is whether the colours of the club crest will match your choice of material. If you want an image etched in grayscale onto the headstone, then black granite is the most suitable. If you are looking at the etching being coloured, then consider what red goes best with; sandstone would arguably be better than grey granite for example.  

If your loved one was a Liverpool fan and you would like a headstone to reflect this, at Sarsfield Memorials we are sure to have something for you. We have over sixty years of experience of guiding customers on the right type of memorial for you and will be glad to assist. Please feel free to contact us for a discussion on how we can best meet your requirements and a free no obligation quote.

Bootle Cemetery

Bootle cemetery is one of four managed by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside. The land was purchased in 1909 , with the first interment at the 26 acre site taking pace in 1913.

bootle cemetery gates

Two years after the cemetery opened a  Gothic style chapel with capacity for 100 mourners was opened by the Mayor of Bootle, George Cassady. Initially the cemetery was intended for Church of England burials but as Ford cemetery in Litherland began to fill up Roman Catholic sections were also opened.

Bootle cemetery also has almost two hundred war graves identified by the Commonwealth & War Graves Commission. There are also communal graves that contain the remains of victims of the Blitz, many of whom were unidentified. One of these communal grave contains coffins that were re-interred from St Mary’s Churchyard, which was bombed during the Blitz.

Bootle Cemetery Blitz memorial (2)

The chapel closed in the 1980s and was used as a store for gardeners’ equipment, before being demolished in 2013 as it was uneconomical to repair. The site of the chapel is now marked by a memorial to the  victims of the Blitz. The demolition and subsequent memorials were part of a £500,000 facelift for the cemetery that also included improvements to the pathways and railings.

New graves can be purchased at Bootle cemetery and can accommodate up to four interments and six cremated remains. It is not possible though to purchase plots solely for the burial of cremated remains.

As with many local authorities, there are restrictions on the size of headstones at Bootle cemetery. Also kerb sets are not allowed, which isn’t the case at southern Sefton’s other cemetery in Thornton.  If you would like to erect a memorial at Bootle cemetery please contact us. Sarsfield Memorials will be happy to discuss your requirements, provide advice on their regulations and provide a free no obligation quote.

Thornton Garden of Rest

Thornton Garden of Rest, situated in Lydiate Lane, is one of four cemeteries managed by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council.

In 1936 the Crosby, Litherland and Waterloo Joint Burial Board purchased fourteen acres of land from the Earl of Sefton to meet the cemetery needs of those communities. There was opposition however from the West Lancashire Rural District Council and Thornton Parish Council. This led to public enquiries and it was not until  October 1938 that the Ministry of Health allowed work to begin.

The opening ceremony took place on 23rd July 1940, with the ground being consecrated by Dr A. A. David, the Bishop of Liverpool. Due to the Second World War, plans for the chapel and cemetery lodge were postponed and it was not until 1963 when one was built, along with a crematorium.

Photo by Rept0n1x

The cemetery contains the remains of forty one servicemen from the Second World War, nearly half of them in Section C which is near the main entrance. One of those buried here is  spitfire pilot John Fraser Drummond, who was just 21 years old when two allied aircraft collided over Sussex during the Battle of Britain. Although he managed to bale out his parachute failed to open and he died after impact. He was only the third internment at Thornton Garden of Rest, being buried on 15th October 1940 in Grave 3 of Section A.

During the war three German and three Italian servicemen were buried here, but they have since been reinterred in their respective national cemeteries in other areas of England.

Perhaps the most famous internment at Thornton Garden of Rest is another war veteran who went on to become a distinguished actor. Bill Dean served with the Royal Air Force in North Africa and Italy and enjoyed an acting career spanning thirty five years. He appeared in Z Cars, Juliet Bravo and Z Cars amongst others but is most famously remembered for playing the grumpy pensioner Harry Cross in Brookside. He died at the age of 78 in 2000.

Thornton Garden of Rest remains open for new internments. Grave plots can be purchased which accommodate up to four burials and six cremated remains. It is also possible to buy smaller plots that are exclusively for the burial of cremated remains.

There are restrictions on the size of headstones at Thornton Garden of Rest but unlike many other cemeteries, kerb sets are allowed. If you would like to erect a memorial at Thornton Garden of Rest  please contact us. Sarsfield Memorials will be happy to discuss your requirements, provide advice on their regulations and provide a free no obligation quote.  

Pet Memorials

Pets are not just animals that live with you, they are one of the family and it can be devastating when they pass away.

There are various options when your cat, dog, or a smaller animal dies. It is common for them to be buried in the garden, but this is not always practical if you live in a flat or terraced house, or the dog is of a larger breed. Vets can arrange cremation, but sometimes thiPet Memorialss is done communally alongside other animals and as such the ashes will not be returned to you. If your vet does ask you if they should arrange cremation, make sure you check that an individual option is available and that you can collect the ashes.

Another option is for you to have your much loved pet buried in a pet cemetery or cremated individually there. Pet cemeteries have been around for longer than you may think; the first in England opened in a corner of Hyde Park in 1881.  If you opt for cremation at a pet cemetery, the ashes can be buried or scattered there or alternatively returned to you.

If your pet or its cremated remains are buried in your garden or a pet cemetery, then you may wish to have a small headstone or other memorial to mark the grave. This can help overcome your grief and provide a fitting tribute to the times you enjoyed together.

Pet Memorials

Although pet memorials are much smaller in size, they are still made from natural sturdy materials. They require minimal maintenance,  can withstand extreme weather conditions and endure the test of time. Whether it be a small headstone, marker or plaque they can be engraved with a personal and lasting tribute message. Ceramic photographs can also be added and on the headstones it is possible to add an etching of your faithful companion.

At Sarsfield Memorials we offer a range of affordable ways to remember your pet. Please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your requirements and provide a free no obligation quote.  

Burials in Knowsley

The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley has two cemeteries, one being at Fox’s Bank Lane in Whiston and the other in Prescot off Manchester Road. Prescot however only accepts burials in existing family graves and anybody wishing to purchase a new plot must do so at Fox’s Bank Lane.

Fox’s Bank Lane, now commonly known as Knowsley cemetery, is relatively new having opened in 1996. Covering an area of twenty acres, it has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag, recognising it as one of the best green spaces in the country. There is currently no chapel, although the Whiston Initiative in Culture Heritage hope to raise funds to build one there using stone and glass saved from the former chapel at Whiston Hospital.knowsley cemeteries

Burial Plots can accommodate up to three coffins and four cremated remains caskets. The cemetery also has plots solely for cremated remains, capable of holding up to six caskets. There are however strict rules governing the size of headstones throughout the cemetery. They must measure no more than three feet three inches by two feet eight inches and must be fixed to the concrete plinths provided by the council, who must also approve proposed inscriptions.

There are a number of churchyards in Knowsley that allow burials although two of the biggest, St Chad’s in Kirkby and Huyton Parish Church, are no longer making new plots available. It is possible though to arrange a burial in existing graves that still have space or make changes to memorials. St Mary’s in Knowsley Village does have a burial ground on the other side of the road where new plots can be bought. It must be remembered though that these churchyards do have their own rules and regulations.

If you would like to discuss placing a headstone at a grave in Knowsley please contact us. At Sarsfield we will be happy to discuss your requirements and show you a selection of memorials that meet the council’s criteria. Knowsley council’s cemetery rules and regulations can be seen here but please do not be daunted by them as we will complete all the paperwork for you.

Monumental Masons Versus Local Authorities

Knowsley council in Merseyside have this week announced that they will be providing memorial packages themselves, something which arguably gives them a cost advantage as they do not have to charge VAT.  They are not the only local authority to do this but before making use of their cheaper service, there are other factors that the customer should consider.

There will almost certainly be much less of a choice when it comes to ordering headstones from a council. This won’t necessarily just apply to the size and design of the memorial, but also the material and lettering styles. Questions are also raised as to whether local councils would add lettering to existing gravestones and if the style and finish will be the same as the original. Also, is the work guaranteed for any length of time and to what standards will the memorial be fixed to the ground?

It is unlikely that local authorities will employ their own masons and in all probability the work will be contracted out. Whereas with a monumental mason you will have dedicated point of contact who has the expertise to guide you through the process, with councils you could find yourself liaising with the grounds person or general administration assistant in the office.

When you deal with a monumental mason you will be given regular progress on the update of the memorial and can see it taking shape in the workshop. The work will be carried out by skilled craftsmen and in Sarsfield’s case to BRAMM standard (British Register of accredited Memorial Masons). We can also offer guarantees and insurance in relation to our work and cut lettering to existing memorials in the original style, whether it be hand cut, machine cut or sandblasted.

Sarsfield has been a family business spanning three generations since the 1940s and if you contact us we can guarantee a bespoke, professional, friendly and caring service. You can have a say in the design of your memorial and will be personally dealt with by Ursula from initial enquiry to installation and aftercare. If you would like to speak to us please contact us here and we will be able to discuss your requirements and provide a free no obligation quote.

 

One Piece Foundations

One-piece foundations mean that all of the memorial and kerbset sit on a reinforced concrete foundation, making it easier to re-align it if there is any movement in the ground.
If you are having kerbsets fitted we would always advise you to have them fixed on a one piece foundation and check with the mason that they are doing this. Have a look around the cemetery and look at the memorials fitted on one-piece foundations compared to those that are not and you will see the difference in standards.
Some masons fix memorials and kerbsets onto flagstones, but this is unsatisfactory as movement in the ground can cause subsidence. The reason flagstones are not so suitable is that it can take a long time to level the ground, the flagstones and then cement and level the kerbs. If and when movement in the ground occurs it makes it difficult to level everything, meaning that fixing this way can cause the kerbs to crack in half. Any subsequent costs of putting the situation right, which involves removing the kerbset, levelling the ground and re-fixing it, are inevitably met by the customer.
In contrast headstones with kerbsets that have been sited on one-piece foundations are more professional in their appearance. At Sarsfield Memorials we supply quality one-piece foundations at no extra cost, as we have sourced a supplier that can supply them in concrete or terrazzo to us. This reduces the work for our masons, allowing us to pass on the savings to the customer.
 Arabic grave stoneOn installation, the base and kerbset are uplifted about two to three inches above ground level with a one inch overhang all around (see example in photo) This means that the memorial is less likely to be damaged when grass is being cut and strimmed. This is the standard recommended by BRAMM (The British Register of Accredited Monumental Masons), of which Sarsfield is a member.
When we install one-piece foundations at Sarsfield we leave the grave looking neat, clean and tidy, as you would expect from professionals. If movement in the ground should occur within the first two years of fixing the memorial, then we will realign it free of charge providing you have followed our initial guidance regarding maintenance. We believe the product we are offering is a quality product, fixed to a recognised standard and as we value our customers we like to offer the best quality products and service.
Please contact us if you would like more information about one-piece foundations and we will be happy to discuss your requirements and provide a free no obligation quote.

Memorial Payment Plans

When you have suffered a bereavement and already had to pay funeral expenses, finding the extra money for a headstone can be difficult. This can be even more of a problem if the death had been unforeseen, as a result of a sudden accident for example.

Even taking into account the six month period of ground settling after burial that is recommended before adding a headstone, you may still need more time. The headstone is a lasting tribute to your loved one, and you may regret it at a later date if you rush to pay for one that you can afford but it may not be your preferred choice

Sarsfield Memorials offer payment terms which allow you to choose your preferred headstone but pay for it at your own pace. We will then fit the headstone when the full balance has been paid, as long as it is within eighteen months of placing the order. We promise that the total price quoted at the beginning will remain the same for that period, with the exception of any Cemetery or Churchyard Fees which generally increase every twelve months.

There are no binding agreements with our payment plans, we simply take a deposit from you and you tell us a rough timescale for making repayments. You can be as flexible as you like with them, paying as much or little as you afford and we accept payment by cash, cheque, or BACS. There is no added interest, all we ask is that the balance is settled within eighteen months. You will then have a memorial that you is really fitting and an eternal tribute to your loved one.

If you are considering purchasing a headstone but have been worried about meeting the cost, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will do what we can to help you, as we understand that part of a families grieving is making the right personal choice for marking a loved ones resting place. We will be pleased to discuss your requirements and payment options, as well as offer a free no obligation quote.

Your Memorial – From Enquiry to Installation

If you choose Sarsfield Memorials for your loved one’s headstone you can be rest assured that you will be involved from beginning to end. We will take you through every step of the process to ensure we meet what you tell us your needs are, not what we think they are.

When youOgee approach us we will ask if your loved one has been buried or cremated and in which cemetery. We can then advise on cemetery regulations in respect of size restrictions and if kerb sets are allowed. If you are in a 30 mile radius of us, we can visit you at home, while if you are arranging a memorial from a distance then we can communicate with you by phone, email or letter, whichever you prefer.

During the initial discussions we will ask if the deceased had any specific wishes for their headstone. This allows us to talk through the pros and cons of materials and styles of lettering and also show samples to you. We will usually be able to give you a written quotation within forty eight hours, although this may be longer if the gravestone is to be custom made. This quote will be honoured unless you ask for additional work at a later date and we ask for 50% of the cost before work starts and the balance on completion, we also offer payment plans, please contact us for further information.

Once the order has been agreed we will give you an estimated timescale for how long it will be before the headstone is installed. This depends on how the ground has settled since the burial, what materials need to be obtained and our own manufacturing workload. Generally though a standard design can be complete within six weeks of your order, with a bespoke one taking three to four months. You will be given a layout of how the completed memorial will look before work starts so it can be signedTraveler Digital Camera off and approved by both parties.

When the work is complete and your gravestone is fixed on the grave in the cemetery, you have a lasting tribute to your loved one. At Sarsfield Memorials we pride ourselves in providing a personal service tailored to suit your needs. We want to be part of a process during which we hope you can find comfort once the grave is marked with the memorial of your choice. If you would like to discuss headstone options please contact us here and we will be happy to give you a free no obligation quote.

Memorials For Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a time of year when you may be thinking of updating the headstone of your mum’s grave. It may be that you want to add an inscription or verse to an existing gravestone or get a new memorial, either replacing what is currently there or erecting one at a new grave.

Common inscriptions on headstones are much dearly beloved mother of and a devoted wife and mother. You may wish to add a bit more with a verse. Below is an example of a verse that can be added to mother’s gravestone, while further samples can be viewed here

Your smile has gone forever
And your hand we cannot touch,
We have so many memories
Of you, Mum, we love so much.

It may be that you wish to come up with your own verse for your mother’s memorial, just be aware that the more words there are, the smaller the lettering is and they may be harder to read. The style is important too, as some fonts have to be cut deeper into the headstone and will differ in final appearance depending on the material. If you contact us we will be able to discuss the options for you depending on the material of your existing headstone or a new one that you may choose.

white marble gravestone looking as good as new after 50 years

Whether it be adding to new headstones, existing ones or replicating the original lettering, inscriptions can be added to gravestones in lead, enamel or gold-leaf. The style can be raised lead lettering, cut and leaded, v-cut, incised or sand blasted. We use traditional hand cut techniques using a hammer and chisel, but also sandblasting and the ultra modern CNC (Computer Numerical Control) method.

If you are thinking of adding or replacing a headstone at a grave, do bear in mind that if your mother is recently departed, then there is a period of around six months where the ground is allowed to settle before it can be installed. If she is being laid to rest in a family plot the existing gravestone needs to be removed and either a new one placed there or an inscription added to the existing one.

In either case, the ground again needs the time to re-settle. It is not advisable to simply leave the headstone lying flat on the ground as this makes it prone to weathering and resultant damaged lettering, or even worse accidental damage or mindless vandalism.  At Sarsfield Memorials though we will store your memorial for you free of charge in optimum conditions until the ground is ready for it to be re-installed.

If you have an enquiry regarding a headstone for a new grave, replacing an existing one or adding an inscription, please contact us and we will be happy to provide a free no obligation quote.