for now anyway!!!
Friday 8 January 2010
Big freeze puts burials on hold - Portsmouth News
Burials in Fareham have been cancelled this week because the ground is too hard to dig a grave.
Funerals at all 11 cemeteries run by Fareham Borough Council have been postponed because the ground has frozen solid in parts, including Roman Grove Cemetery in Portchester, pictured.
A review will be taken on Monday to see whether next week's burials will take place. Some cemeteries, like Anns Hill Cemetery in Gosport, were also shut yesterday because cemetery managers were worried about people slipping and hurting themselves on gravestones.
Most funeral directors have been unaffected as more families opt for cremations. But Coghlan funeral directors in Fareham have had to cancel two burials, one yesterday and one today, because of the freezing conditions.
Funeral director Geoff Collins said: 'We've had to cancel because the ground is so frozen you can't dig in the earth. We will rearrange but it's difficult because it's predicted the icy weather could last for a couple of weeks. We have to keep the bodies for longer but we're coping for the moment.
'But if the freezing weather carries on for much longer then it might become difficult.'
There are no burials in Havant this week.
Havant Borough Council will do a daily review to see if it's safe for next week's burials to go ahead.
In Gosport the next burial isn't until Wednesday. The borough council will make a decision next week whether funerals can safely take place.
Samantha Voller, who is in charge of cemeteries at Gosport council, said: 'Our graves for next week have already been dug so we don't have any issues with the hard ground.
'We're still taking bookings. But we'll make the decision next week about whether they can go ahead because if the weather is icy it may not be safe to carry coffins and for the families to walk on the frozen ground.
'We closed Anns Hill Cemetery yesterday because we didn't want people to slip and hurt themselves falling on gravestones or the hard ground.'
But burials in Portsmouth have defied the weather with two taking place yesterday.
Cemetery managers at Portsmouth City Council have also said upcoming burials will take place if it is safe to do so.
Portchester Crematorium has largely escaped the effects of the sub-zero weather.
Five funerals were cancelled on Wednesday because families struggled to reach the crematorium through the snow.
But they've all be rescheduled and funerals yesterday were not hindered by the icy roads.
So far there are no issues with storing bodies.
Hospital mortuaries have been unaffected as the majority of bodies for burial are kept at local undertakers.
But if the freezing weather continues and undertakers start to fill, then more bodies will have to be stored at mortuaries.
Meanwhile, youngsters are being warned not to walk on frozen ponds in Portsmouth after reports of kids skating on them.
The city council says the ice on Canoe Lake and Baffins Pond is not thick enough or safe to skate or play on.
A review will be taken on Monday to see whether next week's burials will take place. Some cemeteries, like Anns Hill Cemetery in Gosport, were also shut yesterday because cemetery managers were worried about people slipping and hurting themselves on gravestones.
Most funeral directors have been unaffected as more families opt for cremations. But Coghlan funeral directors in Fareham have had to cancel two burials, one yesterday and one today, because of the freezing conditions.
Funeral director Geoff Collins said: 'We've had to cancel because the ground is so frozen you can't dig in the earth. We will rearrange but it's difficult because it's predicted the icy weather could last for a couple of weeks. We have to keep the bodies for longer but we're coping for the moment.
'But if the freezing weather carries on for much longer then it might become difficult.'
There are no burials in Havant this week.
Havant Borough Council will do a daily review to see if it's safe for next week's burials to go ahead.
In Gosport the next burial isn't until Wednesday. The borough council will make a decision next week whether funerals can safely take place.
Samantha Voller, who is in charge of cemeteries at Gosport council, said: 'Our graves for next week have already been dug so we don't have any issues with the hard ground.
'We're still taking bookings. But we'll make the decision next week about whether they can go ahead because if the weather is icy it may not be safe to carry coffins and for the families to walk on the frozen ground.
'We closed Anns Hill Cemetery yesterday because we didn't want people to slip and hurt themselves falling on gravestones or the hard ground.'
But burials in Portsmouth have defied the weather with two taking place yesterday.
Cemetery managers at Portsmouth City Council have also said upcoming burials will take place if it is safe to do so.
Portchester Crematorium has largely escaped the effects of the sub-zero weather.
Five funerals were cancelled on Wednesday because families struggled to reach the crematorium through the snow.
But they've all be rescheduled and funerals yesterday were not hindered by the icy roads.
So far there are no issues with storing bodies.
Hospital mortuaries have been unaffected as the majority of bodies for burial are kept at local undertakers.
But if the freezing weather continues and undertakers start to fill, then more bodies will have to be stored at mortuaries.
Meanwhile, youngsters are being warned not to walk on frozen ponds in Portsmouth after reports of kids skating on them.
The city council says the ice on Canoe Lake and Baffins Pond is not thick enough or safe to skate or play on.
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