Premature burial The fear of premature burial rose to a fever-pitch in 18th- and 19th-century Europe as a result of various scientific and spiritual circumstances.  The more doctors and scientists learned about death, the more they realized they did not (more…)

At Death Cafes we come together to chat about death in a relaxed, safe, social environment. The Bristol Death Cafe is currently being held online, on Zoom every month. For more information about how to sign up please visit their Facebook page Our objective is “To increase awareness of the reality of death, so we (more…)

Death has been a source of grief and uncertainty for humanity throughout history, but it has also been the inspiration for a plethora of fascinating customs. This talk with Dr Helen Frisby, author of the Shire book Traditions of Death and Burial, (more…)

A museum of people Cemeteries are truly museums of people, each with thousands of incredible stories many of which are rarely if ever explored. Sacha and Sheldon are two tour guides and LGBTQ+ historians, they have been working with Arnos Vale to explore the lives of 6 people buried in the cemetery who’s experiences will (more…)

Is it weird to acknowledge we will die? Why, in the 21st century, is it considered odd to be genuinely interested in death? Death is the one thing that is certain to happen to all of us (taxes having apparently become optional, whatever Benjamin Franklin thought) and many of our ancestors had no option but (more…)

What happened to the bodies? During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the population of Britain boomed, and thousands of people moved from the country to the city in search of work and a better life. Overcrowded and insanitary urban living conditions were the norm for most working people, creating breeding grounds for disease and accidents. (more…)