Dear Friends, It’s more than two years I completed my 23-year work at Cross Bones Graveyard on 23 November 2019. In September 2020 we moved to Glastonbury where we serve The Goose in Her Mysterious Ways. As we’re no longer on the ground in south-east London, I’m not posting my regular updates on what’s happening. I’ll still post on here to promote what I hope to be a unifying vision of Cross Bones as a shrine and a garden of remembrance for sex workers and all outcasts, sharing photos and films from our years of collective work to manifest our beautiful garden. And share the good news of all the Friends who are working in their own ways to protect this little patch of Holy Ground.
The garden is managed by Bankside Open Spaces Trust who put out a monthly newsletter to supporters. You can subscribe to the newsletter on their Crossbones page: https://www.bost.org.uk/crossbones-graveyard. To find out about being a volunteer warden to help keep the garden open, for information about opening times and for other enquiries, please contact: hej@bost.org.uk
For anyone interested in some of the recent events at Cross Bones, here are edited selections from Hej’s December 2021 newsletter. (If you subscribe you can get more up-to-date information, see the photos and access the notes on the recent Crossbones Vision workshops.)
Dear Crossbones supporters
A very merry Yuletide to you all! Following on from Diwali’s Festival of Lights last month, we look to other religious festivals over this winter period which share the common theme of bringing light into dark places.Crossbones events
Donations from The Last Burials at Crossbones
Since the last bulletin, all profits from The Last Burials at Crossbones event were donated to the Outside Project, a total of £263. Lucy, BOST and The Outside Project would like to thank everyone who donated for your generosity!
Trans Day of Remembrance 20.11.21
We were delighted to host a remembrance event for Trans Day of Remembrance at Crossbones on Saturday 20th November with The Outside Project.
Many thanks to Jesse, Lu and volunteers from The Outside Project, who helped our gardening volunteers plant bulbs and Viburnum ‘December Dwarf’ on 19th November. They were planting on behalf of the Faculty of Reproductive and Sexual Healthcare, in remembrance of their friend and colleague Jane Hatfield.
Crossbones gardening
Thanks again to our wonderful team of volunteer gardeners who take care of the Graveyard every Friday 12-2pm, lead by Barney. If you’d like to volunteer your time as a Crossbones warden or gardener, please get in contact: hej@bost.org.uk.
Twelfth Night Sunday 9th January
The Lions part are pleased to be bringing Twelfth Night to Bankside on Sunday 9th January! Please visit their website for more details.
Crossbones Vision detailed design and construction workshops
We’ve hosted the first three of a series of workshops, in collaboration with U+I (who will one day be our new landlord) which will explore how we create our Vision for Crossbones, and help to ensure that contractors working on site do so with sensitivity.
Crossbones Vigil
Don’t forget that the Crossbones Vigil, held by Friends of Crossbones is on 23rd of every month at 7pm outside the gates on Redcross Way. See also: www.crossbones.org.uk.
Welcoming new wardens!Hello to our new wardens
Sarah and Duncan who have recently joined up. We can’t open the garden without our wonderful warden team. Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support and dedication! If you or your friends/family would like to become wardens, please contact me: hej@bost.org.uk.
Got an idea?As always, the best way to ‘weave Crossbones into the fabric of SE1’ is to get people involved on site. If you have an idea for an event, installation, tour, or other activity / initiative, I’d be delighted if you would get in contact with me via email, phone, WhatsApp, Signal etc. I’m back on 7th January). Let me know if you have a positive way of spreading the Crossbones story, and you’d like to speak to me in person. Best wishes Hej and the team at Bankside Open Spaces Trust
