Latest news with #Annette
Glasgow Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Necropolis heroes' stories that shaped city
Annette Mullen, chair of The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis, sets off on the small group tour on a soggy summer's day. She's no stranger to braving the elements for her love of the place. She proudly shares that she's done tours in all weather, rain, hail, sleet, snow, sunshine - she's faced the lot. You feel her passion for the Necropolis drip from every word as she rushes from mausoleum to monument, sharing tales of times gone by. The place is steeped in stories, nearly 52,000 to be precise, and Annette gave the Glasgow Times the inside story of the lesser-known graves. They include the monument to the man behind one of Glasgow's favourite nursery rhymes, the 'Queen of the Gypsies' and other 'heroes of the city'. Annette Mullen shared Glasgow Necropolis heroes' stories that shaped city (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) READ MORE: Glasgow charity The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis celebrates 20th anniversary Annette, 62, who took over the helm of the charity in March from Ruth Johnston, who'd been chair for 14 years, said: "They're not just a bit of stone. These were people. Every single stone in this cemetery has a story. "Some people might not have the big mausoleums, but they're as important as any of the rest of them in here." Read on for Annette's guide to the must-see sights of the graveyard: Stone of Remembrance for Stillborn Children Stone of Remembrance for Stillborn Children (Image: Robert Perry) The first stone you come to in the Necropolis is for stillborn Children. "This stone was only raised in 1999. "This stone is in remembrance of stillborn children. Stillborn and near birth". "As you can see, it is very well loved". "This is where people who have suffered the heartache of a baby born of hope will come and remember. "It's important to stop and remember always". William Miller - Wee Willy Winkie writer William Miller's monument in the Glasgow Necropolis (Image: Robert Perry) "William Miller is the man regarded as the laureate of the nursery. "He's the man who gave the world that nursery rhyme of Wee Willy Winkie - the story of the Glasgow lamp lighter, or a leerie as they were called in Glasgow. "William Miller lived and worked in Ark Lane, which is just at the corner of the Glasgow Necropolis. He actually dies poor. "He's buried in the family plot in the east end of Glasgow, Corbett Street Cemetery. "No stone, no marker. This man was regarded, as I say, as the laureate of the nursery. He poetry was his passion. But poetry didn't pay. "He was a cabinet maker and wood turner by profession. But his passion is poetry and he gives the world the story of the Glasgow lamp lighter. "Wee Willy Winkie runs through the town upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown, chapping at the windows, crying at the locks. Are all the children in their beds because... "It's past 8:00? That's what I got. "10:00 is what the original is. "Take it up with your mammy if you don't like it." READ MORE:Council hits back over fears Thistle Centre has increased dumped needles Nurses of the Royal Infirmary Gravestone for Glasgow Royal Infirmary nurses (Image: Robert Perry) "We are very honoured that one of the projects we took charge of was the conservation of three of the headstones in the Glasgow Necropolis, which are where the nurses of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary are buried. "The nurses who gave their lives for this city here. "Some of the nurses we have died because they contracted infectious diseases. "They gave their lives, dedicating their life to the people of Glasgow. These are the heroes of the cemetery." READ MORE:Loads of new homes to be built on site of destroyed Glasgow tower blocks Corinda Lee, Queen of the Gypsies Corinda Lee, Queen of the Gypsies (Image: Robert Perry) "Corinda Lee comes from a really important family. The Lees still exist in the world of gypsydom today. "She marries into another gypsy family. His name is George Smith. So the coming together through marriage of the Smiths and the Lees is very, very significant in their world. "George Smith, her husband, he becomes the head of eight of the most prominent gypsy families. If he's the king, every king has to have his queen. And here she is." "According to legend, Queen Victoria had her hand read by Corinda Lee. "This stone tells you about Corinda and her character. It tells you that her love for her children was great. She was charitable to the poor, and wherever she pitched her tent, she was loved and respected by all. "Isn't that a final message that everybody wants?" The Buchanan Sisters The Buchanan Sisters' mausoleum (Image: Robert Perry) Annette's final stop on her lesser-known tour is at the Buchanan Sisters' mausoleum. The charity restored the memorial, which sits nearly at the top of the hill. "This monument is in memory of Margaret, Jane and Elizabeth Buchanan, otherwise known as the Misses Buchanan of Bellfield Estate near Kilmarnock. "They left their £86,000 fortune - that's £11million in today's money - for the feeding, heating and clothing of the poor and elderly of Kilmarnock. "They also paid for a wing in the Royal Infirmary, which their mausoleum looks onto, a fitting tribute for such generous people." READ MORE: John Swinney to visit one of Glasgow's 'most deprived areas' for health project The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Volunteers from the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis give tours of the necropolis year-round. They do it "for the love of it" and to keep the site available for education, conservation, and restoration. They're giving a special 20th anniversary tour with Cemetery Historian and Sculpture Consultant Gary Nisbet on Sunday, June 22nd, at 10:30. You can find out more about the charity and tours here.
The Herald Scotland
09-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow Necropolis charity celebrates 20th anniversary
Fast-forward to now, and that idea has flourished into a 140-member strong organisation that's raised more than £100,000 to be used on the cemetery. Annette Mullen, 62, became chair of the charity two years ago when she retired from her job in financial services. Annette, who lives in Tollcross, explained how she sees the place. She said: "She's one of the city's magnificent treasures. "I've always thought of her as a 'she', she's a place of nurture and care for Glasgow's citizens in both life and death. Glasgow Necropolis charity celebrates 20th anniversary (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) READ MORE: 'It'll overshadow everything': Locals react to O2 ABC plans for historic site "And the great thing about it is that it's inter-denominational. There are people of all faiths and no faith buried here. "They're not just a bit of stone. These were people. Every single stone in this cemetery has a story." Annette leads the 14 committee members and is also one of the 10 guides they offer for group and private tours of the 37-acre site. They're more than just tour guides. They're the key to unlocking the city's history. The land where the Glasgow Necropolis stands was owned by the Merchants House from 1640 until 1966, when it came under the council's control. Due to budget cuts and under-investment, the Necropolis has suffered from natural decay and vandalism. Founding chairperson, Nigel Willis (Image: Supplied) That's where The Friends come in. They not only provide tours but also raise funds and help to restore and preserve the site, and every penny they raise goes back into it. You can't talk about the charity without speaking about the founding chairperson, Nigel Willis, who passed away in 2021. Annette couldn't stress enough how much of a "very special man" he was and the legacy he left. Any visitor to the Necropolis is in for a treat, especially if they're on one of the tours. Annette explains: "It's full of inspirational people who changed the city of Glasgow. "Once you step beyond the gates, which are the original ones from 1837 by the way, you step from the land of the living to the land of the dead. "And oh, the stories that they have to tell! "It's amazing how alive you can feel when surrounded by all the dead." Annette Mullen, 62, giving a tour of the Necropolis (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) The first burial took place on September 12, 1832, for a Jewish man named Joseph Levy, a 62-year-old quill merchant who died from cholera. READ MORE: He was the first of nearly 52,000 people to be buried there, with approximately 3,500 visible tombs and mausoleums. There are also areas of common grave where people were buried without a headstone, but their names are recorded in the books of internment - another of the charity's roles. The 'Jewish quarter' where Joseph Levy is buried (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Annette could spend all day, and does, talking about the Necropolis, but has honed the highlights down into a tour which takes a couple of hours. On that tour, you'll see not only Joseph Levy's grave but also that of people who have contributed to saving or shaping the city. Annette said: "Some people might not have the big mausoleums, but they're as important as any of the rest of them in here. "My favourite is actually the memorial to the 19 firemen who died fighting the Cheapside Street fire. "On the other side of that stone are the names of seven wonderful firemen who gave their lives 12 years later on Kilbirnie Street. "One of those firemen, William Hooper, stood shoulder to shoulder with his colleagues on Cheapside Street and stayed in the fire service before giving his life that day. "These are the heroes of this city." The Cheapside Street memorial, the fire was on March 28, 1960 (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Soon, the Necropolis will be 200 years old, having officially opened her business in 1833. It attracts visitors from all over the world and has even starred in films like The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. Annette finished off by saying: "Why would you visit Glasgow and not come here? "It's magical. And it connects every cultural and significant thing that's happened here. "It should be the starting point for anyone trying to truly get to know the city." The 'Bridge of Sighs' leads you into the Necropolis (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Volunteers from the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis give tours of the necropolis year-round. They do it "for the love of it" and to keep the site available for education, conservation, and restoration. They're giving a special 20th anniversary tour with Cemetery Historian and Sculpture Consultant Gary Nisbet on Sunday, June 22nd, at 10:30. You can find out more about the charity and tours here.
Glasgow Times
09-06-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Necropolis charity celebrates 20th anniversary
The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis was started on Wednesday, June 22, 2005, by members from a wide range of backgrounds who wanted to help care for and restore the historic site. Fast-forward to now, and that idea has flourished into a 140-member strong organisation that's raised more than £100,000 to be used on the cemetery. Annette Mullen, 62, became chair of the charity two years ago when she retired from her job in financial services. Annette, who lives in Tollcross, explained how she sees the place. She said: "She's one of the city's magnificent treasures. "I've always thought of her as a 'she', she's a place of nurture and care for Glasgow's citizens in both life and death. Glasgow Necropolis charity celebrates 20th anniversary (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) READ MORE: 'It'll overshadow everything': Locals react to O2 ABC plans for historic site "And the great thing about it is that it's inter-denominational. There are people of all faiths and no faith buried here. "They're not just a bit of stone. These were people. Every single stone in this cemetery has a story." Annette leads the 14 committee members and is also one of the 10 guides they offer for group and private tours of the 37-acre site. They're more than just tour guides. They're the key to unlocking the city's history. The land where the Glasgow Necropolis stands was owned by the Merchants House from 1640 until 1966, when it came under the council's control. Due to budget cuts and under-investment, the Necropolis has suffered from natural decay and vandalism. Founding chairperson, Nigel Willis (Image: Supplied) That's where The Friends come in. They not only provide tours but also raise funds and help to restore and preserve the site, and every penny they raise goes back into it. You can't talk about the charity without speaking about the founding chairperson, Nigel Willis, who passed away in 2021. Annette couldn't stress enough how much of a "very special man" he was and the legacy he left. Any visitor to the Necropolis is in for a treat, especially if they're on one of the tours. Annette explains: "It's full of inspirational people who changed the city of Glasgow. "Once you step beyond the gates, which are the original ones from 1837 by the way, you step from the land of the living to the land of the dead. "And oh, the stories that they have to tell! "It's amazing how alive you can feel when surrounded by all the dead." Annette Mullen, 62, giving a tour of the Necropolis (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) The first burial took place on September 12, 1832, for a Jewish man named Joseph Levy, a 62-year-old quill merchant who died from cholera. He was the first of nearly 52,000 people to be buried there, with approximately 3,500 visible tombs and mausoleums. There are also areas of common grave where people were buried without a headstone, but their names are recorded in the books of internment - another of the charity's roles. The 'Jewish quarter' where Joseph Levy is buried (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Annette could spend all day, and does, talking about the Necropolis, but has honed the highlights down into a tour which takes a couple of hours. On that tour, you'll see not only Joseph Levy's grave but also that of people who have contributed to saving or shaping the city. Annette said: "Some people might not have the big mausoleums, but they're as important as any of the rest of them in here. "My favourite is actually the memorial to the 19 firemen who died fighting the Cheapside Street fire. "On the other side of that stone are the names of seven wonderful firemen who gave their lives 12 years later on Kilbirnie Street. "One of those firemen, William Hooper, stood shoulder to shoulder with his colleagues on Cheapside Street and stayed in the fire service before giving his life that day. "These are the heroes of this city." The Cheapside Street memorial, the fire was on March 28, 1960 (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Soon, the Necropolis will be 200 years old, having officially opened her business in 1833. It attracts visitors from all over the world and has even starred in films like The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. Annette finished off by saying: "Why would you visit Glasgow and not come here? "It's magical. And it connects every cultural and significant thing that's happened here. "It should be the starting point for anyone trying to truly get to know the city." The 'Bridge of Sighs' leads you into the Necropolis (Image: Newsquest/Robert Perry) Volunteers from the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis give tours of the necropolis year-round. They do it "for the love of it" and to keep the site available for education, conservation, and restoration. They're giving a special 20th anniversary tour with Cemetery Historian and Sculpture Consultant Gary Nisbet on Sunday, June 22nd, at 10:30. You can find out more about the charity and tours here.
Sunday World
08-06-2025
- Sunday World
Multi-million euro operation to clean illegal dump starts after decades of complaints
Illegal dump in residential area is finally being cleaned up... 19 YEARS after locals complained about the dangerous eyesore close to their homes The illegal dump was situated just metres from people's houses The illegal dump was situated just metres from people's houses The illegal dump was situated just metres from people's houses A digger at the site at Belcamp in Dublin A multi-million euro operation to clean up a huge illegal dump just metres from the homes of disgusted residents has started after decades of complaints. In 2012, the Sunday World highlighted how criminal gangs were suspected of being behind the waste collection racket making millions from the site at Darndale in north Dublin. Photographs taken from a helicopter at the time show the huge scale of the dump, which continued to mount for years afterwards. Local resident and campaigner Annette Flanagan this week said people had been complaining to Dublin City Council for 19 years, but little action had been taken. Contractors moved in to begin work on the site on April 29, finally starting the long-awaited clean-up. A council spokesperson said the operation is expected to cost between €6 million and €8 million and there are no plans for action against anyone responsible for it. Annette told the Sunday World: 'I've fought this for 19 years and no-one cared. Every single week it should have been in the papers, it should have been on the radio.' 'Nobody had our back around here, not one person, no TDs, 19 years I'm fighting this. 'DCC is our landlord at the end of the day, and we should never have been living metres from an illegal landfill. 'There's a lot of people, an awful lot of people, who died around here, we can't prove that it's anything to do with the landfill. We'll never prove that,' she added. 'The people that died had lung cancer, breast cancer and DCC did not give two s***s. They just kept constantly kicking that can down the road, they didn't care.' The turning point came when an environmental solicitor at Community Law & Mediation launched a legal bid to force the council to take action. 'We had to live around here and live beside that, which was embarrassing, disgusting — fires every night,' said Annette. The illegal dump near Belcamp in Coolock, Dublin Today's News in 90 Seconds - 08 June 2025 'At the end of the day, I blame DCC for the whole lot of it. 'Eventually I was taking them to court, but on the 29th of April, all of a sudden, they got started.' Annette said the important thing now is to get moving on putting out tenders to redevelop the site and not wait another 19 years. Residents have suggested the council should build facilities such as a sensory garden, allotments, an all-weather pitch and a playground. 'It was a long fight to get it done, let me tell you, for the people around here. People were just so depressed. To look out your door every morning or your window and look at seven stories high is a holy disgrace,' said Annette. 'It's getting done now, but it should have never happened.' There are concerns about what might be unearthed from industrial and household waste. Community Law & Mediation welcomed the start of work to remove the landfill, which was a 'serious health and environmental hazard.' 'We remain prepared to take further action as necessary to ensure that the site is fully and safely cleared and that the community's rights are protected,' said a spokesperson. Asbestos has previously been found at the dump, which is estimated to hold 40,000 tons of commercial and domestic waste and is infested with rats. The clean-up operation is expected to take up to four months.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longtime parenting columnist and editorial writer Annette Clifford passed away this week
It's always sad when you receive news that a former coworker has passed away. It's so much worse when that coworker was a kind, gentle, compassionate soul who spent her life fighting against social injustices the best way she knew how: with her writing. And she was a hell of a writer. The entire FLORIDA TODAY community was saddened to learn that Annette Clifford, who regaled Brevard County for more than a decade with her parenting column that started in the late 1990s and later with her biting editorials holding government officials accountable, died this week after a long illness. She was only 69 years old. Born in Asheville, N.C, in 1956 and raised in Raleigh, Annette lived an adventurous life before settling down in Satellite Beach with her husband Tom ― whom she married in 1978 ― and their three sons. She spent time living in Algeria, Paris, and on New York's Bleecker Street in the heart of Greenwich Village and earned degrees from The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, New York University and a master's in literature from William & Mary. "She was very private but had a wild, adventurous spirit," her heartbroken husband, Tom, told me this week over a cup of coffee. "I was blessed to have found this partner." But it wasn't her world travels or educational experiences that touched the hearts of so many here on the Space Coast. It was the unique, beautiful, poignant and often comical way she wrote about what it was like to raise three boys in Brevard County. Tom Clifford was the FLORIDA TODAY features editor in 1998 when the reporter writing a weekly parenting column wanted to take a break. He offered Annette an opportunity to give it a try and she took to it immediately. "She was naturally funny in a benign, lowkey, unassuming way and she managed to chanel that into a column talking about being a parent raising three young boys in this day and age," Tom said. "She managed to come up with a great style that was personable, funny and something that everybody could relate to whether you had kids or not. It became an instant hit." After four to five years of writing the column, Annette joined the newspaper's editorial page as a part-time editorial writer and before long was hired full-time. It was her experience growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and seeing racism and social injustice that informed all of her editorial writing. She published a collection of her columns in a book called: "World's Toughest Job: Tales of Modern Motherhood", that is still available on Amazon. It was a sad day in 2010 when Tom and Annette left Brevard for job opportunities in Charleston, S.C. The couple returned to Brevard in recent years and Annette continued writing all the time. She wrote poetry, short stories, a novel and even won the Florida State University 'World's Best Short Short-Story contest' one year. Longtime FLORIDA TODAY columnist Billy Cox stayed in touch with Annette through a writer's group hosted by another former FLORIDA TODAY staffer, Pam Harbaugh, who covered theater and the arts. "I knew Annette best through her personal writing. The columns she wrote for the paper were just the surface material," Cox said. "I'd drive over there every six months or so and we'd all get together and share what we'd been working on. Annette's best work was her fiction, short stories, poetry, at least one novel. I tend to think the South was the source of so much inspiration. Her insights and observational skills could be ferocious and downright scary in their precision. She was probably the best of us, and we were all hoping she might publish and get the wider audience she deserved." "I'm very sad today," he added. Harbaugh remained close to Annette right up until the end. She said Annette, though a serious person, wasn't afraid to show her silly side. She recalled a time when they attended a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert at the King Center in Melbourne and how Annette screamed "at the top of her lungs like a teenage girl" when Stephen Stills walked on stage. "She later told me she had a massive crush on him," Harbaugh said. "I'm sure that found its way somewhere into a poem." To call the last year of her life a difficult one would be a massive understatement. In September, Tom and Annette suffered every parent's worst nightmare when their first-born child, Nick, died in a car accident on US 1. It was a loss she never recovered from. One of the last poems she wrote came months after that devastating loss. She wrote: 'And just now, today, the noise of life came again my way. I listened. What was said? I don't even know. Just that I heard hope murmuring.' Annette is survived by her husband Tom, sons Declan and Graham and four ― soon to be five ― grandchildren. Despite all her writing achievements, it was clear that her family was the center of her universe. "Annette held dear the essence of life, family and friendships," Harbaugh said. "She saw nobility in the humble and resonance in the mundane. That showed in her poetry and prose. It remains sophisticated, smart, filled with wit, sly observation and appropriately melancholy given her French heritage (which also informed her penchant for spitting into the eye of a king)." Arrangements are still being made for a memorial and celebration of Annette's life. "She was so kind, so pleasant, so compassionate, so helpful. She was all these things naturally," Tom said with a sad smile. "Thank God she was there raising these boys with that sensibility." Contact Torres at jtorres@ You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FLORIDA TODAY Parenting Columnist Annette Clifford will be missed
