Cemetery's 'postbox to heaven' helps loved ones grieve
A postbox has been installed at a burial ground in Dorset to help people affected by grief.The white "postbox to heaven" at Lyme Regis Cemetery offers people a place to post messages and letters to loved ones who have died.The project was proposed by town councillor Cheryl Reynolds who was moved by the story of a nine-year-old girl who wrote letters to her late grandparents.Local people experiencing their own loss were joined by the mayor and deputy mayor to see the box installed.
Among them was Jacki Taylor - whose husband died recently. She was joined by her son, 12, and daughter, 16.
She said: "I love the idea that children and adults can write letters to their loved ones, knowing their loved ones will receive their messages. "I think it's important to not only write the letter but to post something physical. "Grief is always a struggle."We lost Kev very suddenly. It is not going to be a five-minute job, it will take years to process, but now we have somewhere special to post our letters to him."The box was bought by Lyme Regis Town Council.A short ceremony, attended by mayor Phillip Evans and deputy mayor Michaela Ellis, was held to mark its installation.Ms Reynolds said no-one would read the messages."They will be collected regularly by two of us and carefully composted, feeding the beautiful trees in our cemetery," she said.Ms Reynolds said she was moved after reading about the nine-year-old girl from Nottinghamshire, called Matilda, who came up with the idea of sending letters to heaven."She had lost her grandparents and found writing letters to them brought her comfort," Ms Reynolds said."I cried and I wanted to do the same."
You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
Kent's rare snow leopard cub dies after just one month
An animal sanctuary has announced that its rare snow leopard cub, born just last month, has cub, nicknamed Little Lady, was born to mother Laila at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent, on 10 May after months of dedicated work by it has been confirmed that Little Lady died late on Wednesday night, though her cause of death is not yet known."We are all devastated by this news," said Cam Whitnall, wildlife expert, conservationist and managing director of the sanctuary. Snow leopards are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, with an estimated 2,700 to 3,300 mature adults remaining in the Lady was just the second cub to be born at the sanctuary. The first was her sister, Zaya, in Lady's birth followed months of work by primary trainer Simon Jackaman, who built the trust necessary for mother Laila to voluntarily participate in ground-breaking ultrasound sessions."While deeply saddened by this loss, our commitment to snow leopard conservation and the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme remains as strong as ever," said Mr Whitnall."Every life is precious and this loss, though profoundly felt, reinforces the vital importance of our work to protect these magnificent and vulnerable big cats."The sanctuary said it remains committed to helping maintain a genetically healthy captive population to provide "a critical safety net for the future of this elusive big cat"."These moments are never easy, but they reflect just how important our work is," Mr Whitnall added.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Telford school given £1.9m for new roof after RAAC found
A school has been given £1.9m for repairs, following the discovery of potentially unstable concrete in its Aerated Autoclave Concrete (RAAC) was found at Donnington Wood Infant and Nursery is one of more than 200 schools in England with the material used between the 1950s and 1900s, which has now been deemed a safety school will stay open while the roof is replaced and children will be taught in temporary classrooms, Telford and Wrekin Council said. RAAC is a lightweight material that was used as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete and was quicker to produce and easier to it is less durable and has a lifespan of around 30 years and it is susceptible to structural failure when exposed to moisture. The council said Donnington Wood Infant and Nursery School was the only school in its area where RAAC had been said it would take the opportunity to add insulation to the roof at the same time as the replacement councillor responsible for education, Shirley Reynolds, said she expected "some low-level disruption to nearby residents as construction traffic attends the site" and asked nearby residents to "bear with us while we carry out this essential safety work". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Lorraine Stanley reveals her diet hacks after shocking five-stone weight loss - including 'no carbs' and 'a lot of boiled eggs'
Lorraine Stanley has previously shocked fans after showing off her incredible five-stone weight loss. The soap star, 45, - who played scruffy Karen Taylor in EastEnders from 2017 to 2024 - has shared with fans the insightful hacks that led her to a healthier lifestyle. The actress frequently praised her pal and fitness guru Louise, as well as her nutritionist friend which 'clued her up when it came to what she was eating day-to-day'. Her gruelling daily workouts and a well-balanced food regime had a positive impact in Lorraine's life, who said of her journey: 'I'm enjoying it and I feel better for it.' Spilling her diet hacks while chatting to Woman's Own magazine, Lorraine said: 'My mate Louise is my fitness guru. I've got her to thank for it.' The actress - who lost 12lbs in her first six weeks on the new diet - recalled: 'I've eaten a lot of boiled eggs, fish, chicken, no carbs, no crisps and no chocolate.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She recently shared new photos of her incredible five stone weight loss as she speaks out on her recent health kick. In the months since she has embarked on a lifestyle change, and this week shared a new Instagram photo as she proudly showed off her slimmer frame. Sharing a snap from a recent event, Lorraine looked gorgeous in a green and pink print co-ord. Taking to her Instagram story, she also revealed a new milestone in her lifestyle overhaul, telling fans: "I'm five months sober and still had a good night dancing! #Sobriety." Lorraine's former co-stars rushed to the comments to praise the actress, with Diane Parish, who plays Denise in EastEnders, writing: 'You look incredible!' Martin Fowler actor James Bye agreed, gushing in the comments: 'Look at you skinny minny xx miss you mate xx' Since last year, the actress has undergone a body transformation and has shared some pictures with her social media followers along the way. Lorraine lost five stone in 12 months and now feels better than ever. On Instagram at the time, she said: 'What a difference a year makes. 'Five stone down, feeling good, clean living, healthy choices, new me, healthy mummy.' Her axing was as part of a shock cast shake-up and her final scenes were aired in December 2023. Lorraine previously revealed she is struggling to find new acting gigs following her shock exit. She later shared some of her struggles in a candid Instagram story - as she looked for new acting roles after starring on the BBC series for seven years. Lorraine shared a picture of a self-made audition room with plenty of panels, lights, a tripod and a chair, as she prepared to do self-tape some brand-new audition clips to send. She admitted her struggle to manage the equipment and told fans how Zack Morris - who played her on-screen son Keegan Baker - gave her a few very useful tips on how to create an authentic setting. Zack leads the cast of Disney+'s Goosebumps as Isaiah Howard, as he continues his career in the US. 'Self tape setup in the loft, I'm so not technical but I'm proud I've managed to set it up all by myself with advice on equipment by @_zack_morris,' she captioned. 'Just finished one and it's hard work... I'll get there.
