Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 6th August, 2025)

They'll never be out of Work.
A good place to be located, not for from Wigan and Ince Cemetery and Westwood Cemetery.

Monumental Sculptures a real craftmanship job. Some headstones look really nice with the photo of the deceased embedded in the marble with beautiful designs.
Thanks John.

A monumental photograph of a very grave subject!

Being from Ince, my family have always used Varty's for funerals. The elder Billy Varty used to have a drink in the Anderton Arms pub, (known as The Long Neck), which was my dad's "local", and he would approach the regulars, (the ones he knew who could take a joke), and take his tape measure from his pocket and pretend to measure them for a coffin! People were more ready for a laugh back then and took no offence whatever. It was just Billy's joke.

I like your play on words John !
Having been a florist all my working life I do know a little about what goes on behind the scenes of the departing industry. I think these days the headstones come ready made to be embellished later as needed, that said its still a very worth while vocation & a very interesting photo.

I purchased Yvonne's head stone from Varty's. Top tip is to park opposite the shop has the entrance up the back of the houses to the showroom was very pitted with potholes at this time last year.

Helen, what a nice words to use Departing Industry. 'Departed' made me think of the words to the 1967 song by Jimmy Ruffin:
… As I walk this land with broken dreams
I have visions of many things
But happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion
What becomes of the broken-hearted
Who had love that's now departed?
I know I've got to find
Some kind of peace of mind
Maybe ee eee.

Whenever I pass here always think of my parents. The marble stones are a lot easier to keep clean and the gold lettering stands out but needs re- doing after 40 odd years. I still like wandering around the old stone headstones …Whenever I go to the lakes I always visit William Wordsworth’s grave.
“ Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower.
We will grieve not, rather find, Strength in what remains behind…”
Ode .” Intimations of Immortality”
FromRecollections of Early Childhood.. 1807
William Wordsworth 1770 -1850

Very true PeterP I would have to do something about those potholes if I lived in those houses and there’s normally sand and stone waste at the concrete yards that would be available to do the job.

When I was around 40 I took driving lessons for a short time, (although I gave up after a few months, so never took a test), and my driving instructor got me to drive to Varty's Memorials one day to pick up a stone he had ordered for his son who passed away at a very young age, (it wasn't a headstone, just a memorial stone to stand at the foot of the grave). I will never forget seeing the simple message on it....it just said "Our Kev". It is still in Abram churchyard.

I used Varty’s skills with stonework to add interest to the area of my front drive by asking them to produce the four points of the compass on slabs of stone, N S E W. These are now part of my drive, all pointing in the right direction.

We all guzunder t'same sod.

Colin that Jimmy Ruffin song is a great classic and just across from Varty’s is The Old Hall where some great songs were sang from some brilliant groups if only we could turn back time. I wouldn’t know a word of the songs that are out today but it’s not our era so everyone gets a turn with the bat as they say.

The Annie above is me, Anne, don’t know what happened.

I'm sorry but can't say that I 'like' this photo as we seem to be bombarded nowadays with adverts encouraging people to buy funeral packages, living funerals (whatever that is) etc etc. Should we be concentrating more on living the best we can? Just my thoughts. Apologies John and thank you.

Pat McC no need to apologise if everyone thought the same Pat we would like in a very boring world.

Pat McC, you are a very fair-minded contributor to p-a-d and so is John, and I'm sure he will understand your comment. I like the photo as it is of somewhere familiar to me, and a place I pass regularly either on the bus or in the car, whereas I don't know some of the places often shown on p-a-d. However, I agree with you about those depressing TV Adverts! We all used to "do the shake-'n' vac", and sing along to jolly jingles during the adverts.... "Persil Washes Whitest", "Everyone's a Fruit and Nut Case" and "Murray Mints, Murray Mints, Too Good to Hurry Mints", (although that's going back a bit!). But now it's all Insurance or Cremations.....Come back, Captain Birdseye and the Cadbury's Smash Robots, and let's have a sing-song and a laugh!

Should have been if everyone thought the same Pat we would live in a very boring world.

Thank you John, wasn't being mean-minded! You're right Irene - adverts were much more lighthearted a few years ago - often better than the TV programmes!

This is Mick, who has been away on holiday. I see nothing changed on here, same lot doing the nitpicking.
But I do find it strange that a Monumental Masons need shutters on the windows and doors.

Just noticed the place is in Lower Ince, that's why they will need shutters

On a gravestone somewhere.

I lived my life upon the dole
And now I’m lying in this hole
Next door to me lies a real ‘Go Getter’
For all his toil he fared no better.

Irene, here's a compilation of adverts from the 1970s and 1980s, including the ones you've mentioned:

https://youtu.be/fihV9xsLanY?si=UtlJ_FekuvvuGojN

They can well afford all those adverts that make out that their no fuss cremations are better, with the loadsa money they make from the departed.

Mick why on earth do you consider yourself a cut above the rest if you should ever need a grave stone it would have to be very very large to get all your alias’s on.

John, I've said before, there not me.

Here lies Mick beneath these stones,
He’s breathed his last,
no more he moans,
Still yet we hear distant echos of droning tones - Denying to the last his faithful clones…..

Shutters on shop and business windows and doors are required by insurance companies, they insist to have them installed to reduce insurance cost. It doesn't matter where you are located.

Well said Arthur and very true. The more you have installed the better to deter the thieving devils.