On a very wet day in January the MUD Walks group stayed local to look at the history of Central Park and Ford Park Cemetery.

Starting at the statue of Jack Leslie, the black Argyll footballer, the group traced out the old Plymouth zoo, saw the new reservoir works, followed the old Stonehouse leat and payed respects to the nine people who died when a WW2 bomb hit their air raid shelter.

Ford Park Victorian Chapel

Then it was onto a fascinating tour of the cemetery led by Alan Bricknell of Plymouth u3a and the Ford Park Cemetery Trust. Alan’s infectious enthusiasm despite the heavy rain brought to life a number of the personalities buried there. We met amongst others a slave trader, a Victoria Cross recipient and a circus showman who was killed by one of his own lions. The tour finished at the lovely Victorian chapel.