Dumbo

 

I always call it Dumbo; the big ears and the chubby, comic-like posture remind me of the cartoon character from the Disney film of the same name.

But, in fact, this baby pachyderm doesn’t have an official name, though the people of Edinburgh generally refer to it as the ‘Mortonhall Baby Elephant’ or the ‘Baby Elephant Memorial.

And it’s a Big Baby: all 2.5 tonnes of Brass were fashioned by Sculptor, Andy Scott – probably best renowned for The Kelpies in Helix Park. It’s beautifully embossed with depictions of ‘Forget-me-Not’ flowers and by even tinier little footprints.

Unveiled in Princes Street Gardens in 2019, it’s a poignant and very fitting memorial to the Children affected by the Mortonhall baby ashes scandal where, over the course of decades, the cremated remains of little babies were buried without their family’s knowledge.

The inscription reads: “In memory of our precious babies, gone but never forgotten.”

And the symbolism of sculpting a baby elephant? Well, as the saying goes - ‘elephants never forget’.

Ahhhh flowers ...

 I have to say that one of the most exciting things I've done (photographically) this year, is to discover the wonders of macro photography.

I should first qualify that by admitting that I'm not into picturing creepy crawlies and things but, having purchased a Canon 100mm prime macro lens, I began pointing it at flowers - especially some of those newly blossoming in my garden.

They are beautiful in any case, but having them captured close up, the detail in their construction is simply mind-blowing. How mother nature could create such beauty is beyond interpretation.

I have posted a few examples before, but here are another couple from that original collection which i've just recently worked on again.

I hope you enjoy them.

Edgerton Cemetery, Huddersfield.

 

Doddering old Taphophile that I am, a favourite highlight from my recent trip to Huddersfield was having the opportunity to visit the town’s Edgerton Cemetery; located off the aptly named Cemetery Road in the Birkby neighbourhood.

Edgerton is Huddersfield’s oldest municipal burial ground. It was opened in 1855 in an effort to ease the pressure on an already over-populated St. Peter’s Church, still located in the centre of town.

Unfortunately, this once beautiful graveyard is now showing its age; the handsomely appointed gatehouse is closed and is currently (July 2025) being auctioned. Within the cemetery itself, the church is closed and boarded up.

What must once have been a magnificent feature of the cemetery – the ‘Triumphal Arch’ or ‘Cemetery Gateway’ – is also in a state of some disrepair. These – often highly decorated – structures were a common cemetery motif during Victorian times; an almost theatrical edifice through which the horse-drawn hearse would drive, symbolising the passing of the deceased from life to death.

As is almost always the case, the cemetery offers not only accommodation for those who have passed before us, but a haven of quiet relief from the stresses of everyday life for those of us who are left behind.