BRADFORD'S Lord Mayor mucked in and helped volunteers with the restoration of a huge monument at a Bradford graveyard.
Over the last year, gravedigger and builder Graham Swain and a dedicated group have been breathing new life into Chapel Street Cemetery in Eccleshill.
They have spruced up the formerly neglected, overgrown site and restored many unstable monuments, including that honouring William Smith.
His monument had been on a tilt for a number of years due to a tree growing in the foundations, posing a potential danger to passers-by in the cemetery.
Determined to do something about this problem, Graham - alongside members of the Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery - carefully took the monument apart piece by piece before successfully removing the troublesome tree and securing the foundations with concrete.
Last week, Bradford's Lord Mayor, Councillor Beverley Mullaney, attended the cemetery with Graham and others - and together they put the monument back in place.
Graham, who has helped to restore many gravestones in other cemeteries in the area, said: "The Lord Mayor certainly wasn't afraid to use the trowel and concrete!
"She did a great job and we’d like to thank her for helping us.
"We're all really pleased to have restored this monument and make it safe."
Graham explained how Cllr Mullaney got involved in the efforts.
"I was at another event and she approached me," he said.
"She said she'd seen videos online of the work taking place at the cemetery and that she really wanted to help us - so that's how it all came about."
On her Facebook page, Cllr Mullaney said: "It was an absolute honour to work alongside Graham and the Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery( All volunteers) on the transformation of this cemetery.
"Graham is an absolute gem for the work he does and has done across the Bradford district.
"The friends meet every Tuesday and Saturday if anyone would like to join them.
"I would like to express my profound gratitude for all the work you do."
Graham praised the Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery, a charity which agreed to buy the 200-year-old graveyard after a successful fundraising campaign last year.
For more information about the Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery, visit https://e-voice.org.uk/friendsofchapelstreetcemetery
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