I was photographing a modern cemetery this afternoon, so that I could compare the latter day headstones with those of much earlier times. I spotted a couple of teddy bear-shaped stones and quickly realised that was standing in the middle of a very large children's plot. Now, I have seen Victorian gravestones with up to a dozen children of the same family named who had died of disease in reasonably quick succession, but this was the first time I had been to a section entirely devoted to babies and young children. The ages of those interred made me sad - two days, one month, five months, one year - to list but a few.
This teddy bear memorial has a very striking floral tribute in the shape of a bear laid upon it.
Here, small creatures offer company at this unnamed child's grave.
Jason Cooper's grave was quite ornate and, as can be seen in the second photograph, was covered in, presumably, favourite toys?
A recumbent teddy bear was the only thing that marked an unknown grave.
