WHILST not living in Blackburn, each year at Christmas I visit Blackburn Cemetery with my wife and sister-in-law, to pay our respects to family members buried there.

One would think perhaps this could be a dismal chore, but I usually take the opportunity to look around this old and extremely interesting cemetery.

The cemetery portrays almost a pictorial and three dimensional history of people who lived, worked and died in Blackburn for almost 200 years.

Who cannot admire the skills of the masons in the building and carving of the massive memorials there, or ponder at the wealth of those who had them built?

Or in turn consider the lives of the poor souls buried around them who no doubt contributed to that wealth, perhaps musing on the fact that the cemetery is providing final equality with their "masters."

One "Master's" memorial even has the audacity to quote it was funded by the mill workers' contributions. One can imagine the quote at the time, "No contribution, no job," exploitation even in death.

Even some of the more humble graves provide exceptional stories, none more perhaps than the poor widow who had her husband's grave carved into the shape of his trade, a lathe, and in every detail.

Yes a history of Blackburn in 3D. However, as each year passes, I am increasingly distressed to see the degradation of this historic cemetery.

How much longer are Blackburn people, irrespective of religion or belief, going to allow this loss of their town's history to go on?

No doubt the question of funding will arise, if so why is this historic gem not at least maintained by the growing legions of those on Community Service Orders?

DAVID LEMON, Blackpool.