The good people at the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB) have written to tell us all about their latest, very successful excursion. Here is their account:
The Memorial Awareness Board (MAB) campaigns for memorials in stone and is the voice for all UK Memorial Masons. Exhibiting for the first time this year at the Who Do You Think Are? Live event at Olympia, London (22nd – 24th Feb) the stand showcased using stone memorials as a very important part of tracing one’s roots.
The 3-day event was a great success with nearly 14,000 visitors attending. Many topics were covered such as stone memorials for genealogy, the different types of memorials, memorial options after cremation and advice on the different inscriptions on headstones. Up to 2000 visitors came to the MAB stand to talk to industry specialists and read through relevant literature.
A very popular attraction to the stand was a working stonemason who gave lessons in stone carving. There was the opportunity to have a go at stone rubbings and be in with the chance of winning a stone plaque!
The BIG Question proved very popular, we asked; “Would you prefer to be buried or cremated”? The results were most interesting with 39% saying buried and 61% saying cremated. These percentages contradict conventional wisdom on cremation versus burial rates in the UK and could suggest a swing back to burial.
Mike Dewar, MAB Campaign Director commented, “The crucial part played by memorialisation in genealogy was established at the show. The stand was permanently crowded with visitors showing interest and enthusiasm about memorials and memorialisation”.
To find out further information including the photo competition with a £1000 prize we are running this summer, please visit the website: www.rememberforever.org.uk
You can also view all the photos from the event plus listen to an industry blogger interviewing a Board member as well as keep up-to-date with all issues on stone memorialisation.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/memorialawarenessboard
And Twitter: twitter.com/memorial_issues
ED’S NOTE: Does that photo competition competition appeal to you? You could win it.
“would you prefer to be buried or created?”
Strikes me as a no-brainer!