Stories near your feet: Life, loss and legacy in Reading Old Cemetery
In 1842, the newly-formed Reading Cemetery Company purchased land in what was then Sonning, just beyond the eastern boundary of Reading, to create the Reading Cemetery. It was a much needed resource, as the town’s churchyards had been overflowing for some time. The first burial took place the following year. Â
Nowadays, as you wander through the peaceful paths of Reading Old Cemetery, have you ever wondered about the lives of those buried there? From grand Victorian monuments to forgotten, unmarked graves, each plot holds a story, some well-known, others only recently uncovered.
The ROCuP (Reading Old Cemetery Undertaking Project) is a collaboration between the Institute of Education, University of Reading, the Reading Old Cemetery History, Heritage and Education group, and dedicated volunteers who have contributed their time and family histories. Together, they have pieced together aspects of the town’s rich social history, using the cemetery as a lens to explore themes of identity, memory, bereavement, and education.
This is the first of three talks in the Spring Potpourri Talks Series. The other talks take place on 28th May and 25th June. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price. Â
To book
Pre-booking is required, because the event link will be sent in advance.               Â
To join this talk, you will need a computer device with speakers. Ideally, also a webcam and microphone. You also need to be able to access the internet from it. First-time users of Zoom, will be asked to download a small piece of software, which will be sent in advance. Â
Image: Irid Escent, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To book – scroll down.
Date
- Thu 23 Apr 2026
Time
- 14:00 - 15:15
Tickets
- £5.00
Category
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speaker
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Prof Yota Dimitriadi
Yota Dimitriadi is a Professor of Computing Education at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. Since 2016, she has been actively engaged in the field of death studies, focusing on raising awareness and fostering open discussions around grief support and bereavement training within educational settings. She has organised family and school-oriented events and workshops on this topic. Her work on developing gender-sensitive curricula to support grief awareness and death education has been featured in the Gearing Roles European project. She has been collaborating with the local charity Daisy’s Dream organising bereavement training opportunities for pre and in-service teachers. Since 2020, Yota has been leading a project on the social history of Reading Old Cemetery, combining her interest in education, heritage, and community engagement.