You may like to know the reasons behind the motifs that feature on the front of the headstone. In this beautiful spot, lying together for the rest of time are our dearly loved parents, Len and Mary Harris. Their headstone is a lasting memorial and our special tribute to them both. They were born and lived their whole life in the local countryside and spent most of their lives farming. We wanted their stone to reflect their loves and interests and decided to base the theme upon hedgerows throughout the seasons incorporating personal motifs along the way. The left hand side of the stone is dedicated to Dad and the right to Mum. At the bottom left we start with a hammer with a whistle hanging around the shaft, surrounded by snowdrops. Dad was a practical man and must have had the national collection of hammers and he was a great music lover and used to enjoy whittling a whistle for us to play while we were out walking. This was usually through the woods or up on the hills hence the inclusion in the design of the ferns on both sides of the stone to commemorate many wonderful days out. The Spring theme continues with primroses and then the badge of the RAF which represents the six years of Dad's young life in the RAF Regiment during WW2. Next we have Ox Eye Daisies and Convolvulus representing the Summer hedgerow in which perches one of his favourite little wild birds. Then we progress into Autumn with Acorns and Hazel Nuts which were always keenly sought out and then the Holly of Winter and Christmas. Dad never lost his love of Christmas and it was always a big family occasion. One Christmas Eve he covered the entire ceiling with holly because we had no other decorations! On Mum's side of the stone what better way to start than with her trowel. She loved gardening and her trowel was always in the back of the car in case she found an interesting plant while she was out! Daffodils represent the spring and after the ferns come the Poppies which were one of Mum's all time favourite flowers and the Dog Rose curling its way around her headscarf left hanging on a branch. Everyone who knew Mum knew she was rarely without her headscarf and it is such a strong memory for us that it had to be included. The Hips and Haws and Fruits of the Autumn represent all those hours she spent picking and preserving all the fruits of the hedgerow to make jams, jellies and pies. The winter ivy twines its way to meet the holly and the two are joined with a sprig of mistletoe to represent the love they had for each other during their life together. Along the bottom is a representation of Bromlow Callow, a local landmark used as a way marker for the cattle drovers in days gone by. It was always somewhere that Mum looked for when she had been out. It meant she was nearly home. We are very grateful to McMillan Masonry from Leebotwood for helping us to realise our perfect tribute headstone and for putting us in touch with Mr. Derek Carr from Somerset who is one of the most highly skilled carvers in the country today. He brought our design to life in a way which far exceeded our expectations.