Going Back To Nature.

Unknown. Nottingham General Cemetery.

"The army doesn't like more than one disaster in a day. "

Much as the photo at the top of the page represents one of the worst defeats in British Military history, the very name of "Rorke's Drift" conjures visions of one of the greatest tactical victories. A battle that yielded more Victoria Crosses by a single Regiment for a single action than any other.


Named after the Irishman that built it, the trading post on the border of Natal province and Zululand was immortalised in the film"Zulu", from which the quote which provides the title came.

James Rorke 1827 - 1875

James Rorke is buried on the land he lent his name to, a short distance from where the military stand took place.

Detail of James Rorke's Grave

Truly He Was an Odd Fellow.

The Oddfellows are a "Friendly Society" compared on many levels to The Masons, Rotary Club or The Buffs. It is not my place to judge whether that is correct or not, but there are certainly some people who, like the aforementioned societies, are very proud of their membership.

What's it all about?

I have always been fascinated by how we deal with death, particularly in the western world. It does seem that sometimes we pay more attention to our families and friends in death than we do in life. This is particularly evident when looking at cemeteries  and graveyards. The amount of care, or the lack of it, seems strange and interesting to me and in my eyes is worthy of documentation. I also find cemeteries to be incredibly peaceful places, which are great for spending an afternoon alone with your camera.


Please bear in mind that I am very much an amateur photographer and that the things which I find interesting may not appeal to you. I will hopefully be adding some contributors to the site as time progresses, but for now it is just me.

The photo that sits at the top of this page is from the Isandlwana Battlefield in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. This was the scene of one of the greatest military defeats suffered by the British Empire in history. The piles of stones represent the places where the bodies of the slaughtered British soldiers were buried. This battle was portrayed in the film "Zulu Dawn"