MADAM, my father, Stanley Humber, passed away last August. This week, we took my mother to visit the grave, in the graveyard above the old United Reformed Chapel on Great Doward. The grave is the resting place not just of my father, but also my brother Robin, who passed away in February 1991.

My mother is 85 years old, with poor mobility, and the visit proved to be quite a task. But the really sad thing about it was the state in which we found the graveyard.

As people familiar with the chapel will know, it is quite a climb to get up to the graveyard. But this is all the more difficult owing of the state in which we found the ground.

It looks like no one has touched the main part of the graveyard for a very long time. My mother stood looking round in total disbelief, pointing out where old friends were buried, but unable to see the headstones. Neither she nor I could understand this, as we both believed that when the chapel was sold, funds were put aside to maintain the graveyard.

Sean, the man who lives in the chapel with his family, agreed it is sad that no-one is taking care of the graveyard. As a child I lived on the Doward, went to school in Whitchurch, and went to Sunday school in the chapel.

My affection for the place and the time spent there is such that I made sure that when the contents of the chapel were dispersed, I bought one of its pews for my home in Pembrokeshire. My mother would be grateful if anyone could tell us why the graveyard has been left to get in such a state. I would also like to convey public thanks to Sean and his family, who helped me clear a path so that my mum could get to the graveside.

Pauline Anne Nicholas,

Kilgetty (Pembrokeshire)