Paisley residents tidy up cemetery with help from St Mirren legend

The clean-up was undertaken by Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery and resulted in 300 bags of leaves, weeds, twigs and other debris being cleared from the site.

Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery at work (Image: Supplied)

The party of around 25 volunteers included former St Mirren player and manager Tony Fitzpatrick, who is an official ambassador for Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery.

Speaking to The Gazette, Tony revealed his own personal connection with the cemetery and the project.

“Hawkhead Cemetery is very close to my heart,” he said. “My mum and dad, my brother, and my son who I lost are all buried there. All my family’s there.

“The cemetery is very important in people’s lives. I know in my hardest times, just to be able to go up and visit, to sit by the graveside - it gives you great peace. It can help you heal.”

St Mirren legend Tony Fitzpatrick hard at work (Image: Supplied)

Noting the special role that Hawkhead plays in local life, Tony emphasised that the tidy-up earlier this month was for both those who visit the cemetery and those who lay there in rest.

“It’s the least you can do for deceased loved ones,” he said. “It’s a mark of respect.

“Whether you’ve lost somebody 50 years ago or one year ago, if you walk into a place and it looks really nice and presentable, that makes so much difference. It just gives you such a lift when you smell the grass has been cut, there are beautiful flowers and the place is looking great.

“We’ve all suffered loss, and we’d like to think that whoever we’ve lost is going to be well looked after - that their graves and the surrounding area are well kept. It’s not a lot to ask.

“It’s a proud town Paisley, and we should be proud in everything we do - cemeteries are very much part of that.”

Tony reported that although the clean-up was a lot of hard work, it was also a lot of fun.

“I know my mum and dad, my brother, my son, other people there I know - they wouldn’t want us just to be sitting over their graves weeping. We all miss them, and they’ll know that. But you’ve got to have some fun as well. And we had a good laugh - a lot of laughter, a lot of happiness.

“And a lot of hard work too. Everyone put in a lot of hard work. It was a scorcher of a day. I thought football training was hard, but gardening is unbelievable - the old back’s not the same as it used to be!”

Another volunteer doing her bit (Image: Supplied)

Tony’s thoughts were echoed by Desmond Barr, Paisley resident and founder of the Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery group.

“There will be very few people in the area who aren’t touched by the cemetery,” he said.

“It might not be a parent or sibling, but they’ll have an aunt or an uncle or somebody - everybody has somebody that’s buried in Hawkhead. And it was important for us to remember them, and remember why we were there.

“But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The cemetery has a lot of emotion attached to it, but this was a day for people to come and enjoy themselves. It was a laugh, and a chance for people to make friends. It’s a great cause in terms of the cemetery, and we didn’t forget that, but it was relaxing as well.

“It’s an ongoing job. It’s not something that can be done overnight. But we’ll put all our effort in. And the volunteers that came, they’re all asking when the next one is.”

A recently tidied path (Image: Supplied)

Desmond confirmed that Tony did indeed put in a good shift.

“The number of people who said ‘is that Tony Fitzpatrick?’ And he’s away with his fork and his rake getting on with it the same as everybody else,” added Desmond.

“Tony’s a celebrity in terms of football, but you wouldn’t have known him from Adam - he was just an ordinary guy on the day. But he lifted everybody’s spirits - they think ‘if he can do it, I can do it.’”

The Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery are planning another clearance day towards the end of June, and warmly welcome any volunteers who want to get involved to visit their website at: https://www.friendsofhawkheadcemetery.org/