AIBU - to think this is vulgar as anything?

[ValerieCupcake]

It is not racist. But it is selfish.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10651179/Big-Willy-Collins-widow-accuses-council-RACISM-22-ft-high-200-000-headstone.html#newcomment

@Momicrone

Vulgar is such an old fashioned judgemental word

How would you describe it then?

I've googled the story posted and others to find it's guarded by security? What? And how did he get to go abroad on holiday in the middle of the pandemic?

@bozzabollix

There are societies who seek out the stories behind those buried in cemeteries. This reminds me of some brilliant stories relating to certain memorials put up a century or so ago, such as for people who ran circuses with memorials with circus animals in. It gives real variation to a cemetery.

Live and let live, just because some are larger than life during their lives doesn’t mean it should be watered down in death for the pearl clutchers. Memorials should be an expression of personality and taste, and whilst some might hate this it’s what the family want and it reflects him.

Not my taste but I think it’s fab.

'Larger than life' is one description you could use, I could certainly think of others. And count me in as a proud pearl clutcher if it means having respect and awareness for the feelings and sensibilities of others and due respect for what many consider to be holy places.

Wonder if you'd find it so hysterical if it was next to your loved ones grave. Grow up

I grew up 40 odd years ago. My loved ones have all been cremated. So sorry my sense of humour is so offensive to you.

@RoastedFerret

To be fair the cemetery should have rules in place if they don't want ginormous memorials. I'm not in the UK but here we have height restrictions and all tombstones are subject to approval before they are erected, you have to show drawings or photos before hand. If they didn't want something like this to happen then they should have prevented it, it's a bit late to start moaning about it after it is erected.

The cemetery does have rules in place. The family got permission for a large memorial then supersized it. No symptoms.pathy.

@ClariceQuiff

The aesthetics or 'tastefulness' of the memorial is irrelevant - a subjective matter.

The only consideration is whether it's compliant with planning regulations in the cemetery.

I agree there. I would also add regulation around noise for people living near by.

sympathy

It is completely vulgar and likely dominates all of the graves around it.
And no its not racist. Its really irritating when Irish Caucasian travellers claim racism at the slightest criticism when they have actual no relation at all to ethnic Romani gypsies.

@Blossomtoes

Wonder if you'd find it so hysterical if it was next to your loved ones grave. Grow up

I grew up 40 odd years ago. My loved ones have all been cremated. So sorry my sense of humour is so offensive to you.

Not to me, but I imagine someone visiting their loved ones grave with music blaring and this monstrosity would find it hugely offensive and upsetting. If that's funny to you then crack on.

@TrashyPanda

Imagine going to visit your baby’s grave and have music blaring out

These people wouldn't give a shiny shite. They are attention seeking dicks with zero respect or morals.

Sorry, it may be disrespectful but I am sniggering a bit at the the thought that a Big Willy lived behind gates appropriately labelled WC!

Its really irritating when Irish Caucasian travellers claim racism at the slightest criticism when they have actual no relation at all to ethnic Romani gypsies.,
What has the relationship to do with the price of eggs.
Irish travellers are Irish why would they be related to Romani travellers.
Irish travellers were tinkers steel works before plastic replaced everything.
Until my 20's I believed there was English and Irish travellers, I genuinely didn't know that the English travellers were actually Irish travellers.
The culture is protected like the Romani travellers.

@TrashyPanda

Imagine going to visit your baby’s grave and have music blaring out

In the clip on the story it is the theme fromThe Godfather.

Nice.

@TrashyPanda

Imagine going to visit your baby’s grave and have music blaring out

This is what I keep thinking. Part of why I had both my babies cremated was because I didn't want to have to deal with people and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them again. They're at home with me, but I can't imagine the stress of wondering if my babies grave would be trashed or disrespected because of a group using a graveyard as a place to party.

@FabFitFifties

RoastedFerret - if you read the article they were dishonest. What they erected, was not what was agreed.

Nothing new there then with this family. He was a thug who made a living from conning old, vulnerable people. He was not well loved in Sheffield at all apart from by his own family

@LadyEloise1

Like *@astoundedgoat* I too would be interested in where the money came from. As he/she posts "...there was that much kicking around at the age of 49 that they had 200k to drop on this. £200,000 Sterling

It came from robbing the old and vulnerable around Sheffield

I couldn’t get worked up about it.

It’s not to my taste, but this is how a lot of Travellers commemorate their dead - big and bold and expensive and ostentatious.

It's fucking horrible and should be removed. No one else would get away with it and nor should she.

The only problem I see with it is the sound system.

I am a gypsy (not the same thing as an Irish traveller) and large statues and headstones are a way to honour the dead.

Imagine going to visit your baby’s grave and have music blaring out

These people wouldn't give a shiny shite. They are attention seeking dicks with zero respect or morals.

This 100%. It's fucking vile, tacky and utterly tasteless, erected by people who've spent their lives not giving a shit about anyone else.
Imagine going to visit a family grave next to that monstrosity....get the bulldozers on it immediately, and tell her to get to fuck with her threats of 'war', who does she think she is???

FWIW, cremation is not the environmental approach many people believe.

he must have robbed plenty of pensioners to pay for that

What a disgusting racist and stereotyping assumption.

He’d been to prison for robbing elderly and vulnerable people so not a stereotype @Brideandprejudice

What a disgusting racist and stereotyping assumption

There’s no need to assume anything… he was found guilty of robbing elderly and vulnerable people and sent to prison.