Hi.
I was one of the early volunteers on this project as well. Most of the work was done by two dedicated Rootschatters recording at the cemetery itself, and one other (who was not based in the UK) maintaining the website. After the initial 'work party' meetings, when Rootschattters turned up from all over Manchester and Lancashire, there were perhaps half a dozen more volunteers like me, who turned up whenever we could. Of course the pandemic didn't help, and although the intention was to get started again once all that was over, I suspect other things will have got in the way. As they posted a while back, the two 'lead' volunteers had both been involved with family issues and bereavement, and although genealogy is great, sometimes you do have to focus on your present-day family and friends. I see neither of them has been active on Rootschat since summer 2021. I don't know what happened to with the website either, but I can't believe all the paperwork recording the gravestones has been binned. It was a lot of work! We started out with a blank spreadsheet printout, filled it in by hand at the cemetery (a spreadsheet square corresponding to a grave row/number) and Cancan then transferred it onto her computer at home. The intention was to pass the record on to either Manchester Archives or the MLFHS, with the proviso that it would always be free to access by anyone who needed it. There was also mention at one stage, of the Friends of Philips Park getting involved with Manchester General, but I think that was more to do with general park maintenance - we were just concerned with transcribing the headstones.
It's great that you helped to get the project going in the early days, BF. I really do believe your contribution will still be around somewhere. That handwritten spreadsheet was very precious to them, and all the photos. I'm not angry at all, but I do hope Cancan and Beannie are all right.
Best wishes,
Barbara
