There’s a law. Its… talmudic… errr… it came down Mount Sanai with Moses… it was written in the stars. It says that all jews must be buried within sight of the M25. Sorry, dead ones, obviously. If you do otherwise you will be arrested. So you can bury in Bushey, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, even Rainham in Essex, all within spitting distance of that fabulous roadway. And that law is there to ensure that whenever you attend a funeral, you can be back home in time for the football to start. Unless someone’s making bagels. In which case you’ll miss the first half.

And yet yesterday we went (shlepped?) all the way to Wales (!!!!!) to visit a cemetery so far from the M25 that it simply can’t be kosher. We went all the way to… Merthyr Tydfil!!! Just to visit some dead Jewish people. Because there’s less arguments than with living ones.

We intended to stay overnight. But in that part of Wales hotels are few and (literally) far between. So, along with Mel’s brother and sister, we did it as a day trip. Why?

Because Mel’s grandmother (oddly her brother and sister’s grandmother too) lived in Merthyr. And her dad was the rabbi at Merthyr Tydfil synagogue from 1901 to about 1935. And then, soon after, all the Jews left Merthyr, went for the bright lights and glamour of… Cardiff, and the synagogue went to rack and ruin. Someone opened a gym there in the 90s but then left and its a rather beautiful and gothic old wreck. But now has lottery funding to be renovated as a community centre for allllllll the people of Merthyr. About 347 I reckon. They had an ‘open day’. And it was truly wonderful as half the inhabitants of that lovely little town pitched up, keen, excited, engaged and really interested in the history of the old building and the Jewish community. They were so lovely and friendly it made me reconsider my whole attitude to Wales. Give them a (provisional, obviously, until the next rugby match) upgrade. Note: provisional.

And then we went to the cemetery to visit Mel’s ancestors. And it was beautiful. No M25, just rolling hills and valleys. And the sun shone. Then we shlepped 3 hours back. But it was worth it. Thanks to the really lovely people of Merthyr and a trip down ‘memory lane’. Fortunately not my memory, but someone’s.

Happy Monday

A xxxx