Money-making Marx

My son and I are having a trip to Highgate Cemetery, or I should say cemeteries, as there is an old one and a new one, on opposite sides of the road. I’d like to see the graves of Karl Marx and George Michael, which must say something about my political and cultural interests. First, we have to pay £10 to get in both cemeteries. Each. Marx is clearly a good earner. The irony isn’t lost on me.

Marx seems like a bit of a big-head to me.

There’s lush foliage and all the benefits to nature of the old cemetery being poorly maintained for years.

I particularly like the Ivy creeping up the gravestones and monuments. This one has only scattered letters left on it like badly placed fridge magnets.

We’re also going searching for Freud’s grave. No, not Sigmund, we’re looking for the artist Lucian Freud’s grave. It’s simple, elegant and well-proportioned.

There’s a sign asking visitors not to photograph George Michael’s grave, so I don’t. There are many ways of paying your respects to someone, and respecting the wishes of the family is one of them. Many thanks for the music, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.