High gate Cemetery is most famous for one particular resident and he was the reason I pitched up on a cold and grey Easter Sunday .
Love him or hate him, he's an influential figure from history and worth a look.
In decades past, busloads of the faithful from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe made the trek to North London to pay homage. Though out of favour in today's world, someone is keeping the shrine immaculate. Given he's the most famous pile of bones in the place and the reason people shell out £3 to get in, I guess making his resting place easy to find is sensible.
Karl as a money making attraction.
Delicious irony.
In marked contrast to Mr Marx's spot, the rest of the place is overgrown and shambolic.
This Victorian graveyard is pretty much full of folks who don't have any surviving relatives to clean away the relentless march of time.
It's atmospheric and a bit spooky.
A great setting for a horror movie and for a time in the 1970's and 80's it was a central focus of various occultists and nut bars.
Reputedly the home of the "Vampire of High Gate" the cemetery briefly became a sensation and is still the subject of various crackpot websites.
For a jaw dropping, silly version of the story go here.
For a less self indulgent and grandiose version of events go here.
Karl's ideas played no small part in the welfare state 2 decades ago. The UK was a wannabe socialist paradise characterised by labour strikes, unions unashamedly quoting Das Kapital and massive unemployment. People had lots of time on their hands and were able to go off chasing ghouls in the night, returning at dawn to collapse in their council flats well fortified with the excitement of monster hunting (and probably gallons of cider).
It's maybe a bit harsh to blame this particular brand of Brit eccentricity on Mr Marx but it provided me with a nice little squaring of the circle.
As I said earlier the place does have a bit of atmosphere.
Scared yet?
Love him or hate him, he's an influential figure from history and worth a look.
In decades past, busloads of the faithful from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe made the trek to North London to pay homage. Though out of favour in today's world, someone is keeping the shrine immaculate. Given he's the most famous pile of bones in the place and the reason people shell out £3 to get in, I guess making his resting place easy to find is sensible.
Karl as a money making attraction.
Delicious irony.
In marked contrast to Mr Marx's spot, the rest of the place is overgrown and shambolic.This Victorian graveyard is pretty much full of folks who don't have any surviving relatives to clean away the relentless march of time.
It's atmospheric and a bit spooky.
A great setting for a horror movie and for a time in the 1970's and 80's it was a central focus of various occultists and nut bars.
Reputedly the home of the "Vampire of High Gate" the cemetery briefly became a sensation and is still the subject of various crackpot websites.
For a jaw dropping, silly version of the story go here.
For a less self indulgent and grandiose version of events go here.
Karl's ideas played no small part in the welfare state 2 decades ago. The UK was a wannabe socialist paradise characterised by labour strikes, unions unashamedly quoting Das Kapital and massive unemployment. People had lots of time on their hands and were able to go off chasing ghouls in the night, returning at dawn to collapse in their council flats well fortified with the excitement of monster hunting (and probably gallons of cider).
It's maybe a bit harsh to blame this particular brand of Brit eccentricity on Mr Marx but it provided me with a nice little squaring of the circle.
As I said earlier the place does have a bit of atmosphere. 
Scared yet? That's it from Vampire central.
Love
T
