The one fact I know about William Reeve is that there is a grave remembering him in a beautiful little churchyard set on a valley side deep in the east Leicestershire countryside. The church itself is some distance from the current village of Loddington but as its origin is somewhere in the 12th century it is reasonable to assume that at that time Loddington may have been closer to church. I have no idea whether William was aware of this. I don’t know whether he knew of the plans to build a railway just behind the church and if he did what he thought about that. I don’t know whether he was a good man or not. I just know that sometime in 1849 he was laid to rest and that the gravestone has stood vigil ever since.

Once I press send then William Reeve will have another memorial that he once existed. Perhaps he is still remembered amongst his now distant descendants – may be not. None of this matters as the gravestone is still standing some 175 years later. But what of the next 175 years or 825 years. Will the gravestone still be in the churchyard? Will it still be legible and will the person who finds the gravestone be able to read it? Will all the collected nonsense we recorded on line everyday still be accessible to that person in the distant future? If it is will that mythical person be able read this, my small memorial to William Reeve?