Michael's grave fears for Fulwood

The disgruntled resident responsible for a fake tombstone that appeared in Preston has spoken out.
Michael Swinburne, is the man behind the mystery tombstone that turned up on the side of Eastway.Michael Swinburne, is the man behind the mystery tombstone that turned up on the side of Eastway.
Michael Swinburne, is the man behind the mystery tombstone that turned up on the side of Eastway.

Fulwood grandfather Michael Swinburne installed the ‘stone’ on Eastway, near the junction with Lightfoot Lane, which says “RIP Fulwood. Killed by concrete.”

Michael, 72, has lived in the area for most of his life, and has lived in his current home for 47 years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “We rented the cottage from my wife’s parents’ family from 1969, then we bought it a couple of years later. It was built in 1759.

“The whole family has lived here, and I’ve seen this area change from a Tarmac strip across two fields.

“When I moved in there were no white lines, no kerbs, no road signs.

“Then they built the Grasshoppers, which I like, then they built the motorway, then this new road outside our house, then this came and that came.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Michael, a retired financial adviser, said: “That piece of wood came in and I thought ‘That looks like a tomb stone, I know what I’ll do, I’ll paint a sign on it and stick it up.’

“It’s screwed to the public footpath sign, but the footpath has now gone because they are going to build a housing estate.”

In the area surrounding the sign, there are currently two housing developments under way - one with 125 homes near to Preston Grasshoppers, and another, called Fulwood Green just off Eastway, with 22 plots. Behind the sign is a new estate recently completed off Lightfoot Lane. Outline planning permission has also been granted for Redrow to build 330 houses with the potential to increase up to 1400 houses to the north of Lightfoot Lane.

Related topics: