Many elderly people were struggling to visit the graves of their relatives, and, with the increased interest in genealogy, visitors were coming from all over the world and were shocked at how neglected it was. Many felt that the hallowed ground housing the graves of their ancestors, the war dead and spitfire pilots deserved greater respect. Graves are more than just a final resting place for the dead, they are a great historic resource and as such should be preserved. And hence the Stories Behind the Headstones Project was born.