Yesterday we reported on a recent strange death, and today we’re going to be reporting on two places in Europe where it’s illegal to die, so we should perhaps be thankful that the incident we reported on yesterday, didn’t happen in Europe, but in the USA.

Anyway amazingly this is absolutely true,  so whatever you do if either Lanjarón — a tiny village in Granada province in Andalusia, Spain, or Longyearbyen, Norway, are places on your itinerary, make sure to keep breathing until you leave.

Back in 1999, Jose Rubio, the then mayor of the village of Lanjarón declared that it was forbidden for any citizen to die in the town, at least until the steps necessary to acquire land suitable for “our deceased to rest in glory”, had been taken.

According to reports at the time, the mayor was being pressured to rapidly resolve an overcrowding problem in a local cemetery — even though that issue had been plaguing the town for years.

Since now 26 years later, Lanjarón still has only the one graveyard within its municipal limits, it would seem that the problem remains unresolved.

Home to almost 4,000 residents, it’s known as a particularly healthy area due to nearby mineral-rich springs.

Just as well in view of the edict.

Presumably law breakers can be assured that this will not be a capital offence!

Longyearbyen, Norway is the other location where it’s also forbidden to die, but the law there has been in place for much longer – since 1950 actually.

Apparently it was found that the bodies of the dead had not been decomposing due to the subarctic climate.

Frighteningly it was also discovered that the bodies of those who’d succumbed to the 1917 influenza epidemic, still contained live active virus samples, resulting in the closure of the cemetery for fear that the disease could once again spread to the living.

Another reason not to go there, me thinks.

Of course being a Tuesday I was joined once more by our resident historian, Margaret Mills, who this week took us over to the Frinton of the 1920’s.

Now given that Frinton used to be the butt of music hall jokes suggesting that “Harwich was for the continent whilst Frinton was for the incontinent” and whilst we have just been discussing areas in Europe, where you are not allowed to die, you might think that I was considering some kind of related quip, but not a bit of it.

Indeed Margaret told us today that back in the 1920’s Frinton was “the go to” place for the celebrities of the day.

If you missed what Margaret had to say on this subject, you can listen again here: –

I very much hope to have the pleasure of your company once again next week,
Scott