After last year’s annus horribilis, when the whiff of anything funereal on the telly had undertakers diving behind the sofa, it’s nice to see things return to normal.
Soaps are always a good source of funerals as are, of course, dead celebs. For the anoraks of Funeralworld, it’s fun to sit back and play spot-the-hearse.
As with the recent publicity stunt for Sherlock Holmes Returns (BBC1, New Year’s Day). The photo at the bottom shows the hearse that drove around London last week publicising the resurrection. Whose hearse? Tadman’s, probably (the usual suspect in tellyfunerals).
Over on Corrie, the upcoming funeral is that of transgender Hayley Cropper, married to Roy and suffering terminal pancreatic cancer. Hayley wants to end her life if it becomes unendurable.
On Friday Hayley and Roy visited an undertaker’s at Hayley’s insistence. They didn’t like anything about the experience. Roy refused to engage. And then his spirit of denial gave way to a steely determination to make Hayley’s sendoff meaningful and not too expensive, and he started doing some research on the internet. The two of them had a heart to heart. Roy showed her what he’d been looking at and Hayley picked out the flowery coffin pictured at the top. For a bigger, clearer view have a look at this spoiler story in the Daily Star.
This was the point at whch, back in real life, GFG website traffic suddenly surged, causing us to recall the media monitoring team from all manner of geekspots to the GFG-Batesville Shard. We don’t watch Corrie, we had no idea what was going on. The geeks soon tracked the origin of the activity, and we all sat and watched as people clicked through to our chosen coffin suppliers.
It was remarkable. People who hadn’t realised you can find out this sort of stuff on the internet were googling away like mad. Bravo!
But back to you Funeralworld anoraks. Whose coffin is that, do you think? Who is the maker/supplier?
That looks like a classic Greenfield Creations coffin to me. Always my preferred cardboard coffin, never let me down.
If I am right, well done Will Honeybell.
Hi Charles
I’m not at all sure that this ‘is a Tadman vehicle’………………..the plate number is ‘NIL 203’, which I’ve seen online before, but exactly where………………..?
best
andrew
I think it might be one of Colin McNeil’s low-slung sports models.
I always forget when I get in that the seat isn’t where it should be.
Andrew
I’m not convinced this is a Tadman hearse. Leverton?
Leverton’s are Daimlers. Tadman’s are Mercedes, but what about the reg that AP spotted? This is getting interesting…
yes, i’m pretty sure that it isn’t Leverton’s since it isn’t one of their usual plate numbers but it’s definitely the same model that they use
yes Tadman’s do use Merc’s (and before that Saab’s)
I would expect Leverton’s to have nothing to do with a BBC publibity bash such as this
this has been bugging me all afternoon, I really shouldn’t allow ‘hearse spotting’ to affect me in this way…………………………………..
best
andrew
…………….my gut feeling is W Sherry & Sons
but I may be totally wrong
andrew
Andrew, ideally we’ll get the answer by bedtime or you simply won’t sleep. Please, anybody, whose hearse is this??
Clearly, a three pipe problem my dear Cowling.
I was right (for once), it’s one of Colin McNeil’s (Cardinal Chauffeur Services.)
Apparently they were out almost all day, changing the route in response to Tweets picked up by the TV people (there’s an idea for a modern funeral!), and were bought one cup of coffee.
Autographs on request, my usual commission terms as agent apply.
Andrew
Well done, Drew! Cigar on its way to you by special courier from the GFG-Batesville Tower. You’re not related to Sherlock, are you?
If I told you, I’d have to kill you Charles…
Is that a marketing ploy, Drew?
thanks – that’s a relief………..
regards
andrew
!!!