Something old, something news
In Wales a car crashed into a funeral procession killing the horse that was pulling the hearse – http://bit.ly/1QHl2Av The CDAS newsletter is out, full of good things. If you’re not already a subscriber, sign up – http://bit.ly/1LO2aZf Dead women are being dug up in China to be corpse brides for dead bachelors – http://bit.ly/1oHItNv This inspired London […]
No place like home? Really?
Seventy per cent of us want to die at home. This rounded figure was obtained using a methodology which funeral industry practitioners may find strikingly odd: namely, by asking people what they want. It is therefore an informative statistic. If you’re one of the thirty per cent who are happy to die in a hospital, you’re […]
Goings on in the death zone
Some of the stories in the news last week. The Daily Telegraph took consumer journalism to an all-time low here A peek inside Melbourne’s oldest funeral home here Find out about the excellent Free Funeral Services Society in Burma here. Moving video here. Residents of Lagos were inconvenienced by a corpse at their bus stop – […]
What they think of you
Hat tip to the Fisher King (I’m in pieces, bits and pieces) Since you left me and you said goodbye (I’m in pieces, bits and pieces) All I do is sit and cry (I’m in pieces, bits and pieces) You went away and left me misery (I’m in pieces, bits and pieces) And that’s the […]
Wag goodbye to his lordship
Lord Avebury, the Liberal Democrat peer who died on Valentine’s day was noted for the eccentricity of some of his views. He was a conventional supporter of assisted suicide but his expressed preferences for his disposal raised eyebrows. He was the only person to have his body rejected by Battersea Dogs Home. A keen environmentalist, […]
Let’s hear it for our local heroes
Friday’s Times had an article about Matthew Bannister of BBC R4’s obits programme Last Word (Fridays at 4.00 pm). You listen to it? Of course you do. Who doesn’t? Here’s what the article said: When Bannister, who had been a high-profile radio presenter and media executive for many years, was asked by Mark Damazer, controller […]
Some of the stories you missed
Here are some the news stories you may have inadvertently missed in the last week. In India, a man killed his girlfriend three days before his wedding (to someone else). Such was the stench of her decomposing body, he used 70 cans of perfume to disguise the smell. He was arrested on his honeymoon – […]
Funeralcare mouldy corridor scandal
Update from the National Association of Funeral Directors: You may be aware of the media coverage this morning relating to Midcounties Cooperative. In line with our commitment to uphold standards within the profession we have been working closely with Midcounties Cooperative today and sent a team of Standards and Quality Managers over […]
Top people’s trends
TOP PEOPLE READ THE TIMES If you’re of a certain age (ie, shortly to make the acquaintance of Reaper G) you’ll remember that advertising slogan. It made you worry whether you qualified to buy The Times – whether the newsvendor would cock an eye and snarl, “You ‘avin a larf?” Society isn’t so stratified these […]
Poem
THE NEW BRIDE by Catherine Smith Dying, darling, is the easy bit. Fifty paracetamol, bride-white and sticking in the throat, ten shots of Johnny Walker, and the deed is done. A twilight day of drowsing, then the breathing slows to a whisper, like a sinner in Confession. Death is dead easy. No, what happens next […]
