Are you in or out?
It’s not often that you see a funeral entrepreneur on Dragon’s Den, but last night’s show shone a brief spotlight on an enterprise which, in an industry unaccustomed to innovation, is likely to elicit responses ranging from ‘It’ll never work’ to ‘Tcha.’ Theo Paphitis ruled himself straight out, no messing. But it turns out that […]
Britain’s second favourite undertaker
Here are some up-to-date headline stats on Dignity plc, the brand that dares not speak its name. Valued at £460m Average earnings growth of around 15% over the past five years. Growth is forecast to be at a similar level in the current year and 11% in 2012. Debt stands at £319 million, up from […]
What Makes Funeral Celebrants Do It?
From a practising funeral celebrant, more opinionated stuff that possibly needs a health warning: it’s only what I think. I’m not really sure why we do it – I’m sure we have many very different conscious reasons and less self-aware motivations. As Freud, Jung, Adler and Frankl all said, or if they didn’t, they should […]
Cash for corpses 2
You heard it on the news? You read it in your newspaper? The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has published a report calling on the government to find out of people like the idea of getting a free funeral in exchange for donating their organs. Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern, of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, says: […]
Bereavement Counselling in the NHS (Taking the sting out of death)
Posted by Vale Pat is a Bereavement Counsellor working in an NHS Trust hospital. Her job is to help people affected by a death in a hospital, supporting them through their grieving. Pat is the subject of a long article inSaturday’s Guardian. It can be found here. It’s a heartening read. Death in a hospital […]
Quote of the week
“I don’t want a funeral. All I want when I die is a simple tribute concert at Wembley Stadium. And maybe a covers album.” Chris Martin
Pull yourselves together, you wailing wimps!
Guest post by Seneca (4 BC – 65 AD) , our Stoic correspondent Is it solace that you look for? Let me give you a scolding instead! You are like a woman in the way you take your son’s death; what would you do if you had lost an intimate friend? A son, a little child […]
Meet Trudy
Some things have Wow Factor and they may or may not wow you. Here at the Good Funeral Guide we are far more susceptible to things that have Oh Wow Factor (big difference), and the latest thing to Oh Wow us is the brand new, not yet launched, 1965 Morris Minor hearse. She’s called Trudy. […]
If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
Steve Jobs Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is […]
Gail Rubin’s 30 funerals in 30 days challenge 2011
Over in the United States the indefatigable and brilliant blogger Gail Rubin has already embarked on her 30 funerals in 30 day challenge. Yes, she is going to cover one day for a month, and today is actually Day Six, so you’ve got some catching up to do. Don’t miss Day Five, when she visited […]
