Grief
“Grief is like a drunken houseguest who keeps coming back for one more goodbye hug.” Source
Why did we delete that blog post?
This morning we received an email which had been forwarded in error by Mr Potts, Customer Relations Manager at The Co-operative Funeralcare, to a bereaved family – not we hasten to add one of the families referred to in the message – who forwarded it to us. On reading it, we immediately deleted the blog […]
Adios Noninos
Posted by Vale In my very occasional series (see Song for my father by Horace Silver) here’s another piece written as a tribute to a much loved father. It’s a version of Adios Noninos by the great musician of the tango, Astor Piazzola.
Jennifer Paterson, Francis Bacon and other fallen stars
Posted by Richard Rawlinson — in sparklingly shameless name-dropping form – ED ‘Thank goodness for inequality,’ quipped a friend with nonchalant disregard for political correctness as we casually admired inequality’s legacy of beautiful architecture lining the streets of Belgravia this weekend. The plethora of blue plaques adorning these grand houses gave a degree of substance […]
The extraordinariness of ordinary people
“I just love the work. Much of it isn’t anything to do with being at the cutting edge of any ‘new’ movement, but about listening to people, giving them attention and valuing a person’s life that I am told was just ordinary.” Sue Goodrum, celebrant.
Close thine eyes
Posted by Vale I was at a funeral recently when this song by Purcell was played at the committal. We listened to the Treorchy Male Voice Choir, but I couldn’t find their version on You Tube so this is the Kirkintilloch Male Voice Choir instead. Close thine eyes and sleep secure; Thy soul is safe, […]
Shrine on you crazy diamond
It’s amazing, really, just how terrifically buttoned-up Brits are when it comes to commemorating their dead. Other cultures offer us examples of observances, duties, rituals and practices which can teach us a thing or two. We really ought to take them up on it. One of these is the household shrine. We’ve touched on this before […]
Yes, where were the humanists?
We’ve held this over awhile, but the question it asks remains topical. The article is about the aftermath of the Newtown shootings: The funerals and burials over the past two weeks have taken place in Catholic, Congregational, Mormon and United Methodist houses of worship, among others. They have been held in Protestant megachurches and in […]
Only in…
Continuing today’s hearse theme: Parked opposite the biggest state hospital in the region are a few odd-looking, modified vehicles with a prominent stage and a decorative dome above. They are equipped with steps, stretchers and chairs and are marked with philosophical quotes like “towards the creator bidding adieu to creation”. A player in the funerary […]
Introducing the self-drive hearse
There’s a small but growing number of funeral shoppers who are becoming increasingly determined to find funeral directors who will assist them, or partner with them, in arranging a funeral. Some simply want to roll their sleeves up and do their bit for the person who’s died; others want to keep the costs down. It’s […]
