The GFG Blog
2014Mar
Are secular rituals too churchy?
Charles
Mar
28
10 comments
Posted by Richard Rawlinson ‘Organising atheists is like herding cats’. Richard Dawkins Every so often, civil celebrants here revive the debate about rituals in secular funerals. Some point out there’s plenty of spirituality already in a unique eulogy and individually-chosen readings and music, and enough symbolism with the procession of the
Don’t expect Dignity to solve funeral poverty
Charles
Mar
26
14 comments
Yesterday we let the interns loose on the blog and they impulsively passed on an appeal to readers to write to Mike McCollum of Dignity plc and ask him to do his bit in the fight against funeral poverty. What they conspicuously failed to do was identify a single reason
It’s your line to Mike McCollum
Charles
Mar
25
3 comments
Church Action on Poverty and Quaker Social Action are holding an event which will bring together charities, communities, policy-makers and the funeral industry to seek joint solutions to the growing problem of funeral poverty. They say: “It’s really important that all sides are represented at the event and participate in
He’s still at it!
Charles
Mar
25
No Comments
Britain’s most infamous undertaker Richard Sage is awaiting trial at Blackfriars Crown Court on 28 April on a charge of fraud by false representation. He stands accused, among other things, of having posted a series of bogus adverts looking for young people to work with him. It is alleged the adverts
Lighten our darkness
Charles
Mar
24
7 comments
Last Friday I met the theatre lighting designer who’s interested in helping undertakers light their chapels of rest more effectively. I shall call him Wayne, for that is his name. 20 years in a senior position with the Royal Shakespeare Company and now freelancing in Europe and beyond. Our venue was
Keep the red flag flying
Charles
Mar
21
5 comments
Posted by Richard Rawlinson The late Tony Benn and I share in common Bristol City FC, a team in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Known as the Robins due to their red home strip, I came late to their fan-base as a part-time resident of Clifton,
The Co-op is dying, long live the co-op
Charles
Mar
20
24 comments
“Every private equity company in the country has been in touch to try and buy its funerals operation.” Lord Myners In recent times the Co-op’s reputation has been kept afloat by sentiment fostered by its of-the-people-for-the-people origins, fortified by ‘ethical values’ and holier-than-thou policies on fair trade. Fondness has
Does distance disadvantage the bereaved?
Charles
Mar
19
2 comments
Guest blog post by civil funeral celebrant Wendy Coulton More often the next of kin I work with to plan non-religious funeral ceremonies live in another part of the UK but this week I have had my first experience of discussing and planning arrangements with relatives living on two different
Future funerals: technology to boost personalisation and sustainability
Charles
Mar
18
3 comments
Posted by Richard Rawlinson Five generations living now are neatly labelled as follows: Traditionalists (born 1925-45) Example: great grandparents, born in the mid-1930s. Brought up during WWII, a culture of patriotism and waste-not-want-not. Faith in institutions and a job for life. Strong work ethic and stubbornly independent. Slogan: Keepers of the
Missing
Charles
Mar
17
2 comments
Monday, November 27 I got up very early, and just before nine o’clock Caroline was brought back by the funeral director and she lay on a trestle in the front room, with lots of flowers. She lay there until half-past twelve: over three and a half hours. All the children
