Are you a funeral celebrant?
The GFG is delighted to have been invited to join representatives of various organisations on a working group to look at the role of funeral celebrants. We’ve called this working group the Funeral Celebrancy Council and last week the FCC spoke to hundreds of celebrants at the second National Celebrant Convention about the work we’ve been […]
Something for the weekend? Some good reading – and another book.
At GFG Towers we do like a good book, and recently we have indulged our book buying habit rather a lot – a pile of our recent acquisitions is shown above, all thoroughly well worth a read for anyone with an interest in dying and death. Last week, our attention was drawn to another […]
Celebrant of the Year 2017
This category attracted the largest number of nominees and entries, resulting in almost 30 finalists. It is also the one the judges find most daunting to decide, as they know how important it is to be recognised for what can often be a very lonely role. Without exception, all finalists in this category are deserving […]
A Serious Cause for Concern
It has come to our attention here at GFG Towers that some particularly bad practice is taking place on social media, compromising the integrity of funeral celebrancy as a profession. Whilst recognising that funeral celebrancy can be lonely work and there is a real need for support from colleagues, it’s suggested that anyone discussing their […]
Celebrant of the Year
Stevie Glover From a huge field of contenders for this award, this year’s Celebrant of the Year was chosen for her genuine likeability as well as her exceptional professionalism. Highly regarded by fellow deathcare staff and affectionately referred to in the testimonials from families she has helped, Stevie’s caring support up to and throughout the funeral […]
Look what’s waiting to land in your e-book library…..
Fresh out of the box and ready for reading, here’s the e-book that is essential for the library of anyone with an interest in anything funereal. Or actually anyone with an interest in life. Enough said. Published today. Buy it here.
The soft bigotry of low expectations
Posted by May Andrews “If we can just get through this, then we can get on with our lives.” I’ve heard it so many times, in so many different ways, but it all boils down to this: many families perceive a funeral to be something they must endure, an unpleasant trial, which they must […]
Stick to what you know
Guest post by Vita Incerta Was I alone in reading The Times journalist, Janice Turner’s piece about the funeral of her Godmother? In a rip roaring and impassioned annihilation, she tore apart the ‘crass, vain, sloppy buffoon’ who led her Godmother’s service. This wasn’t some half baked celebrant, nor a clueless member of the clergy. It […]
Empathy and sympathy – what’s the difference?
Posted by John Porter Sometimes the boundaries of the definitions of these two words, empathy and sympathy, become fuzzy. They become fuzzy for good reasons. This is from Confessions of a Funeral Director, which is often mentioned in GFG posts, entitled 10 Marks of a good funeral director: 8. Empathy and sympathy. Imagine being at the […]
Local and community
Guest post by John Porter My first job was in a local grocer’s shop. They boiled ham in their kitchen – hmmmm, I can smell it now – and would cut three special slices, carefully wrapped in greaseproof paper for Mrs Rogers who came in every Tuesday. She chatted for a while, nobody huffed and puffed […]
