Kicking the Bucket right around the corner
There’s already quite a buzz about the Kicking the Bucket Festival, which threads its way through the second half of this month. Barbara Chalmers tells us she’s coming all the way from Glasgow, so come on, you ought to be able to make it from wherever you are. There’s masses of good stuff on. The […]
Death by Christmas shopping
Posted by Richard Rawlinson There was a time when the skull and crossbones symbolised ‘Danger’ when displayed on poisonous products or worn on the clothes of Punks, Goths, Hell’s Angels, pirates and SS soldiers. For some years now, it’s been a ubiquitous part of mainstream fashion, found on everything from Debenhams babywear to John Lewis cushion […]
Where’s the joy in death?
Posted by Kristie West The following is a transcript of the talk Kristie delivered at the Joy of Death convention, 2012. Kristie works with bereaved people. You can find her website here. “The Joy of Death” festival. What is that? Is it just a lovely quirky name for a festival. Or perhaps just a provocative and […]
A date for your diary
The Natural Death Centre Charity proudly presents The NDC Death Café 2.30pm – 5.30pm Sunday, 4th November London NW2 6AA (Willesden Green underground station) A fundraising event celebrating the 21st birthday of the Natural Death Centre This Death Café will be held at the former office of the Natural Death Centre and home of its […]
Thoughts of a funeral-goer
Just over a week ago Daisy asked me to go with her to visit her neighbour John so we could help with the arrangements for his wife’s funeral. Barely had we stepped across the threshold when Daisy disappeared down the hall with a cheery, ‘I’ll make us a nice cup of tea shall I?’ I […]
One of our own
Marilyn Watts died at 4.30 in the morning on Tuesday. She had been suffering from cancer. Well known to many in the world of funerals, she was Anne Barber’s right-hand person at Civil Ceremonies and was instrumental, together with Anne and Professor Tony Walter, in creating a pioneering training programme for funeral celebrants designed to […]
Keeping in with the in-breath
Caroline Goyder, voice coach to the stars and lesser luminaries, asked us to call to mind the person we love most. Did you notice, she asked after we’d done it, that you marked their arrival in your mind with a little in-breath? Did you? When you’re speaking in public, she says, you need to preface […]
As others see us
It’s always interesting to discover how others see us. Here’s a US take on the Good Funeral Awards: The British have something of a reputation for a degree of ‘quirkiness’, and this seems no different in their approach to the death care industry. The UK has recently held an event to celebrate the innovation emerging […]
David Twiston Davies, formerly chief obituary writer at the Daily Telegraph, gave a brilliant talk about his onetime trade at the Joy of Death Festival 2012. Here’s a snippet Whatever the truth, everybody wants to know why somebody has died. Unfortunately the reasons given immediately after a death are often proved to be wrong. Max […]
Richard III – is he or isn’t he?
Posted by Richard the Rawlinson The fully articulated skeleton of what might be Richard III is now being rigorously examined in a laboratory. Leicester University archeologists and DNA scientists are undoubtedly handling these human remains with great care due to their historic value, but perhaps also because of our tradition that the dead, exhumed or otherwise, […]
