Quote of the day
“I cannot stress this enough. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being interested in mortality and death. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you are “sick” or “morbid” or “deviant.” It is patently untrue. Death is where every single one of us will end up. To feign disinterest in such a fundamental thing is […]
RIP @GoodFunerals ur a legend
Proof positive that most Twitter users need to get a life is evidenced by the present fad for tweeting rumours of celeb deaths. When, last December, Jon Bon Jovi became aware that the twittersphere was chirruping news of his death he posted a link on @BonJovi to a TwitPic. The photo showed him smiling […]
Double entendre of the day
WHITNEY HOUSTON Funeral Home Denies Leaking Casket Photo Headline in numerous newspapers following the publication by the National Enquirer of an unauthorised photo of Whitney Houston in her casket.
Celebrants talk business
Posted by Richard Rawlinson Two topics that have inspired lively debate here recently are ritual and business. Comments about the latter reveal many civil funeral celebrants feel their service is undervalued in monetary terms. The going rate, between £120 and £180 a funeral, is deemed inadequate as a business model. This fee, which is unregulated […]
Thought for the day
“I’ve always thought death would be like dreaming, but without the possibility of waking up. And in those dreams, as in our dreams in life, everyone will get what they want to some degree. For the atheists convinced everything will go blank, maybe it will.” Rogue scientist Rupert Sheldrake, author of The Science Delusion.
Wind beneath our wings — but our art will go on
As of tomorrow, Tuesday, the good ship GFG is going to acquire a Marie Celeste ambience. Its bloggertariat, the opinionated and infuriating Charles, and his fellow scribbler, the judicious and even-handed Vale, are escaping for a few days. There will be a deathly hush in the blog — maybe the occasional curt utterance, nothing more. […]
Look away now
It was interesting to follow the unfolding debate amongst funeral directors and celebrants in response the blog post ‘C of E raises funeral fee to £160’ here. If you are one or the other, have you paused to wonder what on Earth any consumer would have made of it? Yes, look at it from that […]
Regulation: the only way to promote integrity, honesty and ethical behaviour within the funeral industry
From time to time the cry goes up, sometimes from the public, sometimes from funeral directors themselves, that it’s time to regulate the funeral industry. Here at the GFG we’re against it. We defend the principle that the dead belong to their own, not to a bunch of professionalised specialists. We’re open minded about most […]
Poem of the day
There will be exactly two schools of thought about this poem: The Funeral Director by Jerry J. Brown Listens, hears and understands… Communicates softly, a tear, a touch, a smile… Senses the shock and knows the numbness of disbelief and denial… Understands the intimacy of death, and quietly responds to each mood and moment… […]
Quote
“Never leave one of the deceased in a room without a light on – it’s undignified.” Rachel Edwards, funeral arranger, here.
