Burgundy stays Burgundy, Lilac becomes Turquoise
In Burgundy coloured news The Telegraph has been hard at work this month, convincing us that the funeral situation in the UK really is dire. On the 10th June, we heard about a grieving gentlemen in New Milton, Hants, who is digging a grave in his back garden to bury his 101 year old mother, unwilling to […]
It’s my funeral
Dearly beloved of Funeralworld and beyond, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m the new editor of The Good Funeral Guide, under the mentorship and guidance of the wonderful founder Charles Cowling and CEO Fran Hall. Far from facing its own funeral, the need for a sustainable GFG has never been so strong. In my exciting new role, […]
Sacred Stones
“The barrow, its shape, its natural stone, its location, instantly gave me the same feeling of the past being an essential part of the present, of our lives being a shared history. Of peace and calm and connection. And I am drawn to the barrow as a place of rest and pilgrimage for exactly those […]
Together in electric dreams
We have seen the future and it’s electric. Back in 2013 we told you about the Brahms electric hearse, the highlight for us of that year’s National Funeral Exhibition. https://goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2013/06/peaceful-ev-feeling/ Three years on, we dropped in on Steve Cousins yesterday to see how business was going. He’s a man who doesn’t give up, even when […]
August Equity out, Montagu Private Equity in. Your local funeral directors.
Thanks to Robert De Baahr from the London Society of Death for bringing this to our attention – from Insider Media Ltd. ‘European private equity firm Montagu has acquired a majority stake in a Berkshire-headquartered funeral services provider which has more than 130 branches throughout the country. Founded in 2007 by chief executive Phillip Greenfield, […]
The modern funeral is a grief-bypass procedure?
Stewart Dakers is a 76 year-old voluntary community worker with a weekly column in the Guardian. He wrote a piece in last week’s Spectator about funerals. Here’s a taster: Funerals ain’t what they used to be. Today’s emphasis is more on celebrating a life past than honouring the future of a soul. While I am not […]
Keeping an eye on the costs
Hats off to independent funeral booking website Funeralbooker for publishing their findings on the costs of funeral disbursements. Funeral poverty shows no sign of abating as new data reveals the most expensive crematoria and cemeteries in the UK Key points: THE COST OF DYING CONTINUES TO RISE. NEW DATA REVEALS THE SOUTH OF […]
Introducing the Pebblewood Urn
Davina Kemble’s pebblewood coffin was unveiled at the Ideal Death Show 2013. Reviews were mixed. Some undertakers thought it would be impossible to persuade a dead person to conform to its rounded shape; others reckoned there was no problem. Since then, Davina’s partnership with her manufacturer reached a conclusion, but she’s carried on working away at […]
How to stay alive after you’re dead
Posted by Thomas Staley “All living things seek to perpetuate themselves into the future, but humans seek to perpetuate themselves forever. This seeking – this will to ‘immortality’ – is the foundation of human achievement; it is the wellspring of religion, the muse of philosophy, the architect of our cities and the impulse behind the […]
Nice work if you can get it
Here’s an attractive sounding job spec for someone considering a career as a funeral director: It’s providing the service that leaves a lasting impression. It’s being encouraged to gain new skills. And it’s delivering extraordinary service… Joining our talented team, you’ll provide a … service to an exceptional standard, both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes. You’ll prepare for […]
