Top people’s trends
TOP PEOPLE READ THE TIMES If you’re of a certain age (ie, shortly to make the acquaintance of Reaper G) you’ll remember that advertising slogan. It made you worry whether you qualified to buy The Times – whether the newsvendor would cock an eye and snarl, “You ‘avin a larf?” Society isn’t so stratified these […]
Poem
THE NEW BRIDE by Catherine Smith Dying, darling, is the easy bit. Fifty paracetamol, bride-white and sticking in the throat, ten shots of Johnny Walker, and the deed is done. A twilight day of drowsing, then the breathing slows to a whisper, like a sinner in Confession. Death is dead easy. No, what happens next […]
Cut-price Co-op offers better funerals cheaper
So. Co-operative Funeralcare is cutting the price of its ‘simple’ funeral by 7 per cent to £1995 excluding third-party payments (once known, quaintly, as disbursements). That’s £140. If you’re a Co-operative Group member you get to save £380. Reminder: the Group is just one of many co-operative societies. There are other independent societies which aren’t in on […]
Diddling the doddery
Doorstep scammers, con artists, cold callers, internet swindlers, rogue traders – these are just some of the predators that old people must learn to defend themselves against today. Besieged on all sides, they are. Who can they trust? Charities, surely? Not Age UK for starters, love. Oh no, not them. Them least of all. Yep, it’s all […]
Counting the cost
Because of the stubborn refusal of all but a small number of undertakers to post their prices online, there’s a commercial opportunity for an entrepreneur who can offer a useful price+value comparison service for bereaved people. First out of the blocks was FuneralChoice which offers its service free to undertakers and consumers and depends on mystery shopping to source prices, a […]
Travellers funerals
Posted by David Hall Travellers make up a proportion of the Vintage Lorry Funerals business as David Hall has developed a reputation within their community for creating memorable Floral Tribute layouts and a simple no nonsense communicative style that Travellers like. Traveller funerals were there at the very start of the business in 2002 accounting for […]
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 […]
Brighton & Portchester in the same week
Guest post by David Hall Vintage Lorry Funerals sent a marketing pack to Mother & Daughter Funerals in Hove on March 10th 2014 and it generated a funeral on April 9th, a record timescale response to a marketing pack, less than 4 weeks! The Deceased had been an avid collector of model lorries so David Hall […]
Elephant in the Room event success
Posted by Wendy Coulton The elephant had well and truly left the room when the first event of its kind about dying matters was held in Plymouth to challenge the taboo which comes with the D word. A positive unexpected outcome came from bringing together likeminded people under one roof which has now planted the seed […]
What to wear for a funeral
Guest post by Wendy Coulton Choosing what to wear when conducting a funeral is an important aspect as a professional and for the bereaved I am serving. Advice which stuck with me when I was trained as a funeral celebrant was that I am not mourning and therefore it is not a requirement for me […]
