Dead cert
From the Sunday Times, 13 January: Punters in Taiwan are betting on when the terminally sick will die. According to the China Press newspaper, more than 10 syndicates have been set up in senior citizens’ clubs in the city of Taichung to bet on the longevity of cancer patients. The paper claims that gamblers even […]
Someone
Someone someone is dressing up for death today, a change of skirt or tie eating a final feast of buttered sliced pan, tea scarcely having noticed the erection that was his last shaving his face to marble for the icy laying out spraying with deodorant her coarse armpit grass someone today is leaving home on […]
For the glory of the world (Gloria Mundi)
Posted by our Tudor music correspondent Richard Rawlinson England’s finest early composer Thomas Tallis died in 1585, having served as court musician for Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Elizabeth I. Royal patronage then was the equivalent of being signed up to a major record label pre iTunes. He also held posts at a Benedictine priory […]
My Father’s House
Awdri and Allan Doyle are funeral directors in Galashiels. Their new business has been open for just a year. You can read what we think of them here. When Awdri’s Dad died in October, Awdri wanted Amazing Grace at the funeral — the tune rather than the words. She says, “Some hymn tunes are lovely […]
In praise of the well-judged anecdote
We are indebted to Anne Barber for making this paraphrase of what the Daily Telegraph’s obituaries’ editor, Harry de Quetteville, said on Sunday’s Broadcasting House on dear old Radio 4. We all love a good story, but a good anecdote is even better, briefly, amusingly confirming or upsetting the reputations of those we thought we […]
Clouds — Zach Sobiech
In 2009, at aged 14, Sobiech was diagnosed with the bone cancer Osteosarcoma. Several operations and bouts of chemotherapy have followed, but in May this year doctors told him that the cancer had spread and that he only had a few months to live. Well I fell down, down, down Into this dark and lonely […]
Driving up personalisation to the next level
This is The Cooperative Funeralcare’s new telly ad. Lorinda Robinson, Head of Marketing, The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “The advert focuses on personalisation and The Co-operative Funeralcare’s ability to deliver personal touches to make a funeral more memorable and respectful. The business has been a pioneer in TV advertising in the funeral industry and the new […]
Bizarre Burials tonight Channel 5 @ 10pm
I’ve been sitting on a nice email which arrived a few days ago from Back2Back, a TV production company: I just wanted to let you know that our documentary is airing on Thursday 10th Jan, at 10pm on Channel 5. Cripes, that’s tonight already, isn’t it? They add: Thank you so much for all your help and contribution […]
Fuss-free simple burial in Cambridge
We send our best wishes to Tracy O’Leary as she launches her simple, fuss-free burial service, Woodland Wishes, for the people of Cambridgeshire. Her service allows for as much involvement by families as they want. We like the unstuffy text on her website. Tracy’s an old friend of the GFG. She heads up the Winterwillow […]
Famous last tip
From a letter by Roger Mortimer, onetime (horse) racing correspondent of The Sunday Times: Racing has always contained some odd characters not invariably on the side of the law. One such was John Stewart who, when times were bad, used to do a bit of housebreaking in the Kensington area. One afternoon the flat owner […]
