Stories
June 2018
White 'crocodile' flags are hung outside the home to show someone has died
Death, ritual and funeral customs in Cambodia
Manchester terror attack memorial flowers
A lasting memorial to the Manchester terror attack victims has been created in Hyde Park in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
Good Grief Project film offers hope
A Love That Never Dies, a new documentary produced by The Good Grief Project with Beyond Goodbye Media, screens at UK cinemas across the next two months.
Post-mortem reconstruction course success
Four professionals successfully completed the William Purves Embalming Academy Post Mortem Reconstruction course in April at Edinburgh University Anatomy, run by Martin Jeffrey (MBIE Dip Fd).
Cambs pair clock up 110 years
Two Central England Co-operative colleagues are celebrating after clocking up 110 years between them in helping families say goodbye to their loved ones.
May 2018
'When you sing for a grieving family, you can see the impact live music can have'
We asked the London Funeral Singers to tell us about their work
Rachel is new chair for north west BIE
Rochdale and Bury based Co-op Funeralcare Embalmer, Rachel Carline, has been appointed as the Chairperson for the North West division of The British Institute of Embalmers (BIE).
'We need to talk about young people and death'
A unique conference in Hull, looking at how people remember lost loved ones, saw leading professionals call for more help and support for bereaved children.
Greyfriars Bobby headstone repaired just in time
Edinburgh-based William Purves stepped up at the last minute to repair the headstone of Greyfriars Bobby’s master, one of Scotland’s most visited landmarks, ahead of a large memorial event at the turn of the year.
YESW calls it a day after 43 years
A much loved weekend in the funeral profession’s social and educational calendar has come to an end after 43 years.
April 2018
Hollywood Forever - where the stars live on
A California cemetery, created in 1899, has more of the big names from the film and entertainment world than anywhere else on earth ...
Funeral poverty issue sees not-for-profit launch in Scotland
Caledonia Cremation, the UK’s first not-for-profit funeral director has launched in Scotland.
Beagle Basil brings calm to bereaved
Shrewsbury-based Clive Pugh Funeral Directors believe they have the UK’s first funeral therapy dog ...
New voile window displays add seasonal touch of colour
Colourful Coffins has launched a series of stunning seasonal voile window displays especially for funeral directors.
Fitting send-off for WW2 veteran
A funeral arranger's determination saw an unknown war hero laid to rest with full military honour ...
March 2018
Project set to highlight burial grounds treasures
Conservation charity Caring for God’s Acre, is set to put burial grounds on the heritage map, thanks to £586,700 National Lottery funding.
Dudley remembrance events take place for footballer
A series of commemorative events took place in Dudley, West Midlands, to mark 60 years since Manchester United footballer Duncan Edwards died in the Munich air disaster.
Comment: reducing our use of plastics
The days of plastic coffin handles could be numbered, believes Julian Atkinson from JC Atkinson
Does your funeral firm have the profile it deserves?
Are bereaved people favouring competitors over your funeral home? Mark Binnersley has some advice ...
Quarryman sculpture marks Buxton heritage
A Buxton funeral directors have made their mark on a new sculpture in one of the spa town’s popular parks.
February 2018
Death and funeral customs in Tudor times
Religion in Tudor times was an essential part of life as death was never far away. Life expectancy was extremely short with a quarter of children dying before they were five, and 40 per cent perishing before reaching the age of 16.
Stormzy sings at funeral after Twitter request
Top grime and hip hop artist Stormzy turned up to sing at the funeral of a fan’s father in Reading just before Christmas, after seeing a message on Twitter.
Wrexham cemetery close to capacity
The “traditional” section of Plas Acton Cemetery, Wrexham, is nearing full capacity.
Bereaved families attend Co-op branch rededication
Recently bereaved families who attended the rededication of Tamworth Co-op’s Halliwell Coseley funeral home by two ministers said it brought them comfort during a difficult time.
Dignity first responder honoured
A Dignity funeral manager in the West Country has received a First Responder award on behalf of his group, thanks to their work in the community.
January 2018
New service offers online notification service after a death
Traditionally, newspaper obituaries, phone calls, text messages, email and social media have been the routes to notifying friends and relatives after the loss of a loved one.
Celebrants call for better support at end of life
Thousands of terminally ill people and their families are suffering from a lack of spiritual support being offered in UK hospitals and hospices, it is claimed.
New memorial tree allows leaves to be added
A memorial tree in a new garden dedicated to children and young people at Kettering Crematorium allows families to leave messages.
Coles is a winner
Cardiff funeral firm Coles Funeral Directors has won the Business of the Year award from South Wales community and business magazine Local Link.
Whole-hearted support
Chepstow & Caldicot Funeral Directors Ian Watts & Son were delighted to present a cheque recently to the local Heart-2-Heart & Cardiac Rehabilitation Groups.
December 2017
A source of Christmas comfort
How a shopping trip and a spontaneous social media post became a source of Christmas comfort to many ...
Awareness campaign from child bereavement charity
Prince William is among celebrities lending support to a campaign launched by the charity Child Bereavement UK, which asks children who have lost a parent, or parents who have lost children, what they would say to their loved one if they had another minute with them.
Christmas in soapland: a dangerous time
The festive season is rarely a wholly healthy or happy one in the world of UK TV soap operas, with many a major face meeting a spectacular Yuletide end over the years.
Bereavement group launched
Douch Family Funeral Directors is launching a free monthly bereavement group, led by counsellor Cindy Weller.
60 years' celebration for Trevor
A big celebration marked Trevor Hunnaball’s 60 years service to the funeral industry, bringing together family, friends, colleagues and industry leaders.
Nov 2017
A Victorian legacy
Traditions surrounding family celebrations, including weddings and baptisms and Christmas, echo the Victorian era, and the influence of that time is even clearer in funeral customs. With ITV drama series ‘Victoria’ back on TV screens, we look at the rich legacy the Victorians left the modern world.
Long barrow for Shropshire
Three huge limestone monoliths have been erected in Shropshire, to mark the construction site of a new long barrow burial mound.
The Soulton Long Barrow, which will be built by Sacred Stones Ltd, will be the region’s first in 5,000 years.
TV gets people talking about death
TV can be a useful in getting people to talk about their own funeral choices, according to research commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare.
With almost a third of Brits admitting to struggling to talk about death, TV shows – particularly soap operas and medical dramas – play an important role in prompting them to tackle the issue.
New acquisitions for Funeral Partners
Three established funeral businesses in the Midlands and North of England have joined Funeral Partners, the UK’s third largest funeral services business.
Tyne & Wear funeral business Daren Persson, Lancashire’s Kavanagh and Coates, and High Street Funerals in Erdington, Birmingham, now all come under the Funeral Partners banner.
One giant leap for Victoria
Funeral director Victoria Dittrich has taken a leap of faith and abseiled down The Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to raise money for charity.
Victoria, from Paul Capper Funeral Directors in Eastleigh, descended the 560-foot tower in September after a three-month wait for perfect weather conditions.
Oct 2017
Recognising heroes
Once seen as the quirky province of the industry’s ‘progressives’, the Good Funeral Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of the bereavement care world – now embrace all the elements.
FSJ sits down with the great and the good at this year’s ceremony…
Funeral poverty up as costs rise again
The average cost of a funeral in the UK has risen again. The Royal London National Funeral Cost Index 2017, published in partnership with The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), puts the average at £3,784, up 3%, while SunLife’s annual Cost of Dying report says funeral costs have risen 4.7% in the year to £4,078, up by more than 70% in a decade.
How families cut funeral costs
According to insurance provider SunLife, which has just released its annual Cost of Dying Report, almost half of those who have organised a funeral have cut back on some aspects to keep costs down.
Top of the list for cutting costs is the coffin, with more than one in three families who cut back saying they went for a cheaper option.
New way to have crucial 'death' conversations
A new website is encouraging people to create a plan for their funeral and share it with friends and family.
The site – huunuu (say it out loud) – lets users build a ‘virtual funeral bucket list’ by uploading and adding ideas and pictures. It’s completely free to users.
Popstar opens children’s memorial garden
Former Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley opened a special children's memorial garden at Dignity-owned Lichfield Crematorium.
The garden is called Violets in Bloom after Violet Mornington, who died of a rare blood disorder in July 2013 at the age of just five.
Sept 2017
Ashes to water
Water can be a peaceful final place to lay the cremated ashes of a loved one, evoking a sense of freedom and release, and offering a sense of comfort for those left behind. Small wonder it features on many people’s funeral wish list….
Death considered most difficult topic
Conversations about death are considered among the hardest to have and the most avoided, according to research by Co-op Funeralcare.
Telling someone a loved one has died, telling a loved one about a life-limiting illness or offering consolation after someone has died are the conversations people fear most...
More choice could pay off
A survey commissioned by Colourful Coffins suggests that funeral directors may not be giving older people as much choice as the younger generation when it comes to choosing a coffin for a loved one.
The company said its YouGov Omnibus survey of more than 2,100 18 to 70-year-olds showed a quarter of those over 70 would opt for cardboard if choosing a personalised picture coffin for a loved one, and just 8% of people aged 18 to 24 would do the same.
Funeral singing tailored
An innovative agency is offering a bespoke funeral singing service to help create a personalised celebration of life.
Founded by Briony Rawle and Penelope Shipley, both professional singers, The London Funeral Singers agency comprises around 50 vocalists, covering all musical genres and styles, and all have had to audition...
Family business recognised
Independent family business Button & Family Funeral Services has won a Big Heart award for the Southeast in the National Family Business Awards.
The gongs recognise the level of service provided by family-run businesses that really care about their customers.
May 2017
Village of sacrifice
In the heart of rural Derbyshire a village stands as a monument to both tragedy and sacrifice…
New home for Unsaid messages
Some of the most heartfelt ‘goodbye’ messages are now available to view online – and site visitors can also leave their own message for someone special.
Associations unite on regulation
Funeral directors from across Scotland came together at a conference in Stirling to pledge to work with the Scottish Government on introducing regulation to the sector.
The pledge follows the passing of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016, which includes the introduction of a statutory inspector of funeral directors, regulations governing the profession and the possible licensing of funeral directors.
Funeral directors sent to the Tower
A funeral for a relative of a Tower of London employee took place at the historic site.
New president wants to ‘make a difference’
Regulation and the Social Fund Funeral payment are just two of the key issues singled out by SAIF’s new national president as key for funeral directors.
March 2017
Sharing the cost
Peter Toulson’s funeral wasn’t particularly unusual. It took place in a chapel at Leeds's Lawnswood Crematorium, and included a mid-range coffin, Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve, and tributes and stories from friends. However, it was paid for people who were pretty much strangers.
Glasgow has poorest life expectancy
Scotland as a whole has the poorest life expectancy of any of the UK nations, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with Glasgow showing the lowest of any area.
Scotland recorded 1,177 deaths per 100,000 of population in 2015, compared to England's rate of 989.6.
Crazy Coffins at the Southbank
Bespoke coffin company Crazy Coffins made a special appearance at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
A dozen of its creations – including a ballet shoe, a skip and a Viking longship – were on display as part of the Belief and Beyond Belief festival running at the Southbank Centre throughout 2017.
Sharing approach builds community
A family funeral firm in Country Durham has developed a programme of community activities that gives their business a social focus.
Valerie Greenwood: obituary
Valerie Greenwood, one of the best-known funeral arrangers in the southeast has passed away.
Valerie, a linch-pin of Surrey’s Alan Greenwood & Sons Funeral Directors, collapsed suddenly while at work, and died later in St George's Hospital Tooting. She was 64.
