Funeral Service Times 2010 01 January by Arthouse Publishing Solutions

uneral

The independent voice of the funeral profession

ervice times JANUARY 2010

www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk

A fitting tribute The growing popularity of civil funeral celebrants

Management software How to choose the right solution for you

Unknown warriors How the CWGC fulfilled the need for a national ceremony to mourn those lost on the battlefield

A tranquil oasis

Exploring the meandering paths of Nunhead Cemetery in south London - one of the Magnificent Seven

��

� � � ��

� � � �

��

� � � � �

��

�

This month

Ja n ua ry 2 010

Editor’s letter

Contents

Dispatches

The latest news from the profession

Computerised management

Bob Whitaker of John Wilde & Co discusses funeral management software, and provides a step-by-step guide for choosing a solution

Products

New products and services from the trade

Victorian magnificence

Jeanne Griffiths takes a stroll through Nunhead Cemetery in south London – perhaps the least famous of the Magnificent Seven

A fitting tribute

Julie Bindel discusses the rising popularity of celebrant-lead funeral services, especially for those with no religious beliefs

Letter

Hearing issues at crematoria and churches

He is not missing, he is here

Major Mike Peters continues his series studying the history and work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Going the extra mile

Managing director of Greenfield Creations Will Hunneybel discusses the reasons behind his company’s success

David Hall

elcome to 2010! Time to blow away the cobwebs and begin the New Year with fresh ideas, aspirations and resolutions. And with this in mind, we are pleased to reveal the new-look Funeral Service Times, which I very much hope you will enjoy. Beautifully complemented by the new design, this month’s news and features are, as usual, intended to be both informative and interesting, helping you in a professional capacity but also providing light relief from your daily work. On page 20, Julie Bindel discovers the reasons behind the growing popularity of funeral celebrant-lead services – an option which is especially suitable for those with no religious beliefs – and the training required in order to become a celebrant. Computers now drive the operations of most businesses, but as Bob Whitaker of John Wilde & Co explains, only a relatively small percentage of those businesses will be using the computers to their full potential. Turn to page 8 for advice and guidance to help you in choosing a suitable funeral management software solution for your business. For the next instalment in our cemeteries series, Jeanne Griffiths explores Nunhead Cemetery in south London – perhaps the least well known of outer London’s socalled Magnificent Seven, but certainly one of the most attractive (page 14). Finally, Mike Peters continues his Commonwealth War Graves Commission series on page 26, and David Hall recalls a somewhat traumatising motorway experience during a recent journey to the West Midlands in his 1950s Leyland Beaver (page 34). Wishing you a happy and successful month and year ahead.

This month, David Hall recounts a tale of motorway horror, experienced on a recent journey to the West Midlands

Charity spotlight

The MS Society invested more than £6 million into research during 2008, mostly thanks to its generous supporters and volunteers

Obituaries

Events

Up and coming events for the funeral profession

Voice on the highstreet Eirlys Johnson of Breckland Funeral Services

Louise Hoffman

lh@funeralservicetimes.co.uk

A tribute to some of those who have died recently

Dispatches

Funeral Service The independent voice of the funeral profession

times

Funeral Service Times is published monthly by:

Mulberry Publications Ltd

Mulberry Publications Ltd, Wellington House, Butt Road, Colchester CO3 3DA Tel: 01206 767 797 Fax: 01206 767 532 www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk Deputy Editor

Louise Hoffman

lh@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Editorial Assistant

Louise Miles

New ‘Donate in Memory’ service is now available from Cancer Research UK A leading charity is offering a service that will complement funeral directors’ businesses and will help them to provide something extra special for their clients. The website www.donateinmemory.org allows clients who have lost a loved one to cancer to encourage people close to them to donate to Cancer Research UK in their memory. This free service allows clients to do as much or as little as they want. In a few simple steps they can create a personalised web page that can include a photo and their own message. The web link can then be sent to family, friends and colleagues inviting them to make a donation and to add their own message of condolence. The funeral director can set up his or her client’s page initially if desired, and the client then has the option of being able to edit and update it at a later date. Information about funeral arrangements or memorial events can also be added to their personal webpage, removing the need for phone calls at such a difficult time.

louise@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Production Editor

Matt Bower

copy@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Group Advertisement Manager

Kelly Smith

kelly@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Advertising Sales

Russell Collins

russell@funeralservicetimes.co.uk

Antony Greenwood

antony@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Accounts

Tina Pitcher

accounts@funeralservicetimes.co.uk Customer Services

01206 767 797

JC Atkinson wins National Green Award Washington-based coffin and casket manufacturer JC Atkinson has been named as the 2009 national winner of the British Chambers of Commerce Green Award. The Green Award recognises the company that demonstrates environmental best practice, ethical best practice or sustainable development. The Chamber Awards were launched by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in 2004 to recognise and celebrate business excellence through the successes and achievements of its Accredited Chambers of Commerce and their members. Julian Atkinson, managing director of JC Atkinson, who attended the BCC Awards evening in London on Thursday 27 November, commented: “For us, environmental best practice makes sound business sense as well as being ethically right, cutting our energy bills and shaping our brand values. I am delighted that our efforts have again been recognised on a national stage.”

customers@mulberrypublications.co.uk Contributing writers:

Bob Whitaker, David Hall, Jeanne Griffiths, Julie Bindel and Major Mike Peters Design

Emma Aldous, Arthouse

www.arthousepublishing.co.uk contact@arthousepublishing.co.uk

The editor and publishers do not guarantee the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any statement that they express in this publication. The opinion of the contributors may not necessarily be the opinion of the publishers. Articles are considered for publication on the basis that they are the author’s original work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the permission of the publishers.

Event layout improvements for Tanexpo 2010 The best of Italian and international funeral production will go on display at Tanexpo in March 2010 spanning 23,000 square metres. Every year the trade show Tanexpo, located in Bologna, expects 16,000 professional visitors from all over the world. From the 26 to 28 May the 2010 event will cover halls 16, 21 and 22 at the Bologna fairgrounds. The new layout will hopefully expedite exhibitors’ work during stand-up and allow improved visitor flow. The event will, as always, present exclusive ideas and production innovation for the funeral and cemetery sector, and it will also bring together important arts and architectural academies, leading designers and manufacturers to develop new ideas for tombstones and funerary chapels.

Dispatches

Paul J King achieves ‘Buy with Confidence’ accreditation Paul J King Funeral Directors is the first funeral director in Essex to be made an approved member of the Buy with Confidence Scheme, operated by Trading Standards. Paul King said: “The business was subject to stringent checks by Trading Standards staff to ensure we are complying with the law and that we deal fairly and honestly with our customers. Trading Standards officers also contacted our clients to check on the level of customer service we provide and our staff members were interviewed as well. Being an approved member demonstrates our commitment to deal fairly and honestly with all our customers.”

Funeral director seminar a success Funeral directors had the opportunity to consider future business trends at a recent series of seminars jointly hosted by Funeral Planning Services and Final Duties. Meetings were held in November and December at Norwich, Epping, Northampton, Derby, Knutsford, Sevenoaks, Southampton and Bristol. In an informative presentation on ‘Where is the funeral market going?’ Steve McCracken of FMC Consulting discussed the latest market trends, highlighting opportunities and threats for the independent funeral business. Graham Williams of Funeral Planning Services outlined ‘How to maximise your future business’, suggesting not only how to promote funeral plans effectively but also how to secure a reasonable price at the time for funerals that are prepaid. The feedback form completed on the day indicated that 51 per cent had “learnt a lot today” and 49 per cent said they had “learnt something useful today”. The organisations are looking to plan more events for 2010.

Three minute interview

Melissa Stewart of Native Woodland Ltd The first thing I think when I wake up is:

Is my daughter up yet, or shall I call the army? In an ideal world I’d go to work and find:

A parking space. Even in a rural town like Monmouth they are like gold dust. I didn’t get where I am today without:

Music in my life. The best advice I was ever given was:

Never open a bottle when a magnum will suffice. One thing this job has taught me is:

AutoCAD! If I wasn’t doing this I’d probably:

Exercise more.

RBI offers fundraising flights for Cancer Research Breast cancer is the second largest cancer killer of women in the UK, with 12,000 women dying of the disease in 2009. However, it is also the most curable if successfully diagnosed and treated in time. Treatment, research and public awareness initiatives require funds, and a large percentage of this is provided by the public and through donations from businesses. Rowland Brothers International’s ‘Fly High’ scheme, launched in June 2009, is one such business fundraising scheme, with £40 donated to Cancer Research for every outbound repatriation flight booked with the company, at no extra cost to the passenger or funeral director. For further information please call 0208 684 2324, email info@rowlandbrothersinternational.co.uk or visit www.rowlandbrothersinternational.co.uk

The main quality I demand from my colleagues is:

Obedience! If I could have dinner with anyone it would be:

Franz Joseph Haydn, a chamber orchestra and a couple of singers. If I could do it all again:

I wouldn’t change that much. I’ve been very lucky. My next goal is to:

Encourage a national sea change away from cremation and towards green burial. I’d like to be remembered as:

Not dull. My last thought at night:

Another big day tomorrow…

Software

Computerised management

Software

Computers now drive the operations of most businesses. Bob Whitaker of John Wilde & Co provides a step-by-step guide for choosing a funeral management software solution

wenty years ago an entry-level desktop computer cost in the region of £1,800 – approximately £3,000 when adjusted for inflation. The machine would have had a mono (green) screen and either no hard drive or possibly a small, 10 megabyte drive. Programmes would be DOS-based and run from 5 ¼ inch floppy disks. Today, an entry-level computer costs £350 and features a 200 gigabyte hard drive and 19 inch widescreen flat panel colour monitor, and operates about a hundred times faster. Little wonder then that the use of computers in businesses of all sizes has expanded massively in that period, and today the majority of funeral businesses will have a computer tucked away somewhere. However, only a relatively small percentage of those operations will be using the computer to their best advantage by running software specially designed for their day-to-day tasks. As with the computers themselves there is a wide range of software solutions available to the profession, with a variety of prices and features. Even the very best solutions are surprisingly affordable, and can represent just 0.05 per cent of the cost of an average funeral for a large business, rising to a mere 0.35 per cent for even the smallest of operations. Yet the benefits they bring to your business can be enormous.

So what should you be looking for in a software solution? The first choice to be made is desktop- or webbased, in other words are the programmes and your data held on a computer within your business or on a server somewhere out on the internet. While there are some advantages to having a web-based system, such as easy access from anywhere and there being no requirement for specialist software to be loaded on your computer, concerns over security and continuity of connection mean the desktop is still the system of choice for most businesses, and it should be noted that the multiplicity of remote access services available mean that systems held locally can still be accessed from remote locations but in a highly secure manner.

Only a relatively small percentage of [businesses] will be using their computer to best advantage by running software specially designed for their day-to-day tasks The second choice to be made is ‘off the shelf’ or ‘bespoke’. The lower priced solutions on offer tend to be very basic and offer no opportunity for the user to stamp their established ‘style’ on the documents produced. A good bespoke system will be based on an established and easily upgradeable database engine, but will offer almost limitless opportunities for the software vendor to customise the documentation produced to match the existing look and feel of your business. Third choice: rent or buy? Outright purchase almost always works out costing considerably less than annual rental over a five-year period, and if cash flow is an issue a number of finance companies are willing to assist with such purchases. The final and most important choice is ‘vendor pedigree’. The industry has seen a number of software providers come and go, leaving users without support and with software that cannot be upgraded to work with the latest operating systems. Your chosen supplier should be able to provide you with high quality ongoing support and product development in the years to come.

Software

Having considered your choices illustrated above, what should you then be looking for from your chosen supplier? Below is a list of features, all of which are highly desirable in a funeral management package, but the single most important feature is ease of use and this can be defined as follows: • Are the data entry screens clear and intuitive? • Is data entry easy for ‘one fingered typists’? For example, the market leading system incorporates an ‘intelligent capitalisation’ feature which means data can be entered all in lower case and be correctly capitalised, including special circumstances such as McDonald or O’Brien. • Can much of the data entry be achieved by simply selecting from pre-configured lists of options? Other essential features are: • Single click production of all key documents relating to a funeral arrangement both before and after the event, including confirmations, estimates, press notices, accounts etc. • Seamless integration with email and other software such as word processors etc. • Integrated calendar and diary which is automatically updated from entry of funeral details. • Quick and efficient accounting for charitable donations, including the ability to generate letters to accompany donations and to advise families of the amounts collected and forwarded. • Debtor control, including generation of reminder letters and scheduling of follow up of such letters. • The ability to generate and process ‘after the event’ or non-funeral related accounts.

• Rapid search of historic data by a wide range of criteria such as deceased name, date of death, funeral reference, applicant’s name etc. • Comprehensive and flexible reporting allowing the user to generate a wide number of reports on funerals between a user-entered range of dates. Such reports might include the different styles of coffins used or the number of vehicles used, and also it is becoming increasingly important to generate reports on fees paid to doctors or clergy, and for the ability of these reports to be grouped to reflect group medical practices or team ministries. • Links to processing of monumental orders. • Links to other software such as full scale accounting packages, for example Sage, meaning data can be transferred into such accounting systems without the necessity for it to be entered twice. Your chosen system should be based on an ‘industry standard’ filing system, meaning that your valuable data can be easily used in other programmes such as Microsoft Excel or Crystal Reports for whatever analysis you may wish to perform. And remember, it is no more necessary to be ‘computer literate’ in order to get the best out of a well-designed funeral management package than it is to know the detailed workings of an internal combustion engine in order to drive a car! Bob Whitaker is software development director for John Wilde & Co Ltd, vendor of ‘Funeral Manager’. Visit www.johnwilde.co.uk for more information.

Products

DTH Burial and Churchyard Services

This highly regarded service has been providing quality hand dug graves throughout the Midlands area for several years, and DTH has now expanded its services to cover all of central England. All graves are hand crafted, full written risk assessment is carried out for all locations and every funeral is overseen correctly. DTH is fully conversant with health and safety requirements and religious needs. It takes pride in preparing the final resting place and works to ensure its service is an extension of your professionalism. Information: Please contact David Homer on 07912 855 460

Trike Funeral Hearse Ltd

Peter Lem Funeral Services Ltd has joined forces with motorcycle enthusiast Maurice Dodd for the trike hearse, which is now available to hire and also for subcontract to other funeral directors in the southwest. Peter Lem approached Maurice after seeing the trike hearse he had made to carry his late wife’s coffin, believing it to be a perfect tribute for any motorbike fan, or anyone looking for something a bit different. “It’s quite unusual but I think it will be popular,” he said. “We’ve already done funerals where the coffin has turned up on a tractor and trailer, and the hearse Maurice had made for Janice was wonderful so I thought it was an idea worth pursuing.” The body of the hearse was built by Weybay Joinery, it is eight feet long and four feet high, and is designed to be towed by a Harley trike. “It will be unique to this area,” said Maurice. “These days people are shunning the idea of black tie and black suit funerals and going for something a bit different for the big send off. This way they go out in style.” Information: 01305 776 444 or 07799 137 051

Greenfield Creations Ltd

One of Greenfield Creations’ latest ideas is to use decoupage as a method of giving the images on the coffins more depth. This idea was launched recently at the Stoneleigh show in Coventry and a lot of interest was shown. Currently various floral designs have been created but Greenfield Creations is now exploring this decorative idea and, if proved popular, will be extending the range. Decoupage can be used as part of the coffin design or created as an accessory. The Greenfield Creations website has been recently re-designed to include an extensive gallery of designs. Information: 01440 788 866 or www.greenfieldcreations.co.uk

Cemeteries

Victorian magnificence

Cemeteries

Nunhead Cemetery in south London is little known but one of the greatest examples of its kind, says Jeanne Griffiths

erhaps the least famous of the Magnificent Seven – the seven Victorian cemeteries built in outer London – Nunhead Cemetery is one of the most attractive. Built on 52 acres in south-east London, its meandering paths and broken memorials, many reclaimed by nature, create a tranquil wilderness in a now urban setting. In 1800, the population of London was one million. Within 50 years, it had risen to around 2.5 million, exacerbating the problem of a lack of burial space. Although there were Nonconformist burial grounds, such as London’s Bunhill Fields created in the 1650s, and the earliest Jewish burial ground, in east London, of 1657, there was much criticism of burials in Church of England graveyards and vaults in urban areas throughout the 17th century. Until the 17th century, high status burials took place inside churches, in vaults often sunk into the floor. Most were more simply interred in parish graveyards, but these quickly became full, especially in towns. Quite apart from the common practice of body snatching, many were not buried deep enough or were put in communal graves, graves were often cleared too soon, or bodies were just dumped, posing a health hazard.

Nunhead was effectively abandoned until local conservation and history groups stepped in From the mid-17th century, people like Sir Christopher Wren, Sir John Vanburgh and John Evelyn revived the Ancient Roman idea of cemeteries on the outskirts of a town. The first was opened in Bloomsbury in 1714. In the 1770s, urban cemeteries were created in Belfast (Clifton) and Edinburgh (Calton Hill). In 1819 the first public cemetery in England was opened, in Norwich (The Rosary). However, although a few other public cemeteries opened, there was no legislation to allow public authorities to do so. Parliament passed an Act, conveniently first read during a cholera outbreak, to allow private companies to step in, and the first privately owned cemetery for the public, All Souls’ at Kensal Green, opened in 1833. Originally known as ‘All Saints’ Cemetery’, Nunhead was opened in 1840 by the London Cemetery Company, one of the seven Victorian cemeteries built around London in areas that were then mainly market gardens. But by the 1960s, economics took hold – they were too expensive to maintain and some companies simply locked the gates and walked away. Nunhead was effectively abandoned until local conservation and history groups stepped in. While other cemeteries in the Magnificent Seven may boast the graves of more famous people – Michael Faraday, George Elliot, Christina Rossetti and Karl Marx at Highgate; and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Thackerey, Trollope, Wilkie Collins and, only last year, playwright Harold Pinter, at Kensal Green – Nunhead rivals them for intrigue and beauty. Today, although not fully restored, it is a fascinating place to visit. Huge Victorian monuments vie for space with smaller, crumbling headstones. Nature has taken

Cemeteries

Photographs by Joshua Hayes

Time and urban planning have not taken one of the best views of St Paul’s Cathedral from the top of a hill over much of it – peer into the interior from one of the many paths and all you see is a mass of ivy, with the occasional cross or stone angel peeping through. But time and urban planning have not taken one of the best views of St Paul’s Cathedral from the top of a hill, and the London Eye can be clearly seen from in front of the Anglican Chapel ruin, a victim of vandalism. There was a second chapel, but it was bombed in the war. The first entry of burials was Charles Abbott, a 101-year-old grocer. There’s the grave of a man who fought in the American civil war, a French Huguenot marquis, a cavalryman who rode in the charge of the Light Brigade and lived to tell the tale. One of the most intriguing memorials is a large obelisk dedicated to five 18th century political reformers, the ‘Scottish Martyrs’, who put the cause of justice before their own lives. Nunhead has a war memorial to the fallen of world war one, and WW1 memorial graves to soldiers of Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, including one for Private G W Hovell of the NZ Maori Battalion, who died on the 20 October 1915, aged just 18. There is also a memorial to the boy scouts of Walworth Troop, who lost their lives in a terrible sea accident off the Isle of Sheppey. Their training ship was hit by another vessel and, while some were rescued, nine boys, aged from 11 to 14, drowned. Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, ordered

the destroyer HMS Fervent to bring the coffins up the Thames, where all ships on the river lowered their flags. There were reports that one million people lined the streets as the cortège passed by. As you wander round, you are struck by the wealth of some Victorians. Alongside the vast obelisks and carved angels, there is the grave of Thomas Wing, who died in 1889. The inscription states that he left the sum of £70,000 (around £6 million today) in trust to the Clothworkers Company of London for annual pensions of £20 each, “without conditions as to the sex, age or place of birth”. It is touching to see flowers still placed on the graves of those who died in the 20th century. Burials still take place in a newer area, and there is a special Muslim burial section. But mostly, it is a tranquil oasis in a now built up area, used by dog walkers and joggers and those fascinated by Victoriana. Friends of Nunhead Cemetery run guided tours but you can wander daily at will. For more information visit www.fonc.org.uk Jeanne Griffiths runs Milestone Press, a company producing Books of Remembrance for organisations and individuals to print themselves www.milestonepress.co.uk

Funeral Celebrants

A fitting tribute There are now approximately 150 funeral celebrants in the UK, offering unique and personalised services, especially appropriate for those with no religious beliefs. Julie Bindel discusses

n 1998 I lost a very close friend in tragic circumstances. Emma had been an atheist almost all of her life, and those of us charged with organising her funeral were concerned that she was not misrepresented in death. We were lucky to have a funeral director who understood, and advised us to find someone to conduct the service with good oratory skills who would take the lead from those who knew Emma. Sarah, a barrister and close friend of the bereaved, conducted the service having been primed by us about Emma’s character and life history. After the service, which was beautiful, several people approached us saying how surprised they were that we had not chosen a humanist celebrant, often the alternative to a vicar or rabbi where the deceased is non-religious. “I didn’t know it was allowed,” was a phrase we heard more than once.

Now, more than a decade later, civil funeral celebrants are becoming increasingly popular. The definition of a civil funeral is one which is “…driven by the wishes, beliefs and values of the deceased and their family, not by the beliefs or ideology of the person conducting the funeral.” I have been to four other funerals since Emma died, only one of which was conduced by a vicar. “Humanism is still a dogma, albeit not a religious one,” Frank Green, a celebrant living in Australia, told me. “So if the deceased had no such beliefs, the proper alternative is to have a civil service.” Christine Ogdon has been a funeral celebrant since 2005. Having given up teaching, she was looking for a part-time and flexible job in which she could make good use of her natural empathy and social skills. Like

Funeral Celebrants

many other celebrants, Christine began by conducting baby naming ceremonies and civil partnerships before training to conduct funerals. “After my training course, which was extremely thorough, I began to visit the funeral directors in the area to introduce myself and persuade them to recommend me.” The Institute of Civil Funerals (IOCF) runs the only accredited course of its kind and prides itself on being the only professional civil funeral celebrant training course that is externally accredited by the Open College Network at Level 3. Those who pass the three and a half day residential course are given a six-month associate membership of the IOCF. “The IOCF was founded in 2004 with an aim to drive upwards the quality of funeral ceremonies in the UK by supporting the work of civil funeral celebrants,” says its chairman Anne Barber. “We send out questionnaires to all of our affiliates’ clients after the event and get almost a 100 per cent return, and almost all positive.” Celebrants get the vast majority of referrals from funeral directors, with a small number contacting them directly through word of mouth. A friend alerted me to Green Fuse Contemporary Funerals in Devon. She had hired them to arrange her father’s funeral from start to finish and offered what she called a “bespoke and holistic event, which reflected my father’s life and helped us remember him as he was.” Jane Morrell and Simon Smith set up Green Fuse ten years ago. It began as a flower shop offering ceremonies and ceremony planning, and Jane would display coffins in between bouquets and pot plants. “Although we were offering services in different areas such as baby naming and weddings, it was the need for funeral advice and ceremonies which overwhelmed, so we decided to focus exclusively on that need.” Soon, Green Fuse became funeral directors as well as funeral celebrants and now can design and preside over a funeral from start to finish. They now also provide training in funeral celebrancy. “I have been asked to conduct a funeral by the side of a barge,” says Christine Ogdon, “and have had grandchildren playing rock-guitar as the coffin was led out. The good thing about having a celebrant is that

they will reflect the life of the person rather than a particular religious belief.” Christine charges around £160 to conduct a funeral service, but preparation can involve spending an average of 10 hours with the bereaved in order to get, “not just their CV or life history, but the essence of their character. “I am the only person in the room who never met the person,” she adds, “so I want to be able to feel like I know them enough by the time of the ceremony so that the mourners will recognise the deceased.” With the tragic deaths of babies and young children, celebrants should focus on the joy the deceased brought to the parents and other loved ones. But what about independent funeral celebrants who set themselves up in business with little or no training? Anne Barber thinks that funeral directors are well versed in spotting inexperience, and will go for the professional with recognised qualifications in order to ensure that their clients have a positive experience throughout the process. “This is a relatively new profession,” says Barber, who thought up the title of ‘civil funeral celebrant’ back in 2000. “We need to ensure that celebrants live up to the standard required.” Doreen Salisbury chose a celebrant to preside over her sister’s funeral last year and was delighted with the result. “My sister was only 52, and had never followed a religion. We held her funeral in a hotel, and followed it immediately with a memorial service where lots of people got up and spoke about her. It took much of the sadness out of the day.” With only 30 per cent of people in the UK being affiliated to a religious belief, civil funerals are becoming more popular and relevant than in previous years. However, there is no ban on religious content during the service. “My elderly Catholic aunt was at my sister’s funeral and would have been offended if we had not included a prayer, so we did. It was fine with the celebrant, and did not affect the uniqueness of the service for the rest of us.” For many, the presence of a vicar or other religious representative is a comfort, whereas for others they feel it hypocritical to arrange a religious service if the deceased was a non-believer. Civil celebrants offer an alternative. I suspect we will be seeing far more of them in the future.

With only 30 per cent of people in the UK being affiliated to a religious belief, civil funerals are becoming more popular and relevant than in previous years

Letters

Hearing issues at crematoria and churches

Dear Editor, It is a well-documented fact that roughly half of all people aged 60 or over have substantial hearing loss, and of those aged 80 or over this rises to more than 90 per cent. It therefore follows that a significant proportion of people attending a typical funeral service will have hearing problems, and the funeral director will want to do as much as possible to help them follow the service. The type of support needed will vary according to the extent of a person’s hearing loss and their background. The majority of hearing-impaired people have some residual hearing and will be able to follow the proceedings if the sound system includes an effective and working inductive loop system. Others with greater degrees of hearing loss would require alternative forms of communication support, but it is important to realise that they need the right form of support. For instance, provision of a sign language interpreter would be of no help to the majority of severely or profoundly deaf people, who do not use sign language. To ensure the best, most suitable provision is available, it is always advisable to introduce the question of needs into the early stages of discussions with clients. In most cases provision of a loop system will be all that is required and these are already fitted in most or all crematoria. Firstly you need to confirm that all the venues used are indeed fitted with a good quality inductive loop system, that this is regularly tested and is routinely switched on. Suitable signs should be on display confirming that a loop system is in place and inviting hearing aid users to switch to the ‘T’ setting on their aids. Secondly, it is axiomatic that any loop system or sound reinforcement system can only be as good as the microphone system feeding it. You should check that good quality microphones are provided – preferably of the ‘tie-clip’ type – and ensure that every celebrant or speaker is briefed as to the importance of using the microphone effectively. There is no point in having a good microphone mounted on the lectern if the celebrant stands several feet to one side of it for most of the service. In theory, services held in churches should also be supported by inductive loop systems, in practice the availability and quality of church loop systems can be very variable, so it is important to check on a case by case basis that the church is fitted with an effective loop system – and that it is switched on. People who are profoundly or severely deaf have little or no ability to hear speech, and have to rely on predominantly visual inputs to follow the service. If people in this category will be at a specific service, it is necessary to discuss with the client the form of communication support they wish to provide, which might take the form of a lipspeaker or a speech to text reporter, or a sign language interpreter, but it is absolutely crucial the right type of support is provided. All these forms of communications support are expensive and need booking well in advance, so the need must be identified at the outset of the planning process. Even so it may not always be possible to provide them because of availability or perhaps cost. In those circumstances the only effective way to ensure proper participation may be for written notes to be provided to the deaf individual detailing what the celebrant and any speakers will be saying. Following these simple concepts will greatly help people with hearing problems to participate properly in the service. Paul N Tomlinson, The National Association of Deafened People

Focus

He is not missing, he is here

Major Mike Peters

takes a look at the ways in which the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has commemorated many thousands of unknown warriors

n the two previous articles in this series, we have looked at the origins and work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). This month we will focus on the way in which the CWGC has carried out the difficult and emotive issue of the commemoration of those whose bodies were never found – the missing. We will also touch on the need for a focal point for grief. The Great War policy of burying British war dead on or close to the battlefield denied tens of thousands of bereaved families’ confirmation of death, the opportunity to greave and the rituals of mourning. Hardly a town or village in Great Britain was untouched by death; this widespread sense of loss triggered the need for a national ceremony that would fill the void of the missing individual funeral. Victory and the Armistice in 1918 had done nothing to lift our nation out of its limbo of grief. With the benefit of 21st century hindsight this depressing situation is difficult to comprehend. However, as I mentioned in last month’s feature, the prospect of repatriating more than three quarters of a million coffins to British shores was considered to be too huge a risk to national morale. As a result of the non-repatriation policy and the subsequent absence of the rituals of death, the British celebrated their victory without the opportunity to comprehend

Focus

From the top: Menin Gate land elevation; Menin Gate unveiling; Thiepval construction; Thiepval today

their losses. Something had to be done to rectify this situation and allow the nation to show its grief and come to terms with the reality of their loss. The CWGC was to be involved in this process of reconciliation and guided the nation through the cycle of grief. Efforts were already underway at a local level as communities of all sizes erected memorials to their dead and missing. The nature and financial cost of these monuments varied dramatically but their purpose was generally the same – to acknowledge sacrifice and provide a focal point (in place of graves) for communal grief. This concept was adapted for a national ceremony and what was initially intended to be a temporary monument. Sir Edwin Lutyens had designed a large edifice constructed of wood and stone to mark the national Peace Day celebrations in July 1919. The monument was placed on Whitehall where it was intended to remain for a matter of days. In similar fashion to the roadside tributes of today it became an unofficial national focal point, attracting hundreds of unofficial tributes in the form of flowers and wreaths. The suggestion in 1919 that what we now know as the Cenotaph should be dismantled was greeted with public outcry. Lutyens was then invited to design a permanent replacement in stone, and the concept of a cenotaph as a national memorial was conceived. Later that year on Armistice Day the first two-minute silence was held to mark the sacrifice of the British Empire and the Commonwealth. These small steps were not enough in the eyes of many to heal the pain felt by the still grieving millions. The solution conceived by an army chaplain was simple – a national funeral that would allow the whole nation to go through the ritual of burial and mourning. There would be a single repatriation that would bring home one soldier from the battlefields and the nation would bury him collectively. This national ceremony took place on 11 November 1920 in London. The soldier that we now know as the ‘unknown warrior’ was selected at random from four unidentified bodies. The whole process was overseen by General L J Wyatt, and each of the bodies had been brought to him from separate battlefields. Once the General had chosen the unknown warrior he was prepared for his journey home from France. What followed was a journey and burial service involving every ounce of pomp and ceremony that the British Empire could muster. The tomb of the unknown warrior in Westminster Abbey and the Cenotaph on Whitehall became the grave of the fallen and memorial to the missing for the British nation at home. These symbolic centre pieces at home and the graveyards of the CWGC around the world were a fitting tribute to the sacrifice of the Great War. There were, however, tens of thousands of soldiers who had no known grave. What were their relatives to do and where could they go to mourn the missing? The blood-soaked fields of the Ypres salient, the Somme valley and Arras still held the shattered remains of the bodies of their loved ones. The CWGC charter provided for the commemoration of the missing. Leading architects were each given the daunting task of designing and building a fitting memorial in Ypres and on the Somme. Sir Reginald Blomfeld took inspiration for the Ypres memorial from ancient Rome, designing a classic memorial to be built on the ruins of the Menin Gate. A hugely symbolic site standing astride the road leading out of the Belgian city and out toward Menin and into the salient. The Gate is designed to commemorate up to 60,000 soldiers who the fortunes of war have denied proper burial. Rudyard Kipling chose the following inscription for the gate: To the Armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 To 1918 and to those of their dead who have no known grave. It is a sobering statistic that so many men were denied identification or location after the war that a further 30,000 names were inscribed on a memorial wall at the largest CWGC cemetery at Tyne Cott outside Ypres. The importance of Ypres to the British nation at the time cannot be underestimated. Winston Churchill referred to it as both the ‘Immortal Salient’ and ‘Sacred Ground’. It is under the Menin Gate that the ceremony of the last post is conducted every evening. The ceremony began in 1927 and has only been interrupted by German occupation in the second world war. Sir Edwin Lutyens was given the equally emotive task of commemorating the missing of the battles of the Somme valley. He adopted a very different approach to the design of his memorial arch on high ground overlooking the valley of Ancre. He placed his arch on the site of the fiercely contested German strong point of Thiepval. Using materials that symbolise the working class origin of Kitchener’s Army of the Somme, he created a radical series of arches that dominate the entire Somme landscape. The Thiepval Arch ensures that the 72,000 missing of Kitchener’s Armies are never forgotten.

Company profile

Going the extra mile Greenfield Creations has been manufacturing environmentally friendly cardboard coffins since 1990. Managing director Will Hunneybel explains how the company is maintaining its position at the forefront of the industry

How long has Greenfield Creations been trading, and what developments has it undergone since establishment? Greenfield Creations has 20 years of experience producing eco coffins and is one of the foremost companies in the sector. We offer a green solution without compromising on style or design to ensure that the eco conscious consumer has more choice than ever before. Due to the increase in demand over the years, especially recently, we have increased our manufacturing capacity. New printing equipment has also been purchased to help with the growth surge. Our staff undergo extensive training in the manufacturing process to ensure high quality at all times. Due to the workload increase we have recently employed a new sales manager who will be taking some of the pressure away from my busy days. What is the company’s ethos? Greenfield Creations’ ethos is to provide a customerfocused service at all times. We ensure all our products are high quality, cost effective and always delivered on time. We pride ourselves in being a company that will always ‘go the extra mile’. Can you say a little about the company’s product range in the present day? Our product range needs to take into account that people want variety of choice. Products range from our

Company profile

brown economy coffin, which is the most cost effective and eco friendly, through to complete bespoke designs. We have standard and exclusive printed coffins and an extensive range of pictorials available. In regard to the bespoke coffins we produce, the Greenfield Creations design team will help customers add their personal touch, and express their thoughts and memories, by creating a personal pictorial tribute. Canvas covered coffins, hand painted by a professional artist, have also been produced recently. Wicker and wooden pictorial coffins can also be purchased from Greenfield Creations. The wooden pictorial coffins can have designs applied in exactly the same manner as our cardboard coffins.

involvement is important and Greenfield Creations offers a range of design assistance. Our customers can simply submit their own photos or images or get their initial inspiration from the pictures and patterns section on our website. Some of our customers prefer to have a more ‘hands-on’ approach with the design and decoration. We offer a lily white basic cardboard coffin that can be decorated, to their choosing, by the family and loved ones. New developments with design techniques are ongoing and we recently added to our repertoire the option of having a professional artist hand paint a canvas-covered coffin for customers to express their ideas. This was demonstrated recently at a trade show.

How important is an online presence in today’s marketplace? Extremely! Easy accessibility for users, presented in an easy to use format, is the key to success in this industry. To help funeral directors and their customers produce a pictorial tribute or bespoke design we have an online gallery of pictures and patterns to produce a design from, or they can be used for inspiration. So funeral directors now have the ability to show their customers our full range of products and full A4 size product pictures at the click of a button. Here at Greenfield Creations we have recently re-designed our website and are encouraging online ordering by offering a 10 per cent incentive discount. Please visit our website at www.greenfieldcreations.co.uk

What would you say sets your company apart from the others? As mentioned earlier, at Greenfield Creations we pride ourselves on ‘going the extra mile’. For example, recently I had an order request at 2:00pm and the customer required delivery of the coffin by 8:30am the following day, in Copenhagen! We had to shuffle a few things but we were determined to get the job done. Traffic was a nightmare to Heathrow airport, but we met the deadline and the customer was extremely happy. If, for any reason, we have an issue arise with an order we will do everything we can to correct it, in a timely manner, to ensure customer satisfaction and thus future orders. Something else that sets our company apart from the others is definitely our product price.

Tell us about the Greenfield Creations production facilities. Is much of the manufacturing process automated? Our production facilities are all in-house. We are endeavouring to keep a low resource manufacturing process, so although a lot of our processes are automated the final assembly/construction of our products are, and will continue to be, hand finished. We are proud that our products are manufactured completely in-house and this acts as a driver in keeping costs down and being able to offer extremely competitive prices. What materials do you work with? Biodegradable cardboard is used for manufacturing our products and is made from at least 70 per cent post consumer waste sourced from local mills. Any new fibre/wood pulp purchased will be from reputable sources, which adhere to the various forestry management and sustainability bodies (SFI/FSC/PEFC). We do not buy material from unidentified sources. Water based glues are used during construction and the use of jute linings and natural rope handles ensures the product is 100 per cent biodegradable. All our materials are manufactured in the UK. Can you outline the design process involved in the development of a new coffin? We aim to produce a visual proof within 24 hours for customer approval or alteration. When approved we aim to deliver bespoke coffins within 72 hours. Client

How have recent social and industry sector changes helped the company? The new eco conscious world has had a massive impact on Greenfield Creations. Green issues are at the forefront of peoples’ minds currently and although we were ahead of the game 20 years ago we now feel that the social and industry sectors are beginning to catch up with us. How important is it for the funeral profession to become more environmentally friendly? Keeping up with the times and newer trends, in any industry, is vital. Supporting new associations within the industry is also invaluable and we are now members of the Association of Green Funeral Directors. What are your plans for Greenfield Creations going forward? To keep offering a customer-focused service so that everyone will have the confidence in our company to produce exactly what they require and deliver it on time. Greenfield Creations will ensure investment in newer/greener technology as it becomes available to keep our manufacturing facility at the forefront of the industry. We will continue to be ‘price conscious’ and will make every effort to keep prices for customers as low as possible. We will be exploring new decorative ideas and methods to enhance our existing product range. Further development of our website is ongoing and exciting new features will be revealed in 2010.

David Hall

Protected by truckers On a recent journey to the West Midlands in his 1950 Leyland Beaver, a wrong turn landed David Hall in a sticky motorway situation…

n planning journeys I always avoid motorways as, with a top speed of 32 mph, I am a danger to myself and other road-users. The roads I use are the old A roads which existed before the first motorway was built in 1959, and the routes I select are designed to avoid major towns and congestion points. With an average speed of 25 mph overall, I also adjust the timing of my departure to avoid other traffic, particularly lorry drivers who find it hard to skip past me. Certain roads are often used, including the A31 for London, and my main road north is the A361. If I am travelling to a funeral director the day before a funeral then I will experiment and if possible try out new roads. So when I got an enquiry from F P Gaunt & Sons Ltd of Blackheath in the West Midlands, I decided to explore the A38 north of Gloucester, which runs parallel to the M5. I left home at 5:00am and took the A46 from Bath through Stroud, and was at the A417 junction, south of Cheltenham, before 7:00am, enabling me to enter the Gloucester outer ring road before the start of the morning rush hour. I followed the A38 signs through Tewkesbury and everything was going to plan until I reached the outskirts of Worcester. You can have aerial pictures from Google in front of you, you can have a list of road numbers beside you, but what really matters is the quality and clarity of signs in front of you. I was attempting to follow the A4440 eastern bypass of Worcester, however at the second roundabout the A4440 sign disappeared, I got confused, and before I realised that I had taken a wrong turn, I was travelling down the slip road of the M5 at junction 7! I knew that I shouldn’t have been there but having made the wrong decision there was no turning back. I was petrified by the prospect of cars zooming past me at speeds of 70 mph and beyond, and was expecting the worst. However, the first vehicle I saw in my mirror was one of Eddie Stobart’s fleet, whose driver flashed his headlights twice as he indicated right and moved across into lane two to let me onto the carriageway. As he cruised past I put on my headlights when he was clear of my lorry and as he moved back into lane one he thanked me by flashing his left indicator, then right and left again. I looked in my mirror and a second

lorry repeated the process, however he thanked me for flashing him in by putting his sidelights on and off twice, which was the signal used in the 1950s before the advent of indicators. In the three miles from junction 7 to 8 I was surrounded by lorries, which provided a protective cordon around me, forcing all the cars into lane three. I often write articles on my business or tributes for obituaries that appear in transport magazines and most lorry drivers know me, helping me wherever they can, allowing the cortege through or blocking cars trying to pass me in the outside lane of a dual carriageway. I arrived in Blackheath around 2:30pm and was descended upon by a team of enthusiastic young lads who not only insisted on washing my lorry but also blackened my tyres. This was a first as I normally only use a chamois leather with warm water, as my wife polishes the Leyland Beaver before every funeral. Mrs Green and her family came early to see the display that I had created specifically to provide high focus for their main tribute – a 24-inch heart.

Charity spotlight

Working to beat MS The MS Society invested more than £6 million into research during 2008, mostly thanks to its generous supporters and volunteers

ultiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating and currently incurable neurological condition that affects around 100,000 people in the UK. Usually diagnosed in your 20s and 30s, it is a chronic condition that affects three times as many women as men. It is unique in its range of symptoms and unpredictability. MS damages the central nervous system and because of this its symptoms can fluctuate dramatically. Someone can feel fighting fit one day, only to wake unable to see or get out of bed the next. This causes major problems in working life, as a parent, as a husband, wife, or friend. MS can cause grinding fatigue, nerve pain, loss of sight and mobility, plus many other problems. But you may have two friends with MS, one who runs marathons from time to time and the other unable to move without assistance. This is the nature of MS – it is different for everyone. Many people with MS battle daily to take it on and fight it, trying to beat it by staying in work; by staying

in the family home; and through the support of family, friends and others like them. There is no good time to be diagnosed with MS, but thanks to advances in our understanding of the condition and to developments brought about by medical research there are a range of therapeutic options now available. And for the many hundreds of thousands of people across the UK living with the effects of MS, research offers the greatest hope for the future. As the UK’s largest charitable funder of MS research, the MS Society is well placed to try to turn this hope into reality. In the past three years we have trebled our annual commitment to MS research. More than £6 million was invested in 2008, mostly money raised through the support of thousands of volunteers and generous donors. The MS Society’s research team works with people affected by MS and with experts in MS research to select high quality, cutting edge research projects to

Charity spotlight

Giving in memory is one of the most lasting ways of remembering someone, and one of the best ways of helping us to continue our vital work fund, and as a result the field of MS research is moving forward quicker than ever before. As a result of our funding, we have seen the installation of a new, high-powered MRI scanner at the Institute of Neurology at Queen Square in London. We have funded a unique trial investigating the potential benefit of hookworms in people with MS, on the back of early research that suggests the worms, when introduced into the gut, play a role in dampening down the overactive immune system. And a number of exciting trials are expected to conclude in the next few years, that will give us valuable insight into interesting new ways of treating MS by tackling some of the symptoms, or by halting or even reversing disability in people with MS. Giving in memory is one of the most lasting ways of remembering someone, and one of the best ways of helping us to continue our vital work to support people with MS and our long-term commitment to research into the condition. Kind gifts like this account for over ÂŁ250,000 of our income each year and can be made in lieu of flowers via collection envelopes that can be distributed at funerals or given to relatives and loved ones. These are printed with our return Freepost address so that they can be returned at a later date, and we encourage people to give what they can via secure Direct Debit, so as to avoid cash in the post. Often when we lose a loved one we want to make a special tribute that will live on in their name, and the MS Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tribute funds are a lasting way for friends and family to celebrate the life of someone close to them. Through a tribute fund you can celebrate the life of someone youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lost, while funding vital work to help people with MS. Anyone can contribute to an MS Society tribute fund, as often and in whichever way they wish, whether this is by direct debit, holding an event, taking part in a sporting challenge or through anniversary donations. You can see your tribute fund donations grow as everyone remembers your loved one in their own special way. Tribute funds not only help the Society to provide advice, information and practical support to people with MS today, but also help us carry out research long into the future.

For further information on setting up a Tribute Fund please contact Alison Monk on 0208 438 0728 or email tributefunds@mssociety.org.uk

Obituaries

Rest in peace A tribute to some wellknown individuals who have sadly passed away during the last month

1 December – Eric Woolfson (aged 64) This lead singer, songwriter and lyricist, executive producer and pianist helped to create the best-selling 70s rock concept band, the Alan Parsons Project (APP), which released 10 albums and sold some 45 million copies.

2 December – Maggie Jones (aged 75) The Coronation Street star had played the battleaxe character of Blanche Hunt since 1974. In the 1990s she also made guest appearances in Dalziel and Pascoe, Goodnight Sweetheart, Heartbeat and Peak Practice.

3 December – Richard Todd (aged 90) Todd was one of the first British officers to land in Normandy in advance of the main D-Day landings, and went on to become Britain’s highest-earning matinee idol of the post-war years.

4 December – Liam Clancy (aged 74) Clancy was an Irish folk singer who was part of the group the Clancy Brothers, who have made an impact far beyond their homeland over the last half-century. He was described by Bob Dylan as “the best ballad singer I ever heard in my life”.

4 December – Count Otto Lambsdorff (aged 82) The German MP was well-known as an eloquent speaker and a master of sarcasm. He was part of the liberal party known as the FDP, stationed in Bonn, and Lambsdorff stood out amid the humdrum of German politics.

4 December – Eddie Fatu (aged 36) Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Umaga. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a two-time Intercontinental Champion.

4 December – Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov (aged 81) Vyacheslav Tikhonov was a Russian actor who immortalised a fictional wartime spy called Stirlitz in a 1973 Soviet TV series. He also appeared in a Soviet adaptation of War and Peace in the 1960s; a film version of Dostoyevsky’s The Devils (1992); and the Oscar-winning Burnt by the Sun (1994).

9 December – Gene Barry (aged 90) Born in New York City, Barry was a film, stage and television actor. His television career began in 1950, and he starred in his first film – the role of Dr Frank Addison in The Atomic City – in 1952. In the following year he played Dr Clayton Forrester in The War of the Worlds, going on to make a cameo appearance in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 War of the Worlds. He starred in three of his own TV series – Bat Masterson, The Name of the Game, and Burke’s Law, the latter of which won him the 1965 Golden Globe. In 1973 he starred in the ITV television series The Adventurer, alongside Barry Morse and Catherine Schell.

TOMBLETS

.com ®

GRANITE PHOTOPLAQUES

Unique shotblast technology... High resolution photos... Deep cut engraving... Trade Prices from £69.95 NEW Oval al mall Ov SSmall

0mm 00 x 990mm 1100

Large Heart eart arge H L 165 140mm 40mm 65 x 1 1

Large Oval val arge O L 40mm 65 x 1140mm 1165 NEW Heart art mall He SSmall

100 90mm 0mm 0x9 10

Tomblets, Oatfield House, ouse, atfield H mblets, O To Campbeltown PA28 PH A28 66PH ampbeltown P C Tel: 51818 01586) 5551818 el: ((01586) T www.tomblets.com ww.tomblets.com w

Events & footfall

Events 9 January BIFD General Meeting Bemberton Heath Methodist Hall, Salisbury www.bifd.org.uk

12 January BIFD General Meeting Wearside Health Club, Doxford Park, Sunderland www.bifd.org.uk

16 January Scottish SAIF Annual Dinner & Dance Marine Hotel, Troon, Ayrshire www.saif.org.uk

8 February

26 March

SAIF Midlands Regional Meeting Anstey, Leicester

TanExpo Bologna, Italy

www.saif.org.uk

www.tanexpo.com

27 February

13 – 15 May

London Association of Funeral Directors Park Hotel, London

AFE Asian Funeral Expo Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

www.bifd.org.uk

www.hkcec.com

13 March Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors Hilton, London

13 – 15 May

www.bifd.org.uk

www.befa2010.de

12 – 14 March

5 – 7 July

SAIF AGM and Banquet 2010 Docklands Riverside Hotel, London

Cremation & Burial Conference & Exhibition 2010 (CBCE 2010) The Holiday Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

0207 064 4450

BEFA International Funeral Event Düsseldorf, Germany

conference@cremation.org.uk

29 – 31 October BIFD AGM and Conference Bellhouse Hotel, Beaconsfield www.bifd.org.uk

10 – 12 June 2011 The National Funeral Exhibition Stoneleigh Exhibition and Event Centre Tanexpo, Bologna

www.nationalfuneralexhibition.co.uk

Classified 42 CLASSIFIED

��

Classified 45 CLASSIFIED 43

FUNERAL ACCESSORIES & SERVICES Organ Playing. Professional service throughout Yorkshire. For full information and contact details visit www.yorkshire organist.co.uk Anthony Rudd F.T.C.L, L.L.C.M. Tel: 01924 373213 or 01765 689460 M.A.E. Mortuary Cosmetology & Hairdressing Training Services, Professional, Quality, Training Service Visit website markelliott.biz or telephone 07515 985114 always here to assist with your training requirements. Jazzband to lead cortege, from solo saxophone to full New Orleans parade band. Joyous or sombre music. Smart uniforms and professional. Available nationwide. eurekajazz.co.uk Tel: 0121 449 0119 UK Trade Transfer / Repatriation Service. North West based, Competitive charges. Professionally fitted Ford Galaxy. Nick Gandon F/D, 07907 087999 / 0845 3939102 “Traditional values since 1970”. Dove Releases. Available in East Midlands, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas. Please contact Matthew on 07860 558685 or preferably email for our brochure: weddingdovesnow@aol.com Bespoke packages available, both hand and basket release.

��

Voice on the highstreet

Voice on the Highstreet Eirlys Johnson of Breckland Funeral Services,

part of the Fairways Partnership

How did you get into the industry? I would have to say, completely by accident or luck. Although in work, I really wanted to go back to working within an office environment. Almost 18 years ago, I successfully applied for the position of clerical assistant with Breckland Funeral Services, which is now part of the Fairways Partnership. Within a few months I started to study for my NAFD Diploma and began conducting funerals. In 1994 I qualified as a funeral director and was one of the first 12 candidates in the country to pass the NAFD Higher Diploma in Funeral Service Management. Having gradually worked my way up, I now hold the position of manager, responsible for four funeral homes in Anglia. How has the funeral profession changed since you started? There are a lot more females within the profession now. When I started I was part of a minority, however it is good to be able to say this isn’t the case anymore. One thing which hasn’t changed, however, is the need for attention to detail and to treat every family as individuals and endeavouring to meet their special requests. Are people making a wider range of requests than before? Yes they are, but there is so much more to offer families now – bespoke coffins, varying modes of transport and so on. And with the internet available to more people than ever, they seem to be more aware of the options before contacting the funeral director. What changes can you see happening in the future? I believe more people will purchase funeral plans. With more and more funeral directors taking at least the costs of the disbursements before the funeral and with changes having to be made to meet EU regulations for crematoria, costs could rise dramatically. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your day-to-day job? From a funeral director’s point of view, ensuring that the service I am arranging for a family is exactly what they want to say goodbye to their loved one. From a manager’s point of view, endeavouring to do my best for the great team I work with.

Are you passionate about a particular area of the profession? This is a difficult question for me to answer, because quite honestly I care deeply for everything I do at work, from the families that walk through the door, to the great team that I work with everyday. Although if I’m honest my deepest passion is that everything must be right for our clients from the first point of contact – it is very difficult to go back and try to correct mistakes in our profession. What advice would you have for anyone starting out in the industry? Accept every chance you get to gain as much experience as possible, and please don’t think you will know everything there is to know within a year or two – even after nearly 18 years in the profession I am still learning and no two days are the same. Listen carefully to the families you are looking after and you will be able to deliver a service that’s right for them.