Afterthoughts - Funerals

If you’re ethically-minded or you’ve been at all eco-conscious during your life, then you might be thinking that a woodland burial is something you’d prefer. Some people have a special connection to the outdoors during their lives – gardeners and farmers, in particular. But what’s involved, exactly? Does it mean you have to give up […]

Does it have to be black? No. But it is still a good idea to play it safe when it comes to choosing clothes for a funeral. Whatever you decide to wear – and dress codes do vary these days – this isn’t the right time to draw attention to yourself. These tips will help… […]

By Dr David Lewis Our attitude towards death changes from one era to another. For Victorians, dying was as much a part of life as living. Most died at home, rather than in hospital. In some cases, this meant sharing a room with the deceased for as long as a week. Death also occurred more […]

Would you want to have strippers at your funeral? In China, it’s not uncommon. It’s a way of getting more people to attend the event, because large crowds are seen as a mark of honour for the person who has died. Unthinkable here in the UK, or is it? Our approach to planning a good […]

Celebrities make eulogies look easy, don’t they. There’s Colin Farrell, surprising us all with a reading that somehow captured the quintessential essence of Elizabeth Taylor. We saw Costner delivering an emotional, personal tribute to Whitney Houston. There’s Oprah Winfrey, eulogising the history-changing life led by Rosa Parks, the American civil rights activist. And who among […]

When emotions run high, music has a way of saying the things that we cannot. Somehow, we held back the tears as Elton John sang ‘Candle in the wind’ at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. ‘Goodbye England’s Rose’. If you’ve seen the footage of Christina Aguilera eulogising Grammy Award-winning singer, Etta James, with […]