A tale of two funerals
Over in Pyongyang mourners wail for the loss of the great leader Kim Jong Il. As Andrew McLaughlin puts it: This is really otherworldly. And terrifying. It’s depressing to be reminded that it’s possible, with energetic and relentless propaganda, surveillance, and oppression, to delude vast numbers of human beings into genuine feelings of attachment to, […]
Singer-songwriter-undertaker
A MUSIC-loving funeral director could soon be playing a key role in a national songwriting competition. Distinguished figures like Sir Terry Wogan, ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris and Johnnie Walker may be casting a critical ear over a song penned for charity by Neil Brunton – if he can secure enough online votes. Neil’s song, ‘Jacob Street’, […]
Making over the undertakers
Following this post by Andrew Hickson of Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services in St Neots, we at the GFG sense we may spend some of 2012 talking about how funeral directors can improve public perception of themselves and differentiate themselves from their competitors by communicating the good news about themselves appropriately and effectively. Andrew himself is […]
Stealing a march?
By Andrew Hickson, proprietor of Kingfisher Independent Funeral Services, St Neots. A couple of days ago, Charles asked me to write a blog post about marketing. I wanted to approach this from the point-of-view of a Funeral Director such as myself who has recently established a business, and is therefore dazzled, bemused and somewhat apprehensive […]
Going the wrong way
Roughly a third of family members of I.C.U. patients show symptoms of post-traumatic stress, according to research by the French intensive-care expert Elie Azoulay and his collaborators. If a loved one dies in intensive care after discussions about advance directives and patient wishes — that is, after the family has been made fully aware of the finality […]
A real funeral
Several hundred people turned up to pay their respects to the popular young man known as “Dougs”, who was carried to the outdoor ceremony in a wooden casket made by family and friends. Two farm dogs had place of honour next to his casket, which was placed on the deck of a farm truck. Read […]
Opacity of ownership
George Crump. No, not that one, this one. It’s the adjudication all we Midlanders have been waiting for: the Advertising Standards Authority ruling on an advertisement which, on 8 July 2011, ran as follows: George Crump & Son Funeral Directors Est 1895 … Available day or night – Under the personal supervision of Michael J. […]
Bloggledegook
Everything you ever wanted to know about natural burial but forgot to ask: A natural burial involves the preparation of a human body for embalming. It uses disinfectants but it avoids chemical preservatives. These preservatives or fluids might destroy the natural decomposition, composed of microbes. These living things are used to break down the body as it […]
Never cut a mourner a bit of slack
From This Is Bristol: I WANT to share a distressing experience with your readers. Last Monday(12th) was my Mum’s funeral it was at 12.30 at Canford Crematorium. We were waiting for the hearse to come to our house and at about 12.10 it had still not arrived I rang the funeral company in case they […]
Personalisation at its most underwhelming
Frazer Consultants a personalization, technology, and consulting company for the death care profession announced the launch of their new, patent pending funeral product, the Life Journey temporary grave marker. This new, revolutionary invention is not only a temporary grave marker, but also a unique keepsake. After the permanent grave marker is in place, the photo […]
