The GFG Blog
2021May
Poetry and signs
Fran Hall
May
26
1 comment
A dear friend sent me a poem at the weekend. Technically, she re-sent it, she had shared it with me soon after Steve died, so the words were familiar, and yet the second I started to read them, the fragile skin I have so painfully grown over the depthless well
2021Apr
The Competition and Markets Authority’s Funeral Market Report – update
Fran Hall
Apr
29
No Comments
“Now is not the time” On April 7th a document published by the Ministry of Justice quietly appeared in the public domain. It was the government’s ‘Response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s Funeral Market Report’, and it does not make for good reading for anyone who believes that the
Love writ large
Fran Hall
Apr
10
1 comment
Love writ large. That’s something I heard a passer-by say quietly as they walked along Albert Embankment this week. They were walking along the National Covid Memorial Wall, with tears running down their cheeks. Thousands and thousands of others have walked the 500m length of the wall of 150,000
2021Mar
Finding words
Fran Hall
Mar
24
1 comment
I think I understand now why the sea is so often used as a metaphor when talking or writing about emotions. When I’m trying to understand how I’m feeling, the descriptive words in my mind are almost always found in analogies to do with the oceans – the waves, the
We all know how this ends.
Fran Hall
Mar
19
No Comments
We have been asked to write about a new book, ‘We all know how this ends’ by end of life doula Anna Lyons and progressive funeral director Louise Winter. It was published yesterday by Bloomsbury and celebrated with virtual tea and cake in a moving, inspiring Zoom session last night.
A word from our patrons
Fran Hall
Mar
16
2 comments
Following the blog post about the online direct cremation providers published on the blog on February 1st, we have had some responses from two of our patrons, Carolyn Harris MP, and Ken West MBE, both challenging some of the points made. This is warmly welcomed – the Good Funeral Guide
The Environmental Stewardship Group
Fran Hall
Mar
04
2 comments
It was a pleasant surprise to be invited to the launch of a new initiative in funeralworld this week – the Environmental Stewardship Group ( ESG) was launched on Monday, with a virtual online event attended by many well-known names and organisations. The recording of the launch event and the
2021Feb
Waiting
Fran Hall
Feb
28
No Comments
Years ago, in 2008, I was crew on the Spirit of Fairbridge for the Tall Ships race. Spirit was a beautiful 92’ schooner dedicated to giving disadvantaged young people new opportunities in life and being part of her crew was a huge privilege – and an unforgettable experience. I was
Disruptors. Not always a good thing.
Fran Hall
Feb
01
1 comment
A new kind of ‘disruptor’ has arrived in the world of funerals. The Good Funeral Guide has long championed those who could be described as ‘disruptors’ – small, ethical, progressive companies who are trying to change the rigid funeral sector for the better. Many of these have started up in
2021Jan
100 Days
Fran Hall
Jan
26
3 comments
26th January 2021 Today it is 100 days since Steve died. And four months exactly since our wedding day. At the weekend, it was the tenth anniversary of my mother’s death. It was a rapid dying, from glioblastoma multiforme. In January 2011, I spent my 50th birthday sitting by her
