The GFG Blog

2014Jul

So it goes

Charles
Jul 17
1 comment
  Posted by Vale Have you ever thought what it is to be a King or a Queen? You are, usually, born to it: it is your life and your duty. Our own Queen clearly feels this keenly. As far as a commoner can tell, for her, the coronation oath
Categories:  Assisted dying, Assisted suicide, suicide Tags:  Assisted Dying, Funerals, Seneca, Suicide

Fire & Water

Charles
Jul 16
8 comments
  Posted by John Porter I am an archer. I am a funeral celebrant. The last funeral I facilitated was of Thelma, my archery coach. She used to coach the British archery team many years ago. The chairman of Tonbridge Archers led the tribute and, much to everyone’s surprise (he
Categories:  funeral, open-air cremation, viking funeral

One better than Webster

Charles
Jul 15
3 comments
    Posted by Vale ‘Webster was much possessed by death And saw the skull beneath the skin’ Today 21st century body art offers the opportunity to go one step further and actually put the skull there. It’s called a sub dermal implant and it’s what you can do when
Categories:  Art and death, Taste

How To Die In Britain

Charles
Jul 14
3 comments
  In just over a week Lord Falconer’s bill on assisted dying will have its second reading in the House of Lords. Opinion seems to be moving in its favour. The British Medical Journal has published an editorial in favour, recognising that increasing numbers of medical people support it. A
Categories:  Assisted suicide

The ash-scattering radio-controlled helicopter

Charles
Jul 12
4 comments
  We love this new way of scattering ashes and we think you will, too. Flight begins at 1 min 30 secs. Website here.
Categories:  ashes

Locked in memory

Charles
Jul 11
6 comments
  Guest post by John Porter I was wandering around the Albert Dock in Liverpool and came across these padlocks locked to the immensely thick chain that guarded the quayside. In fact there were thousands of them! Many had etched inscriptions saying things like “Will love you for ever Simon”, “Never
Categories:  memorialisation

More to it than wearing a hat and making a face

Charles
Jul 10
13 comments
    Guest post — At the request of the writer, her name has been withheld for the time being I first became aware of this blog when I was researching the effect of Downton Abbey on British attitudes to what used to be called domestic service. What caught my attention was
Categories:  funeral customs, funeral directors

A greener way to embalm?

Charles
Jul 09
No Comments
  Guest post by Hatty Stafford Charles of Naturensbalm   Embalming is used in a number of circumstances and for a variety of reasons.  If the body is to be viewed before or during the funeral, embalming will sometimes be necessary.  If the person has died after an accident or
Categories:  Embalming

Responsibility for your own conduct

Charles
Jul 08
2 comments
  By celebrant Wendy Coulton of Dragonfly FuneralsThe Plymouth Herald ran a story recently about a family complaint that the funeral service for their relative was disrupted by the loud and distracting sound of laughter and conversation outside by a large number of people waiting to attend the next funeral. They included
Categories:  celebrants, crematoria, funeral directors

Statement by the FBCA

Charles
Jul 08
No Comments
The Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities has received much criticism on this blog in the past week. I have received an assurance from the FCBA Secretary that a response will be forthcoming.
Categories:  cremation, crematoria