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Andrew Smith Funeral Services
Address: Park Green House, 82 Sunderland Street, Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 6HN
Phone: 01625 433853 Email: andrew@andrewsmithfuneralservices.co.uk Web: www.andrewsmithfuneralservices.co.uk
Funeral Director/s: Andrew Smith. Wanted to be a funeral director when he was a boy, but got sidetracked by the world of insurance. Two years ago he and his wife resolved to follow the dream. They sold up, relocated to Macclesfield, bought their beautiful, Georgian, Grade 2 listed premises and restored them superbly, winning a Civic Award. This is one of the best appointed funeral homes in the country. It’s a young business with plenty of local competition, but it's growing fast – as it deserves.
Specific Gravity: Andrew is a traditionalist, something he says most of his clients want. By traditional, we do not mean wearing old-fashioned clothes and going through the motions. There’s nothing superficial about the way Andrew does things. He and his men are turned out splendidly. And he brings to his work a care and a respect and a strong seriousness and a sense of occasion that you all too seldom see. There is absolutely no going through the routine here. Every funeral receives total focus. His vehicles are Daimler DS 420s, some of the loveliest cars ever to grace the highway. He’ll offer you the entire range of alternatives, of course.
What’s important? Meticulous attention to detail goes hand in hand with careful listening, the full exploration of your options and no sense of haste. Andrew takes things at your pace. When you first step into the room in which you will make your arrangements you will be struck by its beauty and this may lead you to fear that the upshot is going to be an enormous bill. Fear not! Andrew is actually less expensive than most - and very good value. He won't try to up-sell you. If you haven't a lot of money to spend, that's fine. You'll get the same level of service as a millionaire.
What’s different? This funeral home is a class act, it really is. Every person and every facility oozes quality. But there’s nothing remotely snobby about it; no one would feel out of their depth here. The welcome is warm and sincere. Andrew does his best for everyone, he really does.
Services: Your call will be answered by Andrew, Lin or Mike (see their pics on their website). You will be seen by Andrew, and he will be there for you throughout. Yes to a home visit. Yes to you coming in and laying out and dressing the person who has died. Andrew is very keen on embalming because, he reckons, it gives you a much better experience when you visit the person who has died. He will discuss this with you and, of course, if you don’t want it, that’s perfectly all right. Andrew has made a commitment to environmentally friendly funerals (he is a member of the Association of Green Funeral Directors) and he will gladly work with those who wish to care for their dead at home: see the DIY section of his website. Same-sex funeral director to lay out the person who has died if you wish. Two of the many outstanding features of this funeral home are, first, that there is a dedicated room in which you can conduct the funeral, and there is a reception room where you can offer refreshments to mourners after the funeral. Both of these options are very popular. There is also plenty of space for mourners to gather before the funeral, especially those who have come a long way, and have a hot drink.
Remarks: Superb service, a lovely funeral home, excellent staff and very, very good value. Here is a man doing his life’s work in the very fullest sense.
There are 4 comments about Andrew Smith Funeral Services
charles said...
An account of a funeral arranged with Andrew Smith was posted by a client on his blog. It is a heartwarming account in its own right, and it also displays Andrew’s rare capacity for entering into a collaborative relationship with his clients. Read the account by clicking this link or pasting it into your browser: http://www.sift.com/blog/teamwork-loss-and-perfect-funeral
Richard Whalley said...
When my girlfriend Laura died at an early age I wanted to do the best I could for her. After our initial conversation with Andrew our minds were made up. He was very professional in how he dealt with us even before we had committed to his company and provided a lot of input into the arrangements which really made it the send off she deserved. On the day, the respect Andrew and his staff showed to Laura really made a difference on such a difficult occasion. Even the little details such as walking in front of the hearse, the solemnity of his staff and their precision as a team made it feel as if they knew Laura and were doing it for her. Andrew handled a lot of the paperwork and worked extremely hard to give us the service we wanted and this is very much appreciated. I can’t recommend Andrew and his team enough.
Jo Papadimitriou said...
My husband died very young in April of this year after a long battle with Cancer. Andrew Smith was my Funeral Director and I cannot praise him enough. He was kind, compassionate and very, very professional. Andrew’s gift is his ability to listen and his willingness to please. Nothing was too much trouble. We wanted to give my husband a grand but dignified send off and that’s exactly what he got. It was beautiful. Andrew was brilliant with my children too, helping them to cope with their sadness. In all, the respect that Andrew showed made us feel very proud of our loved one.
Clare said...
I worked along with Andrew Smith FDs and he and his team’s care, compassion, and professionaism stood out to me.
He even gave the wife a bunch of flowers matching the main tribute on our arrival.
Many other FDs should learn from this excellent firm.