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Victoria Allen Funeral Services
Address: Church View, Chalton Rise, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1ND
Phone: 01584 879 035 Email: vallenfunerals@homecall.co.uk Web: www.vallenfuneralsludlow.co.uk
Funeral Director/s: Victoria Allen BSc, Dip FD (30s). When a little girl, she used to go and watch her granddad, a coffin maker. Two of her great-uncles worked in the funeral trade. Funeral directing seems to be in her DNA. She certainly has as strong a vocation as this Guide has ever seen. "Work," she says, "is my life. It is what I do 24 hours a day every day of the year." She loves what she does. She is eager to please, a good listener and, as she says, "I am who I am. I feel I am a genuine person, always approachable. I don't have an 'office face'." In the brief interludes when she is not working she likes to flop at home with her partner and their dogs, or do a little cooking or reading. Premises are bright, colourful, modern, gloom-free and well equipped. Victoria operates an open door policy, so do ask to see where your loved one will be looked after.
Specific Gravity: She's a great believer in training, is Victoria, because she is a great believer in funeral directors being "serious about what they do." She will be looking to bring her qualifications up to degree standard soon. She also believes it is time the government regulated and licensed the funeral industry. Favours formal funeral attire: Victorian-style frock coat, waistcoat, striped trousers, wing collar and cravat. She'll adjust to something less formal if you wish: grey suits. But if it's jeans you want, sorry. She likes her staff to be properly uniformed, just as she likes them to be properly trained. She has her standards. In the matter of cars, she feels no impulse to follow fashion and be bang up to date - which means that you, as a client, do not have to contribute to servicing steep loans. Victoria is proud of her K-reg Vauxhall hearse. It is "immaculate because we look after her. I am also pleased to say she is a 1.8 so she doesn't use a huge amount of fuel." Alternatives, if you prefer, are a Renault Espace and a Seat Alhambra.
What’s important? Getting it right is what all good funeral directors pride themselves on, but when it comes to going extra miles we doubt if there is anyone who goes as far as Victoria. Yes, she's a worrier - the right sort of worrier. "I feel that one of my greatest strengths is being available to families whenever they need me, day or night." She means it. She also looks after the dead people in her care with the greatest respect and propriety.
What’s different? Victoria thrives on a challenge. We found her, we must confess it, by mystery shopping her (a mean trick but an effective one). We asked her to arrange a funeral so unorthodox that most funeral directors would have found an excuse to put the phone down. Victoria, on the other hand, rose to the occasion and was genuinely keen to do something out of the ordinary. There's a feeling with Victoria that there's no such thing as just another funeral. Every one she does is a first, a one-off. That takes energy and idealism, and she's got plenty of those. She doesn't switch off when it's over, either. "I don't abandon my families after a funeral and will visit them in casual clothes for a cup of tea. Not as a funeral director, but as a listening ear and a friendly face." This is very rare.
Services: You call will be taken by Victoria or Janet Milden. Victoria will almost certainly see it all through with you. On the rare occasions when she cannot be there on the day of the funeral, Don Meredith will be there for you, and you'll meet him well before the day. You can make arrangements at the funeral home or Victoria will come and visit you - which most people prefer. Same sex person to lay out and dress your loved one if you wish. Come in and help if you wish - Victoria will help make this a really special experience. Not a fan of embalming, but will arrange it if you ask. Experienced in serving different ethnic groups. Very happy to work with home funeralists, and has a portable air conditioning unit you can borrow.
Remarks: Victoria offers an unbeatable service. This Guide has had to speak to her sternly about her prices. They are far too low. Her response? "I don't see my work as a job. Money is not my driving force, helping people who are going through one of the worst times in their life is."
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