The GFG Blog
2016Feb
Wag goodbye to his lordship
Charles
Feb
17
5 comments
Lord Avebury, the Liberal Democrat peer who died on Valentine’s day was noted for the eccentricity of some of his views. He was a conventional supporter of assisted suicide but his expressed preferences for his disposal raised eyebrows. He was the only person to have his body rejected by
Let’s hear it for our local heroes
Charles
Feb
16
3 comments
Friday’s Times had an article about Matthew Bannister of BBC R4’s obits programme Last Word (Fridays at 4.00 pm). You listen to it? Of course you do. Who doesn’t? Here’s what the article said: When Bannister, who had been a high-profile radio presenter and media executive for many years,
Some of the stories you missed
Charles
Feb
14
3 comments
Jade McAndrew and Rachel Pollard, owners of homewares company Dead Ringer Here are some the news stories you may have inadvertently missed in the last week. In India, a man killed his girlfriend three days before his wedding (to someone else). Such was the stench of her decomposing body,
Funeralcare mouldy corridor scandal
Charles
Feb
12
1 comment
Update from the National Association of Funeral Directors: You may be aware of the media coverage this morning relating to Midcounties Cooperative. In line with our commitment to uphold standards within the profession we have been working closely with Midcounties Cooperative today and sent a team
Top people’s trends
Charles
Feb
12
No Comments
TOP PEOPLE READ THE TIMES If you’re of a certain age (ie, shortly to make the acquaintance of Reaper G) you’ll remember that advertising slogan. It made you worry whether you qualified to buy The Times – whether the newsvendor would cock an eye and snarl, “You ‘avin a
Poem
Charles
Feb
11
4 comments
THE NEW BRIDE by Catherine Smith Dying, darling, is the easy bit. Fifty paracetamol, bride-white and sticking in the throat, ten shots of Johnny Walker, and the deed is done. A twilight day of drowsing, then the breathing slows to a whisper, like a sinner in Confession. Death is dead
Cut-price Co-op offers better funerals cheaper
Charles
Feb
09
4 comments
So. Co-operative Funeralcare is cutting the price of its ‘simple’ funeral by 7 per cent to £1995 excluding third-party payments (once known, quaintly, as disbursements). That’s £140. If you’re a Co-operative Group member you get to save £380. Reminder: the Group is just one of many co-operative societies. There are other
Diddling the doddery
Charles
Feb
04
4 comments
Doorstep scammers, con artists, cold callers, internet swindlers, rogue traders – these are just some of the predators that old people must learn to defend themselves against today. Besieged on all sides, they are. Who can they trust? Charities, surely? Not Age UK for starters, love. Oh no, not them. Them
2016Jan
Counting the cost
Charles
Jan
11
5 comments
Because of the stubborn refusal of all but a small number of undertakers to post their prices online, there’s a commercial opportunity for an entrepreneur who can offer a useful price+value comparison service for bereaved people. First out of the blocks was FuneralChoice which offers its service free to undertakers and consumers and depends on mystery
