Rest Assured

Everyone has a story of something going wrong at a funeral. Mourners at someone else’s send-off, coffins slipping, the ‘favourite song’ with the dodgy lyrics - lots of ways in which an important and emotional event can descend into chaos. Maybe that’s what people need at such a time - a valve which lets the humanity of the situation escape from the formality. But the afternoon I have just spent - behind the scenes at a crematorium - has proved to me that careful planning, coupled with respect and empathy, means the funeral you attend will more than likely go off without a hitch. I saw meticulous attention to detail, in-depth knowledge about all aspects of the committal process and people who really want to make sure your experience is as good as it can be. Funerals themselves have to be conducted in a timely manner and run to a pretty safe format ( a wake or memorial is the time for lengthy anecdotes and communal commemoration) so the staff who run them are quick and thorough, but they care every bit as much as you do that the person to whom you say goodbye is treated well at every stage of the process. Just in case you were wondering.