Woolly coffin sales have increased, says Pudsey firm

A West Yorkshire textile company which makes woollen coffins said it has seen a marked increase in sales.

Pudsey-based family firm Hainsworth said sales had risen from 35 a month in April to 75 in August.

Adam Hainsworth, a director at the firm, said: "There's a market for alternative coffins and funeral directors are now more open to them."

The biodegradable fleecy coffins are now exported to America, Australia and Europe.

The firm said it saw a 29% increase in August after their range of woollen coffins were included in a brochure by a national chain of funeral directors in July.

Mr Hainsworth said: "People who've seen them like the look of them. Not only are they aesthetically nice to look at but they're also green."

Royal request

He said sales were now averaging between 70 and 80 coffins a month compared with 20 sales in 2009, when it first launched.

The coffins are made from British sheep's wool and recycled cardboard.

Prince Charles recently asked for the woollen coffins to be exhibited at an event in London promoting sustainable living.

In a speech, the prince who started a wool campaign earlier this year, said: "I was particularly insistent that the people who make woollen coffins were there."

A manufacturer of uniforms and textiles for the emergency services and the military for more than 200 years, Hainsworth drew inspiration from 17th century burial methods for their woollen coffins.

The 1667 Burial in Wool Act said the dead, except plague victims, should be buried in English woollen shrouds.

A convention... for fans of undertakers?

BOURNEMOUTH is set to host the first ever convention dedicated to cult US television show Six Feet Under, which was set around a family-owned funeral business in California.

Organiser Brian Jenner hopes fellow fans will seize the opportunity to spend a weekend in the resort next August, and hear talks from an embalmer, an undertaker, academics, writers and former Daily Telegraph obituaries editor Andrew McKie.

He plans to offer them the chance to picnic in the “stunningly beautiful” Wimborne Road cemetery, sit in a hearse, watch a screening of the film Harold and Maude, and take part in sessions to discuss their favourite characters and episodes.

Although planning is in the very early stages, he also hopes to persuade some of the cast members and others involved with the programme to turn up.

HBO series Six Feet Under was created and produced by Alan Ball, who also wrote the 1999 Oscar-winning movie American Beauty and created the more recent TV hit True Blood.

Its 63 episodes – each starting with a death – revolved around the dysfunctional Fisher family and screened in the USA between 2001 and 2005. The stellar cast included James Cromwell, Rachel Griffiths, Mena Suvari, Patricia Clarkson and Kathy Bates.

Writer Mr Jenner said the programme had nearly half a million fans on Facebook, and some were already expressing interest in attending the convention.

“I was at school with Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty, which was Alan Ball’s first big hit. The fact that Alan Ball has written to me and wished me good luck I feel is an endorsement. The next step is to write to all the key members of the cast.”

Tickets are not due to go on sale until March.

Pioneering coffin cart unveiled.

A supplier of environmentally friendly funeral items is using the National Funeral Exhibition in June to showcase two of its latest products, one of which is new to the UK market.

Fine Timber Products, which is based on the border of Shropshire and Worcestershire, will be unveiling its pioneering coffin cart at the funeral service exhibition (stand C2A), as well as a water hyacinth and cane coffin which is a new addition to the firm’s portfolio.

Owner of FTP, James Meynell, said: “I can not think of a more appropriate event at which to display these products to the trade than at the NFE, though we will also be exhibiting our core range of seagrass, wicker and bamboo coffins.

“I am sure that the coffin cart, which is made of wicker and soft wood, will raise a few eyebrows but only because they are new to this country – I am pretty confident that there will be a positive reaction.

“I introduced the cart to our product list because there is often quite a distance for coffins to travel on these sites, and the carts are light, easy to manoeuvre and surprisingly robust.

“This is important because they will need to stand up well to the terrain of natural burial, which is where I see them being particularly useful. I personally like their appearance and I think they would blend in extremely well at both green and traditional funerals.”

FTP is also introducing oval examples of the water hyacinth and cane coffins to its existing range and Mr Meynell is confident that they will prove extremely popular.

“ They are certainly visually pleasing and robust, but perhaps more importantly their harvest actually aids the environment,” he said.

“We are procuring them from China where water hyacinth has to be controlled or it potentially clogs up lakes and waterways, blocking out sunlight which is vital for plants and starving the water of oxygen. Furthermore it grows like a weed and therefore it replenishes extremely easily.”

The ultimate hearse?

It’s been around a little while now, but I finally got a photo of the Maserati hearse from Intercar at Funexpo. The late Polish President Lech Kaczynski took his final journey in one, and for £250,000!!!!!!! I'll have two please.

New web site!

I've just started putting together a new web site at:-

http://www.funeralchoices.co.uk

I have only hosted the home page so far and would appreciate any advice, ideas and comments. I will be adding more over the next few weeks and I will put a post on here when I feel the site may be worth re-visiting.

From Malta.....Horse-drawn hearses back from the dead

The next time you spot a somewhat eerie carriage, being drawn by black horses, clad in black feathers and a cloak, driven by a man in a black suit and top hat, don't be fooled into thinking it's a scene out of Dracula.

The chances are you will spot one on the roads some time soon. Horse-drawn carriage hearses were last seen on our streets some 40 years ago but an undertaker has dug up his collection and is breathing new life into them, following public demand. Louis Borg's resurrection of the horse-drawn hearses comes in the wake of the liberalisation of the motorised market, which led him to diversify, giving him the edge over double the competitors he had before.

But he does not want to create another monopoly and is willing to extend the service of his restored carriages to other undertakers everywhere if their clients ask for it.

In fact, he does not mind if he fails to make money "as long as I revive the tradition," he said, touring his Sliema garages, piled with carriage paraphernalia including papier-mâché angels and equestrian equipment.

All he wants is to unearth that sense of respect for the dead that comes with the carriages. On their first appearance after four decades last week, they commanded much reverence from the man in the street, Mr Borg pointed out.

"Everyone bowed their heads, made the sign of the cross, looked in awe and moved aside. Normally, when we use the cars, it could be any other vehicle on the road. Nobody gives way," he continued.

Mr Borg has been driving the dead for 30 years and had never experienced such a scenario, which he deems fit for a funeral.

Some of his carriages are up to 120 years old and, unlike other undertakers, who sold them overseas and stripped them when they stopped using them in 1970, the Borg family had the foresight to keep theirs in storage.

Now he is bringing back from the dead his first-class carriage (tal-kewba), which was used by "rich Sliema residents"; the prima and sekonda, which are for lower levels of society respectively, but equally elaborate to the fresh eye; and the white version for babies and single women.

The set comprises the priest's carriage, which would also transport the altar boy dressed as he would have back then and carrying the large cross, sticking out of the window as tradition would have it.

In a €60,000 investment, Mr Borg is restoring them to their original state, using nothing but antique items, even down to the bolts and buttons.

In two weeks, a set of four carriages should be rearing to go and the whole project should be complete in nine months, when the undertaker would be able to carry out three funerals of the sort simultaneously. It cost Mr Borg around €5,000 to restore the prima and €3,500 for the priest's carriage, which comes complete with an old bell to function as a horn in case a driver gets distracted.

"This did not exist in the original but at least it is old too," he said, determined to remain in the past. It still has the original number plate - 260 from 1901.

He is even buying rubber tyres from overseas to put round the wheels to reduce the noise and be able to drive into Mdina and Valletta.

In fact, he plans to drive the carriages everywhere, according to requests. "We can go from any church in the area to the cemetery but would probably drive by car from Mater Dei Hospital to avoid the hills," he said.

His first carriage funeral from Msida to the Naxxar cemetery took 25 minutes - only 10 minutes more than it would have by car - and ran smoothly, he said.

"I am using traffic police each time," he said. "But anyway, everyone just moves out of the way."

Between 1959 and 1970, the public had the option of the motorised and horse hearses but then the latter were buried because it was more comfortable for undertakers to turn the key in the ignition and drive off.

"I have been receiving requests for these carriages for the last 15 years, particularly from the elderly in the villages. Mercedes and Rolls Royce are nothing next to them in their view," Mr Borg said.

Despite the added hassles, the carriage funerals are expected to cost "only a bit more" than the common cars.

Mr Borg already has six horses in his extensive fleet and is buying more from overseas. Now, all he needs is the government to provide him with a hangar in the Marsa area, where he can display all the options for clients to make their death wish.

Modern memorial art

Many people wish to mark the death of a loved one with a beautiful and personal memorial, but don't know how to go about it. A new exhibition, Art and Memory, brings together the first national collection of modern memorial art. Artists were commissioned to create fitting memorials, from a circle of rugged stones, to a triptych in green slate, or a simple engraved pebble. The Memorial Arts Charity helps the public to work directly with artists to create individual memorials.

The collection is at West Dean, Sussex, until November. From spring 2010 the works will be divided between six permanent sites, with four pieces remaining at West Dean. They will be found at University Botanic Gardens, Birmingham; the Memorial Garden, Canterbury Cathedral; Grimsthorpe Castle Memorial Garden, Lincolnshire; Blair Castle, Scotland; and the Monnow Valley Art Centre, Herefordshire

A tough crowd? Comic turn at funeral!

A FAMILY said goodbye to their mum with smiles on their faces — after booking comic Dominic Collins for her funeral.

Stuart Hargreaves asked the singing postman from Droylsden to perform at his mum Norma’s wake . . . in front of dozens of mourners.

After the service at Dukinfield crematorium, relatives gathered at Stalybridge Labour Club where Dominic was waiting with a guitar and a bagful of gags.

The songwriting funnyman admitted he was stunned by the request, but was happy to oblige. And he soon turned the tears of sadness into joy.

He said: "I’ve done some tough gigs in my time, but that takes the biscuit. I must admit I was really apprehensive beforehand. Everyone came in looking really sombre. But they left grinning and laughing, thank goodness. They left looking a lot happier than when they came in, at least."

Norma, 66, of Newton, Hyde was a huge fan of Dominic, according to son Stuart, 43.

"We wanted the wake to be a celebration of her life. Mum would have absolutely loved it. She had all his CDs and used to collapse in laughter listening to them. We’ve been to a few of his shows and he’s even staged one of his trademark living room gigs in my house. He’s very funny"

What a send off..........ashes in a firework!!!

HEAVENS ABOVE FIREWORKS



Heavens Above Fireworks provides a truly memorable event where friends and family can celebrate the life of someone special to them by dispersing their funeral ashes within a spectacular fireworks display or through our other services.

Traditionally a wake provided an opportunity for a vigil, often more of a party, before the burial service. Increasingly people are choosing to have their remains cremated, often leaving friends and family with the question of how best to disperse the ashes. Importantly, research shows most people now wish to make their passing more of a ‘celebration of life’, and a happier occasion where family and friends can remember someone special to them.

We believe it is most important to respect the wishes both of the person and the family and friends to create an event which the person would have wished for themselves; as a great way to celebrate their life and to say goodbye.

If you would like to learn more about a Heavens Above Fireworks celebration we can send you more information together with a complimentary DVD. This film contains the special piece about us shown on Channel 4’s ‘Richard and Judy’ TV program.

For more information, or to request a copy of the complimentary DVD, please visit our ‘Contact Us’ page.

Ashes Into Glass

James Watts and Bill Rhodes have been glassblowers for the whole of their working lives. They have thrived in their profession for the past 20 years by providing the very best quality products and service to their customers.

In 1996, they founded Barleylands Glassworks in Billericay, Essex. In 2006, they founded Ashes into Glass, based at Barleylands Glassworks



James explains, "When a client asked if we could add her mother's cremated ashes to glass as a memorial to her life, we knew straight away that it was possible. We also thought that it was a wonderful idea that others could benefit from. We just wondered how they would look - ashes don't exactly look like something you would want to display!"

After going through their polished process of design and prototyping, they finalized on three stunning designs. The ashes can be seen within the glass as a soft white powder rather like snow. They have certainly achieved their aim of making the ashes look beautiful.



Bill is very clear about why clients come to them; "Ours is not just a product, it is a bespoke service. Clients commission us to make their loved one's ashes into glass because they trust in us. From first seeing our mini-brochures and website, to receiving our Ordering Pack, to knowing where they have sent the ashes, to the attention we give our clients throughout the whole process, to the finest quality finished product, beautifully packaged. Clients know exactly what happens to the ashes, where they are kept and how and by whom pieces are made. We are very open about our service and families have the option to come along to our workshop to see their glass being made. We do these things because we want clients to talk positively about their experience with us. In this way, word will spread."



Ashes into Glass has won awards for this unique service.
In 2007, they won The Basildon Business Awards for Manufacturing.
In May 2008, they were Winners at The Essex Countywide Business Awards.

A judge commented, "When I visited Bill & James at the Glass works, it was very clear for me to see that they deliver a very worthwhile service with great passion and a real commitment to quality."

What a way to go!!

Some traditional and not so traditional hearses!

All of these are UK based and can be used by
Armstrongs as part of the cortege

Ways to personalise a funeral

While we are involved with funerals on a daily basis, we never forget that completing all the arrangements of a funeral service is a task most families face only a few times. Our intention is to help make every service personal and meaningful, and truly reflective of the life that was lived.

While there are many different ways to personalise the service, here are some ideas and ways in which we can help:

Write a letter to the person who has passed away and express all of the feelings you ever wanted to say, but were afraid to or just never got around to expressing. Seal the letter in an envelope for us to place in the coffin. Your written thoughts will go with your loved one to his or her final resting-place.

Bring in the favourite song of the person who has passed away on compact disc or cassette to be played as part of the funeral service.

Flowers can be handed out to be placed on the coffin at the graveside after the service or at the church or crematorium before.

If your loved one had a hobby of building things or was involved in the arts, crafts or photography, bring some of their works in to be displayed at the funeral. We can even take quilt work and drape it over the coffin for example.

Balloons can be released after the service. Everyone can be given one and some brief words can be said before releasing them in the air.

Bring in photographs spanning the life of the person who has passed away and we will incorporate them into a memory board to be present at the funeral service. These can be photos with family, friends at work, fishing, golfing, knitting, baking, serious and comical.

If you have favourite scripture readings, let the minister know what they are and see if they they can be incorporated into the service.

The person who has passed away has likely touched the lives of many people. For those who knew the deceased, it is often viewed as quite an honor to be asked to speak at the funeral. The speaker need not have a professionally written eulogy but rather may write something personal or select a favorite poem or scripture verse.

If your loved one composed poetry or essays, let us have a copy, they could be recited as a part of the remembering ritual of the funeral.

Place cherished items in the coffin like pictures of the grandchildren and other family members, a photo of the family pet, a well worn cap, or a religious item. We are happy to advise on items which will be suitable.

If a husband always drove his wife everywhere or a wife drove her husband everywhere, consider having the spouse ride in the hearse with our staff member. It is a very personal way of accompanying your loved one to their final resting-place.

Consider a favourite place your loved one liked to go, like their favourite park, or a favourite restaurant, or maybe they were happiest at home. We can arrange to have the procession pass by this favourite place.