Sentiment - Video and photo montage production

Ohh you’ve got to see the funny side of the funeral industry, half the industry are a bunch of old crooners stuck in their ways, fighting with other funeral directors over business, bitter and twisted arguments over who has the contract for the hospital, moaning about the coroners, and stealing car keys from each other hearses… www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/12/funeral-hearse-keys-stolen

In April I joined the NAFD (Nation Federation Of Funeral Directors) as a supplier. Last Wednesday was the AGM and the first time I was to meet the Chilterns members. I’d been informed that these meetings were generally a chance have a catch up over a laid back beer and curry. In my eyes this was a perfect way to introduce myself to all the local funeral directors that I had not yet met and charm them with my good looks and talent!

I walk into the pub and see 2 men ‘fully suited and booted’ perched at the bar with a couple of pints – Ah ha, I can spot a funeral director a mile off! I smile and ask them if they are here for the NAFD meeting. They respond with a shy mumble! I interpret this as a very confused ‘yes’!

When I first set up Sentiment 3 years ago one of the first things I did was write my funeral plan. 3 years have since flown by, so last night I settled down to see what has changed… Surprisingly nothing drastic – other than the amount of input a funeral director has. In my original plan I had requested that the family call in the local FD and have them do everything – but not use their hearse because I want a bus!

Recently I decided that I didn’t really want the local FD to take over my funeral because I have come to believe it’s really important to have everyone involved (if they so wish). I added to the plan some information and advise so my family can carry out most of their own arrangements from transporting my body , washing it down right through holding ‘viewing’ at our home.

Today’s blog from the Good Funeral Guide coincides with what I had written… and I’d like to stand up and give Charles a round of a applause for making it sound logical!

I have been waiting to visit the new Chiltern Woodland burial Park since it opened up in November. In fact when I heard there was one opening up I just wanted to burst with excitement! Our area was crying out for a good woodland burial park and when I found out it was the same organisation as Epping forest then I knew it was going to be great!

I decided to take my daughter along to see it, she’s only 2 and a half and I thought she could run around and get some fresh air while we wondered round the woodland chatting to Fran Hall the site manager. The development is still very new, none of the buildings are finished, there’s some construction work going on and the office is a portacabin! However, you instantly see right through the imperfections. The woodland is just breath taking, it’s beautiful, its perfect and its development is Unanimous. I don’t want to seem as all hippy dippy about it, but I can’t help but be overwhelmed at how wonderful the woodland is. Its energy and its beauty is consuming.

The buildings are beautifully designed – still unfinished but judging by the photos of Epping forest buildings then they will be nothing but harmonious with the woodland surroundings. Fran gave me an insight into creativity and spiritualism reflected in the architecture of the wooden buildings. (it’s something I feel is impossible for interpret back to you but will seek out more info about it to pass on)

Fran is lovely, she was a funeral directors for 6 years and understands how hard it is to prove yourself as a young woman in the male dominated funeral industry so naturally we got on well and connect over our vision and the drive for the future of the funeral industry . You can instantly see why Fran and her team will make the woodlands a home for everyone who comes to visit. She is open and accommodating to all ideas as long as it respectful to the woodland.

I can’t wait to see the park complete in the spring. I just want to take people, clients, friends and family to see it. Show them that it’s not such a dark, morbid and scary place as their mind sees! I’ve spoken to friends and mums & dads at the pre-school gates about this fantastic place and they look at me as if I am some crazy weird woman – I mean who the hell gets over excited about a burial ground? I just want to say, hey come and see for yourself, it’s amazing, It’s beautiful, its tranquil and it’s the way forward.

In truth, walking into the woodland last week gave made me realise why I was so excited about this place – the woodland makes death more acceptable, even beautiful. It lifts a layer of taboo, peels back the shade hiding the reality of death and tackles the stigma attached to the processes.

Maybe this is the first step to cracking the great British way of ‘not wanting to think about or deal with death’.

I was very impressed in the initiative used by a Willowfield Funeral Services in Ireland who came upon with the idea of advertising their business by promoting a message about drink driving at Christmas.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7739332.stm

A great way of publicising your business and getting an incredibly valid message across.

Hooray for forward thinking funeral directors.