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I wrote elsewhere on the forum that for a while I used to work in a funeral directors. Not embalming or being a director at the funeral, but arranging them and receiving the people who came through the door to arrange funerals for their rellies or friends.


Anyway, three things I learned.

1) These funeral companies charge SO MUCH MONEY for basically cheap things.

2) You CAN do it yourself - so much help and many choices on line these days.

3) That whilst the older generations may like traditional funeral services, the fact is that a lot of people can make more green and environmentally helpful choices these days. And younger generations will hopefully mean we can dispense with the nonsense of handing over thousands of pounds to companies for relatively little, in most cases to ease our religious guilt and stuff.


For myself - since I am not religious, and since my life has been saved many many times by the NHS specially when I was a child, I have decided to have my body donated to the London Anatomy Office (google it). My friends and relatives know (and my doctor and solicitor), that when I am dead that my body is taken there and if suitable can be used by medical students to learn on. However, if it is not, then cremate it. It's cheaper.


I did organise a funeral for a motorcyclist - that was one obviously very sad but everyone was very impressed and grateful when I suggested to the girlfriend that she may like a motorcycle hearse. And thus it was I organised the country's first motorcycle hearse to take the lad on his final journey.


I never got around to organising someone's ashes (pure carbon) to be turned into a firework or a precious jewel, though. All such possibilities are available but not everyone knows to ask, and not every receptionist thinks to offer.


Hey - we all die. Yet it's usually such a taboo subject. As someone who's come close many times I don't worry about talking about it. But PLEASE take note of the following:

1) If you're not married to your partner, you won't get his/her pension when he/she dies. Gay people who have had civil ceremonies currently have more rights than unmarried straights EVEN WITH KIDS.

2) If the deceased has not written a will, it makes life very very hard for those left behind. People die at all ages and always have. So write a will.

Lecture over ;)

Happy Christmas though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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