With regard to direct cremation, I've found from looking into it previously that if you approach one of the companies who advertise in the media, they charge from around £1300 upwards for a basic cremation only, from what I've seen. However, you don't have to do that, you can approach the crematorium direct, bypassing the intermediaries, and they will often do a basic cremation only for considerably less (depending on each individual crematorium I guess) - I've seen on a couple of local crem websites fees of around £800-900. So it pays to shop around I suppose. We have funeral insurances in place that will cover these fees, and with a fair bit leftover, so our relatives won't have to worry about the costs and will have a sum left for themselves. It gives us peace of mind to know that our relatives will have nothing to organise (beyond ringing the crematorium to notify them in the first instance) and won't incur any costs. I've just ordered an End of Life Planner book, which is hilariously titled "Oh Shit I'm Dead, Now What?!" - sorry if you're offended but it really appeals to my sense of humour! It's got 72 pages with sections for all relevant information to be filled in, so your relatives can check out everything they need to know in one place without having to search for it.
I had a lovely hour in the garden yesterday, it was intermittently sunny and warm enough to be out there with no coat on, just my thick fleece hoody and a pair of gardening gloves. Well, leggings and boots also of course 😂. The washing was blowing gently on the line, Betty was with me sniffing all around the garden (husband saw a mouse out there a couple of days ago, she could obviously smell it). I moved some of the bulb pots around, putting them in their flowering positions where they can be easily seen from the windows - they've all been up against the house wall up till now. I also did some weeding - some of the weeds are growing quite rapidly already. It was really pleasant, although I was glad to come inside for a cuppa after the hour, my nose and ears were quite cold.
We're going shopping today, I've finished my shopping list - which is a bit longer than I first anticipated but is not a full weekly shop. And I've told husband I'm determined to stick to the list and he is not to keep adding random things to the trolley! (he has a habit of doing that).
We've just been told my Uncle's funeral tomorrow will be video linked, so at least I can watch the proceedings and be there in spirit, which I'm pleased about.
Oh, and in other news, we had a queen bumblebee walking, flying and buzzing round the house in the early hours of this morning. Betty heard it first and it terrified her, she woke me up in a highly agitated state. We managed to catch it and put it outside safely, but poor Betty took ages to settle, consequently so did I. Where it came from I don't know.
I love the title of that book, and what a good idea it is. I'll have a Google later. I didn't realise you could arrange a cremation directly with the crematorium. They keep that quiet! I'm glad your uncles funeral is being video linked. Not the same as being there, but better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to get in the garden yesterday to sweep up all the moss that the birds flick off the roof onto the paving at the back, but it was drizzly and cold. Just to get out there for an hour or so will be lovely and make me feel that Spring is just around the corner. Oh, well, maybe later today...
I wonder where the bee came from? I hope it flew in through the door and hasn't got a nest somewhere in the house! The birds are getting very active, too. Soon be nest building - Spring is on its way! Yippee! xx
SO sensible to be properly prepared with everything is good order. It's hard enough for the others without unnecessary difficulties.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your uncle's funeral will be video-ed after all. xx
That book sounds great - very sensible! And I love the title, doesn’t seem pffensive to me at all. And, as they say, none of us gets out alive 😉
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realised that either and it's a huge saving. Not sure who would collect the body. I have vision's of Tony shoving me in the car boot and dropping me off at the crem.
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of the same book, I'm being cremated in our local crem. I'm not sure what Steve wants. Going to his mother's funeral and watching the ensuing punch up was enough to put me off anything else!
ReplyDeleteWe wondered the same - where does the body go once dead - and the £1500 costs for my late mother in law covered collecting her body and taking her to their Chapel of rest, a basic coffin, admin work related to the death certificate, booking a space in a crematorium and the wait incurred between death and cremation, all transport costs and afterwards provision of the ashes. We chose the Coop as there was a local branch. They did want paying on booking though, not afterwards. She'd sorted her will as she had a terminal illness. As for probate, we did this ourselves - I think the cost was about £260. Not complicated at all - however things were very simple, she lived a simple life, no debts, small savings but a lovely cottage which was sold. More complex cases would be harder to sort, but the fees for this service by some solicitors were extortionate.
ReplyDeleteI adore the title of that book!!!
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That's a good tip about booking direct with the crematorium. I'll keep that in mind for when the time comes, as of course it will. We had some sun today and I spent 3 hours with the sun on my back weeding at our local tiny zoo. It was lovely.
ReplyDeleteI think I will be going down the Pure Cremation route, as they do the whole package from picking up the body from anywhere in the country (handy if you move around as much as we do), sorting all the paperwork out and delivering the ashes to one of the nominated people. Also it's paid up front at todays costs, and with the price of cremations going up so much over the last couple of years I think it's a wise investment.
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