A place of rest
1 May 2008
Though most ceremonies still take place at a crematorium or churchyard, memorial services have been held at golf courses, sailing clubs, in stately homes, gardens and concert halls.
Alternative Burial sites
The rules set down by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are quite strict. Woodland burials and burial at sea are popular and whilst the process for receiving permission to do this is drawn-out (you need to apply to DEFRA), there is no reason why it should not be possible to choose a final resting place other than the conventional crematorium or churchyard.
Scattering the Ashes
In 1946, there were just 50,000 cremations. Now the majority of people who die every year are cremated.
Scattering the ashes offers a unique freedom to the bereaved both emotionally and spiritually and allows for an individual expression of their feelings. Ashes have been scattered on remote peaks such as of Snowdon and Ben Nevis, buried under trees, sprinkled into rivers, even laid beneath the turf of football grounds.
Some very popular locations have begun to warn bereaved relatives off their sites. Some football clubs have opened special memorial gardens for the ashes of fans, to stop the pitch being used. Visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk for more information.
Eco-funerals
No need for a coffin - for centuries burial at sea has relied on a canvas sheet, known as ‘a winding sheet’.
Today, alternative burials increasingly reflect environmental concerns. They may stipulate a strictly bio-degradable coffin with no hardwoods or metal trim used in its construction. Mourners may be requested to walk to the funeral pushing the body on a barrow rather than hire a fleet of limousines.
Read more about eco-funerals in What's New.
To the stars
To the person who has firmly stated that they want to go out in a blaze of glory, some funeral companies now offer this service. They simply send the ashes up in a firework.
Going one better, the remains of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, were fired into outer space aboard a Spanish research satellite, which orbited the Earth for six years.
Diamonds are forever
According to Caron Staley of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, it is possible to get a loved one's remains made into a diamond, or even a vase.
