With the worst of the pandemic being behind us and the numbers of new cases in the community and of Covid deaths falling rapidly and forecast to become almost zero by August, we feel able to take some steps back towards our normal level of service:
As from today we are able to offer limousines again. Our cars have been fitted with clear plastic ‘Covid screens’ to keep you and us more seperate, this will help to protect you from us and us from you whilst in such close proximity. We will be able to provide up to 3 limousines per funeral, we have 10 limousines. It is your responsibility not to have people from different households sharing a car.
We are happy to offer to dress your deceased love one in their own clothes; please bring them to us clean, loose or on a hanger – NOT in a plastic bag. We will dispose of any clothes that the deceased is wearing when they come into our care.
We still want you to come to visit your loved one at our chapels, or, under strict conditions, we can bring your loved one home to rest prior to the funeral.
‘You must ‘phone us to make an appointment if you wish to visit a deceased person in chapel or if you need to come to make funeral arrangements. We are trying to protect different households from coming into contact with each other on our premises. Our doors are all locked and will only be opened for people that we are expecting, so please don’t just show up!
Whether you are coming to our premises to make arrangements, or to visit a chapel, or to pay a bill, please only come 2 at time and remember to maintain the suggested social distance whilst here.
We are not yet allowing any person on our premises who may meet multiple bereaved families; that means no ministers, doctors, or florists. You may yourself arrange for flowers to go on top of the coffin but have them delivered to your own front doorstep and we will collect them from there and put them in the hearse either on our way to, or when we meet you at, the crematorium. The crematoria are not allowing flowers to stay on the coffin for the actual cremation and flowers left in the floral courtyard are being disposed of quite quickly.
Crematoria guidelines still forbid service sheets and we support this; the handling of anything by multiple persons should be avoided and service sheets provide a clear route of viral transmission when handed out and passed around.
Some churches and places of worship are now welcoming funeral services again but with restricted numbers, enforced social distancing and, in some cases, wearing a mask is compulsory. The number of mourners allowed to attend most local crematoria is still only 10 immediate family members.
Our fees for a good number of the funerals that we do are £2,100.00 for a ‘Severn’ coffin with all our services, including professional embalming but without a limousine or £2,295.00 with a limousine. For cremation the smarter ‘Mersey’ coffin is popular and for a burial many choose the ‘Lune’; Willow coffins are becoming increasingly popular too for both burial cremation. The fees charged by the crematorium, doctors, and a minister will add about £1,150.00 on top of our fees
Thank you for reading and paying attention.
Stay Safe!
Thank you,
Charles Craven.
Please read our previous posts related to Covid.
