Shoobridge Funeral Services

Experience versus Longevity – An Important Issue? Shoobridge Funeral Services established in its own right in 1993 and truly, a local, family independent funeral director or, undertakers, has been part of the local community for twenty five years or, at least, involved in the funeral profession since 1989. In this time, numerous comments have been voiced regarding longevity (or its opposite), and profitability through recession and harder times. What is displayed on the ‘outside’ is rarely a true depiction and, as a trade or business, to be effective, stay ‘in the market’ and continually support distressed families is not only hard but has a toll that is not present in ‘normal’ businesses. Dealing sincerely with empathy, belief and commitment is demanding. Add to this the fight behind the scenes to remain prominent to every individual family and formulate a trouble-free occurrence on the day with so many factors involved is, challenging – picture the duck on the water, t

A Religious Funeral Service Much is written these days on alternatives and extremes. We read regularly about ‘extreme terrorism,’ sometimes in the name of “Allah!” We read of the ‘extreme’ exploits of migrants attempting to escape their own political systems and drowning in their efforts – literally! We also regularly witness, ‘alternative’ funeral services. “Is the Christian funeral service a thing of the past?” Younger generations don’t attend many ‘senior’ funeral services. Once in a while, a young death occurs due to an accident, suicide or illness. These are extremely well-attended and frequently, do not include a church minister to officiate. But, let’s not lose sight of the purpose of the funeral service. We can ‘water-down’ anything we want these days. We live in such transient times that people do not considering longevity. True, our mortality is part of that longevity and rarely considered after all, it is such a long way off – right? Not for the you

Shoobridge Funeral Services Serving Families in East Devon and Exeter for Over 25 Years   Helping you at a difficult time Arranging a funeral can be distressing which is why choosing the right funeral director to guide you through the process can make all the difference. We, at Shoobridge Funeral Services, understand the emotional pain of loss and the practical problems it causes. As such, we offer practical guidance, personal direction, advice and support through bereavement and try our best to reduce your burden at this difficult time. On the important day, the day of the funeral, family and friends can express and share their personal thoughts and feelings also, saying, “Goodbye,” is important and often assists the natural grieving process. Shoobridge Funeral Services, located in Park House, Silver Street , Honiton – behind the main church in Honiton High Street, provides personal and professional services, 24 hours

An Individual Funeral Much is written nowadays on how funerals have changed and are, continuing to change. Is there a limit? Perhaps a more apt question would be, “Is there anything I can do differently?” or, “Is there anything that hasn’t been done?” Of course not everything has been done yet; there are no cremated remains currently bound for Mars but who knows? The future will reveal more than the limit of my imagination, though down here on Earth, people are individualising funerals more and more – why? Being older, I think current generations are deprived, in some ways? Others say, they are the generations of the ‘entitled!’ Not for discussion here – that subject. However, my meaning is this: growing-up through the 60’s, we not only saw the ‘Pop’ explosion with the ‘coming-of-age’ of Elvis Presley and the subsequent boom of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks to name but a few; we had, ‘Flower Power,’ Purple Hearts, Vietnam, Free Love, The Bee Gees, Abb

What happens to uncollected Cremated Remains - Ashes? Crematoria prefer individual funeral directors to collect the Ashes of cremations they have organised in the absence of the authority of a family member. Due to the volume of cremations that take place, storing, tracking and the necessary administration would be prohibitive and costs of cremations would rise even further. Individual funeral directors will have policies in place that will be made aware to you - sometimes there are fees involved after prescribed intervals. Some funeral directors will write to you occasionally with a reminder. Practically, this procedure is time-consuming and can escalate unreasonably. In 2013, the NAFD, National Association of Funeral Directors, which is one of the main organisations that monitor and influence the funeral profession along with the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, SAIF, were in consultation with the government and a cross party group as indic

The Cost of Dying and, your choices! I was reading with interest a publication by Jon Kelly of the BBC News magazine entitled, ‘Happy funerals: A celebration of life?’ As it was a subject that I have recently written about, I noted that Jon states the following: “.. with the average cost of dying - including funeral and estate administration fees - standing at an estimated £7,622 in 2014, it's understandable that families demand a more personalised service.” Funerals ARE, expensive! They always have been. Leaving this earth is costly. I remember in 1998, when pre-paid funeral plans were fast emerging into our profession and ‘markets,’   I could purchase a funeral for £650.00 from memory. Our local crematorium’s price for a cremation had recently increased from £138.00 to £141.00 and then later went to the higher price of £147.00. I scoffed back then! I, as a funeral director, would naturally only pay ‘trade price’ for my funeral! Looking bac

Death is inevitable – the way out - religious, joyous or, alternative? For those people following my web-logs (blogs), you will notice one of my themes is ‘how funerals are changing’ and the pace of change which has been, for the funeral profession, not drastic but, fast! I guess that’s easy for me to say because I am involved in the process daily. For others, death and bereavement happen rarely, thank heavens and, infrequently. Years ago, I noticed that it was more ‘p.c.’ to view funeral services as a Celebration of Life rather than an, ‘In Memoriam,’ occasion. Similarly I imagine, the ’Fire and Brimstone’ approach to religious preaching became reflections from and of, ‘Our Loving Father.’ God was no longer to be feared; respected yes but, a God of approach. I have no idea as to the rights and wrongs of these changes but progress dictates change and swimming ‘upstream’ is a sheer waste of energy. Age, experience and discernment have taught me to ‘choose my battles.

The Scope and Purpose of an Inquest. The purpose of the inquest is to answer four questions: ·         Identity of the deceased; ·         Place of death; ·         Time of death; and ·         How the deceased came by his death. Evidence : must be solely for the purpose of answering these questions and no other evidence is admitted. It is not for the inquest to ascertain "how the deceased died" or "in what broad circumstances.” Moreover, it is not the purpose of the inquest to determine, or appear to determine, criminal or civil liability , to apportion guilt or attribute blame. Procedure: Inquests are governed by the Coroners Rules. The coroner gives notice to near relatives, those entitled to examine witnesses and those whose conduct is likely to be scrutinised. Inquests are held in public except where there are real issues of national security . Individuals with an interest in the proceedings, such as relatives of the deceased, indiv

How to Attend a Funeral Service – Advice and Etiquette When someone dies, obvious factors dictate that, it is a very difficult time emotionally for family, friends and colleagues. People can feel uncomfortable because they don’t know what to say or do. Those immediately affected can feel quite numb and often disoriented. Reactions vary immensely but some patterns emerge and we, at Shoobridge Funeral Services understand these complexities. As a result, we have prepared this extremely brief guide as an insight into the funeral and grieving process which, we hope, will help you navigate through the various events that will follow this sad occurrence. It cannot cover every eventuality but is provided to assist your understanding and actions. Before the Funeral Service   If you want to see the deceased, check with the funeral director and make an appointment - there may be restrictions Ensure you know the location, day, date and time – allow for unknown events

Dealing with the will and the estate From the UK Government website : https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35526/bereaved-families.pdf What is a personal representative? The personal representative (also known as the executor if they are named as such in the Will or, the administrator if there is no executor named or no Will), is responsible for ensuring that what is specified in the Will is carried out. Has a Will been left? Wherever the death occurred, it is important to find out if the person who has died left a Will and, if so, who the executor is. The Will states what should happen to the money, property and possessions (known as the estate) of the person who has died. The personal representative is responsible for paying any debts, taxes and expenses, including funeral expenses . They make the payments from the estate, not from their own income or savings. Only when these duties are finished can the personal represent