today we were invited to do a photoshoot of our coffins for a local florist .both these willow coffins were handmade this week using all locally grown willow and hazel and have been decorated by sue carter from OLD CHAPEL FLOWERS in east stour nr gillingham Dorset.
The white willow coffin is for a customer who will be storing the coffin in the loft until she needs it,and the other one os off to london next week.
This years good funeral awards was held at the highcliffew marriot hotel in bournemouth.and was hosted by Brian Jenner.
It’ll be the biggest party in funeralworld – well, since last year’s awards.
Winning a Good Funeral Award is a sign that the public can come to you and enjoy the high-quality service they deserve.
If you work in the funeral industry and you enjoy day out with networking, photo opportunities and a celebrity appearance, you need to have been there.
there was an exibition of funeral related merchandise and services
there were death cafes in one of our yurts ,a space where people can air their thoughts and feelings about greif,mortality, and bereavment within a supportive group.
During the day there were lectures in the big yurt from writers,and people working in the funeral world.
in the evening the awards ceromony took place ,it was a very enjoyable and imformative weekend
The 2018 funeral awards are looming this comming weekend.This great event will be held at the highcliff marriot hotel in sunny bournemouth.we will be exibiting our coffins along with other exibitors on green burial sites ash urns coffins bucket lists shrouds funeral arranging ash scattering willow coffins green coffins and also holding death cafes (the longing for real conversation)in one of our yurts in the hotel grounds.there will be the award ceromony on the saturday evening ,and during the day in the big yurt,talks from people in the funeral world,
its been a day of making a whole load of bases,three different sizes,for large log baskets,the tall vases as i am going to make a few during the next week,and fruit picking and stroage baskets using the small bases.
This basket is our newest creation, a giant vase made of a whole load of leftover willow. It started off as a laundry basket and ended up getting taller and taller. It could be used to put pampas grass in or giant dried flowers, if you have a home for the giant, get in touch.
The coffin-making trade dates back centuries and, as such, the way in which caskets are produced and supplied has greatly evolved over time. Willow coffins, however, have remained a popular choice with families across the UK for a number of reasons – our own name, Cradle to Grave, is inspired by the use of baskets for babies as well as for burials. It is a nice bookending that has inspired us to hand-craft our willow coffin models for considerable years now.
But what are the benefits in purchasing a willow coffin? Willow is completely biodegradable, for one – making it a popular eco-friendly choice for many people – and for another, they can be used in a versatile manner across burials and cremations alike. Willow coffins are also extremely lightweight in comparison with caskets made in solid wood – though they retain a remarkable amount of strength and durability when crafted correctly and with genuine care.
Willow coffins look naturally lovely with a range of flowers and ribbons alike – we are always more than happy to make suggestions with regard to arrangements if you are struggling to find the right look – and we are always able to provide plaques should you wish for a heartfelt message or note of memoriam to be emblazoned upon the casket.
Bespoke requests are always possible with willow coffins – while we will always tailor your casket to each individual, we are also always happy to discuss any specific needs or requirements you may have, including any special wishes that your loved one may have requested before they passed away.
Devon shroud maker yuli somme at bellacouche and myself cath pratley are proud to present our latest creation,the willow and wool shoud carrier.it has been designed for cremations but can also be used for burials.we combine the softness of wool with the practicality of willow for cremation
we have so far had three sucessful cremations using the willow and wool,.the crematoriums involved were more than happy with the overall design,craftsmanship and performance of the shroud carrier.
This weeks produce,coffins for a very old lady and a very young baby.One of the things i learnt on funeral arrangers course i attended with green fuse was that arranging a funeral can be like putting on a theatrical production.the young lass that came to collect the little basket today told me they wernt having a funeral for their 9 day old tot,but they were going to have a themed party for her before the burial.They named the child alice and are going to have a mad hatters tea party for her to celebrate her short life,where all her family and friends will be characters out of alice in wonderland.The mother will be the white queen and the father will be the mad hare.They will take afternoon tea and cake,then for the burial part the hare will be jumping into the rabbit hole (the grave) literally, with alice in her basket and will send her on her way to wonderland.The parents also got to spend a final night with their baby sleeping with her as the hospital have raised money for a cold cot ,whereby they can supply the cot to the familys so they can spend one night with their child before they send them on their final journey home.We all deserve a beautiful send off and i love the fact that people are comming round to the idea of being more imaginative and creating beautiful ceromonys and farewells
We are incredibly proud to be the winners of the “Coffin Supplier Of The Year” award at the Good Funeral Awards in 2015, in 2021 and for the third time in 2023.
Read more about our award.
