Richard Martin, Author at Scattering Ashes

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The Church of England has granted atheist parents the right to exhumation their daughter ashes

Beverley Wilson and Michael Hughill lost their 10-month-old daughter back in 1982, a hugely traumatic experience. The child (Lizzie) was cremated and her ashes were buried the same month at Chestnut Cemetery in Hertfordshire. The parents, due to the trauma they were feeling, left the arrangements for the funeral to Mr Huhgill’s farther. Mrs Wilson, […]

Have I been wrong about Resomation (water disposal of a body)

Burial and Cremation are the time-honoured ways to dispose of a body, since prehistoric times cultures have been either been burning or burying them (some have been leaving them on the top of mountains for the vultures- but let’s not go there). Well there is a new kid on the block – Alkane Hydrolysis body […]

Location South East England – New Forest, Hampshire: Ashes into Stratosphere / the Edge of Space

Would you like your loved one’s ashes scattered on the edge of space? We have a launch site in the New Forest in Hampshire just a hop skip and Jump from London. Say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, celebrate your loved one’s life, at a perfect individually customised launch day? […]

Can you use a funeral plan to tell your family what to do with your ashes?

About 1.3 million mortality-minded Brits have paid for their funerals ahead of time using some form of pre-paid funeral plan. If you’re planning to join them, you might be wondering whether your plan can be used to sort out what will happen to your ashes at the same time. The (inconvenient) answer is: kind of. […]

Location South West England – Falmouth, Cornwall: Ashes into Stratosphere / the Edge of Space

Would you like your loved one’s ashes scattered on the edge of space? We have a launch site in the wonderful town of Falmouth, right in the heart of Cornwall. You can let the ashes go from this idyllic location and off they sail. Say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, […]

Bespoke Drone Sky Burial for Ashes

A unique service to suit your families needs. the company using a drone designed and able to carry and scatter a set of ashes will give your loved one a truly memorable send off, plus the whole event can be filmed for posterity, a truly special event. As there is so much flexibility it is […]

Location Eastern England – Ellsworth, Cambridgeshire: Ashes into Stratosphere / the Edge of Space

Imagine a farewell for your loved one where their ashes were sent of into the sky to the edge of space – how enigmatic is that? We have a launch site in Ellsworth in the beautiful county of Cambridgeshire . You can say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, celebrate your […]

Splitting Ashes and the Church of England

The good old CofE don’t really like ashes to be split, and the Catholic Church specifically prohibits it. I was speaking at a resent Church of England conference on the subject of ashes and this thorny issue was raised. From a secular point of view I never realised the extent to which this vexed the […]

Location Central England – Cotswolds: Ashes into Stratosphere / the Edge of Space

Would you like your loved one’s ashes scattered on the edge of space? A sky burial so to speak? Now with a launch site based in the Cotswolds in the Heart of England , you can say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, celebrate your loved one’s life, at a […]

BBC Documentary Series – get in touch about Celebrations of Life

28th June 2018
by Richard Martin

The documentary company Wild Pictures has been in contact with us: We’re making a documentary series for the BBC about different approaches to death and ageing and we’d like to hear about funerals as a ‘Celebration of Life’ as we try to see beyond taboos and fears around talking about death. The series will be […]

Location Wales – Rhosilli, Swansea: Ashes into Stratosphere/ the Edge of Space

Ever thought that a great send off for a loved one ashes would be the stratosphere? Taith ffarwel i lludw huchdynnu i’r sêr… Now you can with a launch site in Rhossili Wales near Swansea. You can say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, celebrate your loved one’s life, at a […]

Hawking’s Ashes are buried with the greats

The late great professor Stephen Hawking ashes have been interred at Westminster Abbey between those of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. He was buried under an are at a ceremony conducted on 15 June 2018 Quite rightly so, not only achieving so much for science but for his positive impact on attitudes towards disability. And […]

Can you use a will to explain what should happen to your ashes?

Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, buying a house, selling a house: all circumstances that, according to the government, mean you should be making (or updating) your will, sensible advice yet around 60% of die without even making one in the first place?! For those who ‘get it’ (ie mortality) , you might consider adding in a […]

Ashes sent to the Edge of Space / Ashes in the Strarosphere

Would you like your loved one’s ashes scattered on the edge of space? Say goodbye in your own way, bring family and friends together, celebrate your loved one’s life, at a perfect individually customised launch day? Say some words, raise a glass, and remember – then you’re ready, let them go, on your terms – […]

Pembrokeshire, Wales: Milford Haven

Scattering Ashes on water at Milford Haven Location Milford Haven Marina Area of operation Milford Haven water way and St. Brides Bay Type of boat Cabin rhib Duration of trip Up to 2 hours Capacity of boat 11 passengers Refreshments Can be arranged on shore Suitable urns Scattering ashes directly onto the water can lead […]

The Soulton Long Barrow: Shropshire

Situated within the Shropshire Landscape close to Wem, and Shrewsbury is the Soulton Long Barrow. This is the third Long Barrow to be built in the UK in the last couple of Millenia, Lovingly replicated and handcrafted the longs barrow sits with nature and is an absolutely beautiful way to inter a loved one ashes. […]

Hindu Scattering Service on the Ganges in India

The Hindu population of the UK increases year on year, in the last census in 2011 817,000 people in England and Wales identified themselves as Hindus which is 1.5% of the population. A proportion of these would loved to have their ashes placed in the Ganges in India after their death. For some time we have […]

Family traumatised by Councils neglect of memorial rose garden

A slightly different blog this week we have been contacted by a lady who is struggling to communicate with Trafford Council about the rose garden where her daughters ashes rest, this is what she said: In 1997 my daughter Jeannine died at the age of 30 after a very short illness so we were devastated […]

Are councils refusing to hand over ashes in the cases of ‘pauper funerals’?

Right, a controversial subject. Let’s us attempt to set out the stall in a nonpartisan fashion. A Pauper Funeral is an old-fashioned/emotive term for funerals where the local authority are required to step in as the family are either unwilling or unable to pay for the funeral. Technically these are known as public health funerals […]

Lowestoft: Norfolk and Suffolk Broads

Location Somerleyton, Suffolk (between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth) Area of operation Norfolk and Suffolk Broads – River Waveney Type of boat Broadland Grebe. Traditional vintage Broads motor cruiser built in 1958. Duration of trip As required, usually 1-2 hours but longer by prior arrangement. Capacity of boat 4/5 plus crew of 2 Refreshments Light refreshments […]

Illinois has started allowing scattering of ashes in its state parks

Illinois the 21st state of America is (as of the start of 2018) now permitting the stating of ashes in its State Parks. Good news. Illinois according to American commentators is a cross section of the states on a small scale It is situated in the mid-west which usually associated with quite conservative view but […]

South Korea has adopted cremation in a big way

In the 1994 20.5% of South Koreans chose cremation, this figure has shot up to 86% last year. A massive change in less than a generation. I have never known any county’s funeral practises to change as radically as quickly, in the UK the same change took three times as long a an we are […]

Training Course: Scattering or Interring of Cremated Remains

Training Course: Scattering or Interring of Cremated Remains Training Course. There is a growing trend for funerals to focus on the ashes element of the ceremony which is a very positive development. However, often those doing the scattering will have received little or no formal training. A small investment in staff training will have two […]

Changes to Cremation Regulations in England and Wales will impact ashes

Amendments to the cremation regulations are on their way they come into force on the 6th April 2018. They apply to cremations within England and Wales. How have they changed and what will it mean, there have been two big changes: There will be a new application forms which will include a section where the […]

Regional variations in our relationship with ashes

By and large us Brits are of a mind when it comes to cremation and the scattering of ashes – across age, political persuasion, gender and locality we are broadly similar in outlook. With one notable exception – The older we get the more we would prefer to be cremated. However, the recent YouGov survey on […]

The rise of unclaimed ashes in Japan

The issue of unclaimed ashes in Japan is becoming a problem for the local authorities. A trend mirroring the UK. Whilst there are cultural differences, many of the issues are similar to those in the UK: firstly the weakening of bonds within extended families and thus the willingness of extended family willing to pay; secondly […]

Xining in China’s Qinghai province is to subsidise scattering ashes

Xining in the Northwest part of China’s Qinghai province is going to subside those who choose to scatter ashes. The authorities are concerned about land usage and so are trying to encourage more cremation and scattering of ashes. As of the first of June this year the authorities will subsidies those people who opt for […]

Video: How to fill a Journey Water Urn

Scattering ceremonies can seem daunting for many reasons: you have not been to one before and you don’t know what is expected or you are wonder where and how. At Scattering Ashes one of our aims to reduce the anxiety around the ceremony and make it a truly memorable occasion. So we are trying to […]

Ashes stored in an Ashes Bank in Uttar Pradesh’s India

There is now a solution for a problem that a number of Hindus face. According to some certain traditions ashes of a cremated relative can’t be taking home for 14 days. So what do the families do with the ashes in between cremation and when they can take them home? So Yug Dadhichi Deh Dan […]

The Vatican’s position on the ashes of saints

The Vatican has updated it rules on relics these are body parts (and more historically) including associated items of a saint. There has been issues recently when surviving family members disagree with what the Catholic church wishes to do body of a person once they have given saint status. The rules were last updated in […]

Douch and Small: Wimborne, Dorset

Company Name DOUCH & SMALL, WIMBORNE About the company We are a family run company of funeral directors in Dorset. All our branches are independently managed – together we cover East & North Dorset, Poole, Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck. We offer advice and support on arranging a funeral, woodland burials, memorials, pre-paid funeral […]

Ives and Shand: Parkstone, Poole

Company Name Ives and Shand About the company We are a family run company of funeral directors in Dorset. All our branches are independently managed – together we cover East & North Dorset, Poole, Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck. We offer advice and support on arranging a funeral, woodland burials, memorials, pre-paid funeral plans […]

Lesley Shand Funeral Directors: Blandford Forum, Dorset

Company Name Lesley Shand Funeral Directors About the company We are a family run company of funeral directors in Dorset. All our branches are independently managed – together we cover East & North Dorset, Poole, Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck. We offer advice and support on arranging a funeral, woodland burials, memorials, pre-paid funeral […]

Lesley Shand Funeral Directors: Corfe Mullen, Dorset

Albert Marsh Funeral Directors: Wareham, Dorset

Company Name Albert Marsh Funeral Directors About the company We are a family run company of funeral directors in Dorset. All our branches are independently managed – together we cover East & North Dorset, Poole, Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck. We offer advice and support on arranging a funeral, woodland burials, memorials, pre-paid funeral […]

Albert Marsh Funeral Directors: Poole, Dorset

James Smith Funeral Directors: Swanage, Dorset

Company Name James Smith Funeral Directors About the company We are a family run company of funeral directors in Dorset. All our branches are independently managed – together we cover East & North Dorset, Poole, Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck. We offer advice and support on arranging a funeral, woodland burials, memorials, pre-paid funeral […]

Ashes put into a Vinyl Record

After a truly unique way to remember some you loved? We work with a british company that can put the cremation ashes of your loved one into 12 inch vinyl record. Whether you want to hear a recording of their voice or a desert island discs type compilation we can help. A small amount of […]

Council mix-up: an exhumation because an ashes burial plot was sold to two people!

Jennifer Phillips bought a plot in Welton Road Cemetery, Daventry, Northamptonshire back in 1987 so that when the time came she and her husband could be buried next to her parents. However, on a visit her parents grave she noticed a small wooden cross on the plot that she owned. It transpires that the council, […]

Over 19 Million Thais offered sandalwood flowers for the king’s cremation

The offering of Sandalwood flower for cremation is Thailand is symbolic, after the Thai king’s death (Bhumibol Adulyadej) in May this year the new king organised a project so that the public could learn how to make these flowers so that they could present these flowers as an offering for at king’s cremation. The traditional […]

Church of England rules on Exhumation of Ashes: what are Exceptional Circumstances

The Church of England considers the burial of ashes final. To get ashes removed from consecrated land is difficult if not impossible, you will need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances and navigate the very formal language used by the church. Set out below is what you need to know. You would need to get permission (known as […]

Can’t find what you are looking for? We can help, we make beautiful bespoke items

When looking for something to memorialise a loved one the choice can be bewildering, but at the same time it may not be what you are looking for. You may have something very specific in mind or it might be a requirement for your needs. Here are just two recent examples of how we have […]

Sandallwood flowers used in Thai cremation ceremonies

The Thai king King Bhumibol Adulyadej was cremated last month (October 2017) and he has two cremation ceremonies, the first cremation is ceremonial and not actual, in the first ceremony they burnt ashes of sandalwood flowers. When I first saw this I was slightly confused, I thought they were referring to flowers of the sandalwood […]

John Noakes goes out with a Bang! Intrepid presenters’ final farewell

Even saying John Noakes’ name will bring a smile to your face if you are of certain age, what was one of the most loved icons of 70s children’s TV. From climbing Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square to sky diving. If Blue Peter had a task that needing a bit of derring-do, then he was […]

filing a natural floating ball urn video

How to fill a Natural Floating Ball Urn: Video

Filling a Natural Floating Ball Urn Many of us choose a water burial as a final farewell ceremony, floating ball urns are a very popular choice. They will float on the surface for while, allowing you to say a few words and then sink below the waves. Although we send instruction with each one on […]

Filling and using a Scatter Tube: Video

One of the most popular types of scattering urn is a scatter tube, we stock a huge variety of designs and sizes. We have sizes that are suitable for adult, two average sizes adults, half a set of ashes and token amount of ashes. We have around twenty different designs from bluebell woods and autumn […]

What to do with ashes? 12 things to consider: VIDEO

When you get the ashes back from the funeral directors it can seem very daunting. You wont know what to do for the best, there may be relatives wanting one thing or another. However, there are a number of things you may not have considered, why would you? Over the years we have listened to […]

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