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scattering ashes out at sea in a message bottle

The Travellers last journey: Ashes in a bottle

From the Great Barrier Reef to the beaches of the Caribbean, some of us just love to travel. The adventure, the restless spirit, the sites the smells and the people you meet along the way. Well when a loved one passes away and they had a passion for the open road somehow it doesn’t seem […]

Ashes into Space: A British Company at your service!

Guest Blog by Tom Walkinshaw, Founder/CEO of Alba Orbital Finding a fitting tribute to passing of a loved can be hard. With over 75% of Brits choosing cremation and estimates that by 2017, 50% of Americans will also choose cremation, there can be no doubt that the dilemma over loved ones ashes final resting place […]

Stonehenge ancient cremation ashes burial site

The wonderful and enigmatic Stonehenge. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. And guess what? It was a crematoria – It’s official. Well sort of, but it was certainly a post cremation grave for the ashes of VIPs, forensic archaeologists have been examining more than 50,000 cremated bone fragments, from 63 individuals […]

crematoria getting rid of unwanted ashes

The Statutory Duty of English and Welsh Cremation Authorities in relation to the Disposal of Ashes

This is a direct lift from the appropriate legislation including instrument number and revoked legislation, it is actually quite clear: (c) HM Government The Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 SI No. 2841 Came into force – 1st January 2009 PART 6 Disposal of ashes 30.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), after a cremation the cremation authority must give […]

How should Cremation Authorities pack and dispatch ashes after cremation

What should Crematoria do and what should you expect? The following is based on a Best practise briefing produced by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (UK), I have provided a link at the bottom to the actual guidance. In essence their primary responsibility is to ensure you receive the ashes safely and in […]

Is there space for Columbariums to be an option for ashes the UK

Is there space for Columbariums to be an option for ashes the UK? I think so, in fact I think they are really overlooked in the UK. My only beef is the ones I see here in the UK and to a certain extent the US are a bit ugly and too utilitarian. There is no imagination, no […]

The cost of cremation in the UK

We have had a look at the Cremation Society of Great Britain figures for the cost of cremation in the United Kingdom, are the headlines. Countries in the UK in order of cost: Most expensive England; Scotland; Wales with the least expensive being Northern Ireland. In England there is unsurprisingly a rough north south divide […]

Interring cremation ashes in the Holy Land

Should it be your last wish to have you ashes interred in the Holy Land then we can help. We have teamed up with a company that runs two sites in Israel, one near Jerusalem – in Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, and the other at the Sea of Galilee – in Kibbutz Maagan. Both places are very evocative with huge biblical and historic significance: […]

Can you send cremation ashes in the post?

Royal Mail Policy on sending Ashes in the post You cannot send the whole amount of cremated human remains / cremation ashes in the post. You can however send up to 50g of ashes. The Post Office prohibits the full amount being sent either: nationally via Royal Mail and Parcelforce and internationally through Parcelforce Worldwide UK, which includes mail […]

Cremation Ashes: Chemical Composition

If you are wondering what the chemical composition of Cremation Ash / Cremated Remains is then the following should help, I found this courtesy of the Good Funeral Guide, but thought it was worth worth reproducing. This a reproduction of the article: The results provided, with the exception of Phosphate and Sulfate, are presented […]

A Spring Scattering Ceremony

Well we tried waiting until Spring had sprung before writing this but Mother Nature seems to have other ideas! The daffodils and crocuses are still trying to survive despite the snow and rain and Easter is a time when many families get together and think about their loved ones and often decide to scatter their […]

What do Americans do with their ashes?

How many people opt for cremation in North America Around 40% of North Americans choose cremation, in Canada it is slightly more popular than in the States. This figure varies from state to state, in Oregon the percentage of cremations is over 63%, Hawaii it is 66% whereas Alabama it is down to 9%. In general the further […]

What happened to the ashes of antenatal or neonatal deaths in Scotland

Following the Mortonhall baby scandal, The Herald Scotland looked into the practice of authorities, the results have been set out below, along with a link to the original article. Accurate at the time of publishing (Mar 2013) Authority / Crematoria Comment and or policy Glasgow City Council / “It was often not possible to collect […]

Ancestors, Ghosts and Scattering Ashes

Ever wondered about the spiritual connotations of scattering ashes? Well now you don’t have to anymore because Spiritual Science Research Foundation (strapline –‘bridging the known and unknown worlds’) has come to our assistance. I will attempt to précis what they are aiming to communicate – however I have attached the link at the bottom […]

Fairtrade Fortnight 2013

This week sees the launch of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, every year companies, organisations and supporters get together to celebrate and raise the awareness of Fairtrade issues. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. The sales of fairtrade chocolate, […]

Some Dutch Authorities are ripping people off for scattering ashes

Firstly in the Netherlands you can’t just scatter ashes anywhere, they need to be scattered in a designated place, the trouble is that there appears to be huge disparity in the amount being charged for the privilege. This was reported in the Dutch News, which emanated from the consumer show Kassa (translated quite simply […]

Rich Rituals by Final Fling

The following post has been written by a company we support called Final Fling based is Scotland, your personal ante-fatal clinic. The place to sort your stuff ‘afore ye go’. Final Fling is the spirited, pragmatic home of end-of-life planning. Do it in the good times – don’t leave it to someone else. moreOur cat […]

Ownership of cremation ashes in the United States

Since I start the blog I have repeatedly been asked who has ownership or rites over the cremated ashes (cremains) and whilst I cannot definitely give answer to those of you living in the UK I have got a pretty good answer for you for those living over in the United States. Using the […]

Scattering ashes scattering flowers: meaning and symbolism

Flowers are closely associated with funerals. And scattering flower during the ceremony adds a really love touch to the proceedings. You may choose a type of flower because that was your loved one favourite, you may choose one because you think it is fitting or you like the colour. However you may choose a flower […]

Differences in colour, weight and consistency of cremation ashes

Below is a bit morbid, but a lady (well actually the lady’s mother) was perplexed enough to ask the question, so it is obviously of interest. The question and answer came from the website Allexperts.com and as far as I can verify seems a very plausible explanation, after all the chap is an expert… The […]

Exhumation of ashes – permission granted

Exhumation of ashes – permission granted Exhumation of ashes is a tricky subject; it is rare that it is granted. Here we have a story with a positive ending, the children of a man whose cremated remains were buried in Bourne Abbey churchyard in Lincolnshire have been granted permission by Church of England’s Consistory Court […]

Are human cremation ashes toxic?

Are cremation (cremains) ashes toxic? No. Can they be harmful in any way? Somewhat, if concentrated amounts are placed on grass it can cause a ‘burning’, a similar effect of putting on too much fertiliser. So they need spreading out and if you are putting them in the soil you need to dig them in […]

Cremation Urn wins prestigious design award

When people (well I suppose me) think of design awards you may think of an office chair back pain or corkscrew that that works through telekinesis. You may not think of a Cremation Urn. Well the Memento urn, a biodegradable urn used for water burial, has won the prestigious Red Dot Design award. The […]

Putting ashes into Keepsake Jewellery: how a glass charm beads are made

The process is known as lampworking, a glass rod is heated to a molten state using propane torch. The molten glass is then wound around the mandrel (thin dowel used to manipulate the bead) the ashes are then introduced to the glass when it is in it molten state. The mandrel is spun by […]

Keepsake and memorial jewellery – the choice is yours

It seems many of want to scatter the ashes of a loved one, but there are many of us that don’t want to be separated from entirely, one option is keeping a small amount in a piece of jewellery. This way you will always have a small keepsake with you. Memorial jewellery now covers a […]

Scattering ashes in the Sky – Fireworks to Outer Space

So you are thinking about sending your ashes into the Heavens? Here is a list of your options by order of height: Firework – Self fire – £385 plus carriage – you can do it where you choose, reasonably inexpensive. Firework – Display – £850 – £3000+ – very impressive and memorable, you can go […]

Charm Bracelet: Keepsake Memorial Jewellery

New range of keepsake cremation jewellery: beautiful range of Pandora style charm bracelet beads, this keepsake jewellery will contain a smalls amount of your loved ones cremation ashes. These memorial beads incorporate a small amount of ash that adds to the beauty of the design. All these beads and charms are compatible with most major […]

Buddha Beads: Cremation ashes into glass beads

Well it is not exactly cremation jewellery, but it is another unique way of keeping a loved one ashes. I have previous posted about the rise in cremation in South Korea in south east Asia. The ancestor in holds a very special place within parts of Asia culture, particularly in the east. It would appear […]

Humour often masks our true fears

It would not be Britain if we could find no humour unlaughable and this is never more the case in the funeral world. I visited the National Funeral Exhibition this year for the first time and was, one level, surprised to see an exhibition stand that specialised in funeral humour and it was doing brisk […]

Co-op’s guide to scattering ashes – a review

The Co-op funeral service have released a guide as to what to do with ashes and including survey results of people intention. The guide, to be frank, is a bit of a Curate’s Egg (well I would say that wouldn’t I). However I will attempt to remain impartial and point out the interesting bits and […]

Who owns Cremation Ashes? What are my rights?

Who owns cremated ashes? Who owns cremation ashes: You can’t own them You can’t own them because the law says they are the same as the person or a body and person can’t be owned. Who has the right to possess cremation ashes? The right to possess the ashes is likely to be “the executor*, or […]

Dispute over cremation ashes: who owns cremation ashes?

Dispute over who owns cremation ashes This sad story highlights the issue of who owns the ashes of the deceased. A young boy from Hertford was knocked down and killed by a car in a road traffic collision. After the service the boy’s mother (now separated by from the father) wanted to take the ashes to […]

Burying cremation ashes at a family grave: frustrated by regulation and red tape

A lady from North Yorkshire has discovered the large amount of red tape and hurdles needed have her casket (cremation urn) buried at a family grave, and she has said that if it can’t be done legally then she would do it illegally. Mrs Rea wants to have her ashes buried in the same grave […]

Cost of burying ashes at a family grave

Cost of burying ashes in a family grave This story form sunny Devon highlights the unforeseen cost of choosing to bury the ashes of a loved one in a family plot. A lady, called Phyllis Bishop, a long time resident of Torquay passed away. Her wish was to be buried alongside her husband at their […]

Memorial Diamonds: £100 voucher for Phoenix Diamonds

Memorial Diamonds – Good news: Phoenix Diamonds the memorial diamond company based and manufacturing in the UK is offering Scattering Ashes visitors a genuine £100 discount against any of their memorial diamonds. So if you want one on these…just fill in the contact form at the bottom! You will get a response back from the […]

Ashes into Ceramic Pottery: USA

Do you live in the United States and would you like to have ashes incorporated into a piece ceramic art? If the answer is yes (to both of thoses), then great news because I have a choice of ceramic artists for you! We have had two lovely potters contact us over the past few months […]

A service for Royal Navy & Royal Marines who ‘cross the bar’

Committal of ashes to sea – A service for Military personal including Royal Navy & Royal Marines ‘crossing the bar‘ Every Seaman you ever speak to will tell you the sea runs right to their very core of their soul, for many the image of a burial at sea looms large in the imagination. Whilst burials at sea […]

Scattering ashes at sea or on a river, now the Martime Volenteer Service offer the service

Scattering cremated ashes over the sea or a river is a fitting tribute. Water has an almost universal appeal that compels many of this Island Nation to be drawn to it. And of our many beautiful rivers there is perhaps none more famous as the Thames. It holds a very strong connection to londoners and beyond so it is not surprising that many wish to […]

Memorial tree – a great remembrance gift

Memorial trees are just great. They provide a focus point for remembrance, they represent life and the renewal of life. A company that Charles at the Good Funeral Guide spotted are doing mail order trees. I have to say (and I am not on commission – honest) the deal seems reasonable. Cards and flowers are […]

Remembrance Jewellery – a really unique way to memorialise

Getting the right connection between yourself and the persons that you loved is important, there is a a range of jewellery that either incorporates cremated ashes or allows you to put the ashes in a hollow container. Here is someone we have found that does something a little different and we like it. To be […]

Cremation ashes exhumed in rare judgement

If you choose to bury funeral ashes that is final, you can’t move them anywhere else, apart from is you are granted an exhumation order from the Department of Justice. Technically this is true even if you decide to bury the ashes in your own garden, you will still need an order to remove them. […]

Alan Titchmarsh this is it! Ashes in a garden sculptures

Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth it has to be said do a darn fine sculpture, but this Bristol based company go one better – beautiful memorial garden sculptures that house a persons cremated ashes. The company produce a range of four designs of garden ornaments in polished stainless-steel that reflect natures elements, these sculptures store […]

Scattering Ashes You Tube sensation

I don’t think the well proportioned star wars kid or the lady who put the cat in the bin as much to worry about, but scattering ashes has had a dabble into the world of Movies – check this out Scattering Funeral ashes on You Tube or just have a look

Scattering ashes database! record where you scattered

Here is something from the States – a scattering ashes database, they will be offering free searchable database allows you to record the name, date of death and the location of where the ashes of your loved one where scattered. The good news for us this side of the Pond is that you do […]

Funerals – the cost of it all

The cost of a funeral is a big worry for many families caught between their wish to give the correct level of reverence and affordability, it seems this is worse when people don’t leave any wishes and loved ones ere on the more expensive side. There has been a survey [dated 2010] by the National Association […]

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