- 08/05/24
The success of the short film “An Irish Goodbye” is prompting conversations across the UK on how people would like to see their lives celebrated when they die.
The 20-minute Oscar-winning film revolves around estranged brothers coping with grief, who take delivery of their mother’s ashes and decide to carry out a bucket list of her wishes with them.
A growing number of people are now specifying they would like a no-fuss cremation leaving their families free to say goodbye in their own way, with the ashes as the centrepiece of the remembrance, as opposed to the coffin.
“In the film, the urn of ashes gets involved in all sorts of things including Tai Chi, skydiving, ballooning and modelling for a life drawing class,” says Distinct Cremations’ Mark Hull.
“It has started a lot of conversations as people realise that paying tribute to someone who has died can be so much more than just gathering at a church or crematorium for an hour.
“A funeral is a time for those still living to come together and celebrate the life of their loved one. This can be done in a way that reflects the life of the individual and not in the way that tradition may dictate.
“A celebration of life might be at a beauty spot where the family can scatter the ashes, a local club or pub the deceased enjoyed, hospitality at a football match or the family could even gather to watch a movie that meant a lot to the person concerned. Or you could do 100 different things like the brothers in an Irish Goodbye.”
All of our direct cremation services or simple cremation funerals include the personal return of ashes by our own team.
“If you have a direct cremation, we take care to present the ashes back to the family," Mark explains. "Then you can go through the grieving process with a farewell event personalised to your wishes and circumstances.
“Everyone should be able to say goodbye in their own distinct way. Traditional funerals have changed a great deal, and many families now want the freedom to choose what they do and when they do it.”
See more about the direct cremation services we offer now and for future funeral arrangements as well as more details about how we look after and return your loved one's ashes.
For any other questions, please call our caring team on 01543 211997.
See what's included with our low cost Unattended Cremation service. Every aspect of the funeral arrangements, from collection to cremation, is respectfully taken care of with no compromise on care and dignity.
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If you know you'd like a direct cremation for yourself or someone else in future, you can set up our Unattended Direct Cremation Plan to confirm your funeral choice and remove the burden of funeral costs from your loved ones.
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All of our cremation services, both attended and unattended, include us either personally hand-returning the ashes to you or scattering them at the tranquil remembrance garden at the crematorium.
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Oak Tree Court, Brookfield Drive, Cannock, WS11 0JN
