Paula Clements Celebrant

I couldn't agree more. At the services I led this week the teams I worked with from the funeral directors were (as always) so professional and respectful and somehow managed to look as if they were not melting! The same with the team from Gorringe's last week. No-one can underestimate how important it is to bereaved families that the rituals of the last journey for their loved on is carried out with dignity and respect. So a big thank you from me too.

To our team at Gorringes and to all funeral directors who have spent this week working in the heat while wearing full uniform...

Thank you.

While many sought shade or cooler places, you continued to carry out your duties with professionalism, dignity, and compassion. Despite the soaring temperatures, you remained committed to providing the highest level of care and respect to those who had passed and the families left behind.

Your dedication often goes unseen, but it is never unappreciated. The long hours, the heavy uniforms, and the emotional demands of the role are all carried with quiet strength.

Please remember to look after yourselves too—stay hydrated, take a moment to rest when you can, and know that the work we all do makes a real difference every single day.

You are appreciated. 🖤

Amazing Grace – an enduring legacy
Yesterday I listened to a piece on the radio about the story behind Amazing Grace, and what a powerful piece of music it is to play at weddings and funerals. John Newton who wrote it was a former slave trader who found faith and became ordained. I thought about all the different versions of Amazing Grace I have heard played at the services I have led – from Elvis to Andre Rieu, a male voice choir to solo bagpipes, Johnny Cash to Gospel, and of course sung as a traditional hymn. My personal favourite was a live performance by a professional soprano at a celebration of life service. Everyone in the room was captivated. It was stunningly beautiful.
If you had to choose a version of Amazing Grace, what would it be and why?

Poems are a wonderful way to personalise a funeral service. This poem was recently read in a service for a nature lover.

Finding Peace in Nature
The mountains rise, the rivers flow,
A life of nature you did know.
Now free from strife, from weary miles,
Find peace in nature’s gentle smiles.
The wind whispers your name so sweet,
A quiet rest, a perfect feat.