Advice, guides & articles

Every now and then you hear from someone you’ve not spoken to in a while and their story makes you really stop and think. That’s what happened recently to Funeral Notices Director Darren Minns. Recently, Darren re-connected with a friend and former supplier to the funeral industry, Mark Edmondson. Mark has launched a new business to help people live positively, despite challenges. Interested in his story and change of career, Darren asked Mark to talk about his new vocation to help others, Positive Vibes Only. Positive Vibes Only - When your world comes crashing down, we give you hope for the future.

The majority of people in the UK are cremated rather than buried and while some families decide to either keep the ashes at home or scatter them somewhere, others want to inter them to provide a final resting place, a place they can occasionally revisit. If you are looking for somewhere to be interred that connects with the past and with nature, then consider Holly Barrow at The Lost Village of Dode in Kent. It is a recreation of a neolithic long barrow, created within our earth, with stone-lined chambers where there are niches to inter their ashes. Eventually, around 400 urns will be contained there. Keeper Doug Chapman said: "At a time of loss, it is the most natural thing in the world to want to connect to the past and consider our true place in the world. Here, this is truly possible. "In this beautiful valley, overlooked by the centuries, Dode provides an unequalled place to celebrate the life of a loved one. Its complete sense of calm, respect and dignity will allow you to say farewell in peace and harmony.”

Many people consider supporting charities to be one of the most important jobs of the Royal Family in a modern day United Kingdom. Having a member of the Royal Family as a patron of your charity means that people are more likely to hear about them, and in some cases more likely to donate just because of the Royal association.

Having a morning routine can make a huge difference to your mental health. It can help kickstart your day, ensuring you are as productive as possible and preparing you for the day ahead. It can also be a chance to have a little me-time before the day begins.

In this coastal walk you’ll discover the wild coast of South Cornwall, the beautiful Kynance Cove and the unique Lizard Point, the southernmost point in Great Britain. You’ll be able to enjoy splendid views of the stunning coves and rugged cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula. With some luck, you may even spot the coastal wildlife, from seals to seabirds and even dolphins.

Did you know stress only started being a subject of studies in the 1950s? This is remarkably late if you consider that stress can impact your health in various ways, both mentally and psychologically. However, this is part of life as unfortunately you can't always control your circumstances. What you can do is control how you respond to them. Because of that, in this blog we have compiled a list of 5 simple tips which can help you calm your mind and body.

Come Dine With Me (CDWM) viewers were saddened following the final episode of the week on Friday, after discovering one of the contestants had passed away. The popular Channel 4 home-dining show paid tribute to 36 year old Nicholas Blything at the end of the episode. Following the airing of the episode on Friday 4th November, viewers turned to Google to see if they could pay tribute to Nicholas online, discovering his tribute page on funeral-notices.co.uk.

Christmas is around the corner again and whilst a period of celebration for many, it can also be a reminder of those we have lost over the years. This week sees Funeral Notices launch their Christmas Memorial Wall for 2022. The virtual tribute page is designed to allow people to share photographs, memories, light virtual candles and pay tribute to their loved ones, whose loss is particularly poignant during the festive season.

Video and phone interviews have been around for years, but after the pandemic more businesses have adopted virtual interviews. That’s why we thought we’d give you some of our top tips and advice for video and phone interviews.

Death and funerals are still considered taboo subjects. Although the sad events of the pandemic went some way to get people talking about it, there is still a way to go. Funeral directors dedicate their lives to supporting families at their darkest moments yet there is still a lot we don't know about what they do and why they do it. Many of the funeral directors we work with at Funeral Notices are keen to share their story to encourage people to start thinking and talking about their plans for when they pass away. In today's blog we talk to Funeral Director Gary Hetherington from Jayne Prior Funeral Directors in the North East of England.