Corinne Firth-Surkitt - Funeral Celebrant

06/12/2025

I think one of the most incredible parts of my job is that my days are never the same and even after over 3 years I am still having firsts all the time.

Yesterday was my first funeral to involve some donkeys and I have to say I hope we can get that one trending, I think donkeys are needed at every funeral now, they were so well behaved and gentle at Blackburn with Darwen Cemeteries & Crematorium pleasington site.

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Photo description for the visually impaired, two photos of two donkeys wearing straw hats with holes cut out for their ears , they have red bridles on and are very similar to each other because they are in fact twins, a rare phenomenon in donkey births

06/12/2025

Another year and The Undertaker Mum has pulled it out of the bag once more , it's a warm fuzzy feeling to know in some small part my son and I have helped this effort but nothing compares to what she pulls off each year, a simply incredible human ❤️

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Photo description for the visually impaired, a shared post shows photos of all the donations received

04/12/2025

Local fellow small business shout out - yesterday I was at The Pie Hole Darwen. They really do such an amazing selection of pies , it's no wonder they win so many awards 😍, and gorgeous Christmas Decorations too 🥰

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Photo description for the visually impaired , the inside of the shop has the glass display case full of pies and loads of gorgeous Christmas decorations, the second photo is a bag of pies on my passenger seat

03/12/2025

I love to give a shout out to other local small businesses, another fabby workshop done at Urban seed - The art of Houseplants tonight, Christmas baubles ✅️

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Photo description for the visually impaired, the process of layering a Christmas bauble using paper and a Christmas serviette with Robins on

03/12/2025

The Undertaker Mum is the most incredible person who at this time of year is run ragged making sure Christmas is taken care of for so many people in Preston.

Today I dropped off two lots of essentials to help the food bank side of operations. Please follow the page and see if you can help. if you are short on time to actually get to Preston and drop off this week then there are ways of chipping in cash to help plug any donation gaps

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Photo description for the visually impaired, a photo of 4 bags for life say outside my car waiting to be taken inside to the collection area

03/12/2025

I am always in awe of my funeral industry colleagues and sometimes they are equine as well as human. Yesterday I knew I was working with the team at Elegant Carriages who are a wonderful group of humans so I took the good camera with me to take some pics , it was lovely to see Tom and Norman in lilac yesterday for a wonderful young lady

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Photo description for the visually impaired, photos of 2 grey horses with lilac feather plumes on their heads , in one they are pulling a white carriage and you can see they had lilac satin blankets across their backs

28/11/2025

Having just invested in a new camera as a family I'm kicking myself for not having bought it along today to capture the sun on these leaves with the moody sky behind at West Lancashire Cemetery and Crematorium this morning, my phone camera simply doesn't cut it

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Photo description for the visually impaired, copper coloured leaves on short trees, I think beach maybe with the sun on them but just behind the blue sky is turning very moody looking

26/11/2025

If anyone has any donations I can collect from you and then drop them off at Co-op Funeralcare Co-op Funeralcare or Co-op Funeralcare when I'm with them or on my travels

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Photo description for the visually impaired , an appeal poster for hats,scarves and gloves plus toiletry sets

26/11/2025

£££££££ Shameless plug for sponsors , link in the comments , and im going to make a case now for putting your hand in your pocket ££££££££

Baby funerals - sssh Corinne ,no, don't talk about them , it's not right !

Do you know what it is right , it's more than right and it's something we need to talk about more.

I hope you've never been to one, I hope you never need to go to one , but if you do , it'll stay with you forever. You will see grief unlike any you've ever seen.

And that is the reality of some of my working days. Days where if you know me in "real" life I might be a bit quieter, a bit slower to reply to your meme, maybe I might turn down that coffee date.

People I support at funerals for tiny babies are supported by many amazing charities in the background, and if they are local there is a good chance it's Friends of Serenity and that's why this Sunday I am running the Blackburn 10k for them.

We don't "remind" families when we talk about baby funerals, we don't "bring it back up" , those families are never forgetting their baby , by talking about them you are normalising their grief, you are showing you are not uncomfortable to hear their story.

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Photo description for the visually impaired, my charity race vest and number ready for Sunday, it's short sleeved, I will be wearing something under it ! But its a fab pink and yellow so people will definitely know its me

26/11/2025

Please don't think you need to watch this video by Poppy's and remember it word for word.
If you are ever carrying then on the day you will be instructed and supported every step of the way. However some people have worries about new things so if it would help you then it's a really good way of removing the mystery

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Video description for the visually impaired, a female funeral director stands at thr back of a hearse with a wooden coffin inside and talks 4 people through what is happening. With support there is no reason a visually impaired person cannot take on the role of carrying the coffin.

Many people want to carry their friend or family member’s coffin. But they are worried that they won’t know what to do.

We’ve created a video guide to help you understand what it might be like to be a bearer at a funeral.

Poppy's funeral director Victoria will walk you through what you need to know. You'll see an example of how your funeral director will brief you on the day, and learn the steps to bringing a coffin out from the hearse and carrying it safely into the funeral venue.

Find the full video on our website – link in the comments.

25/11/2025

Today was a first for me , and after 300 funerals that is still happening. I guess I hope I never stop having firsts, they give me new learning experiences.

Today was the first funeral that I have started in the dark as it was the 4.30 slot and at this time of year its dark by then. So I took this photo whilst I was waiting in the car park at Charnock Richard Crematorium

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Photo description for the visually impaired, a tree against the winter sky as its getting dark , the sun is setting behind it

21/11/2025

I love visiting the different crematorium grounds in my region, I love seeing the differences in the seasons , and I had to stop this morning at Charnock Richard Crematorium after a service there to capture this handsome gentleman who will hopefully be successful in making my spring very cute when I visit around Easter. Those with a farming,outdoors or veterinary background will know where I'm coming from 😉
🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

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Photo description for the visually impaired, a field with a sheep in the foreground, he is wearing a blue nylon wedding harness that makes him look like a dog about to go for a walk