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Wathall's - The Funeral Directors

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Wathall's - The Funeral Directors

G. Wathall & Son ltd. Wathall's have been serving Derby and the surrounding areas for nearly 160 years and is now run by the fifth generation, Helen Wathall.

Welcome to our page
We are Wathall's,The Funeral Directors, est. 1858
As Derby's longest established independent funeral directors we offer traditional values with a modern approach.
8 community branches | Full Bereavement Support
Golden Charter Plans are independent funeral directors based in Derbyshire, with branches in Derby, Allestree, Ashbourne, Alvaston, Borrowash, Burton and Chaddesden. Helen has recently been joined by the sixth generation, her daughters Bec and Charlotte, so it really is a family run business. At Wathall's we pride ourselves on the exceptional service and care we provide during your time of need. This support is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We also offer advice on making your funeral wishes known, and also offer pre-paid funeral plans through Golden Charter. Wathall's Funeral Directors is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279). Our care does not end once the funeral of your loved one has taken place either. We offer free bereavement support through Derby Dandelions, our bereavement support group, which meets twice a month and provides a safe place, with friendly faces, where you can enjoy the company of others who are going through a similar time. In addition to this, our educational programme, Grief Journey Derby, operates twice a year. This is a free 3-4 week programme, led by trained facilitators, which takes you through your own unique Grief Journey, explaining some of the feelings you may be experiencing. For more information about any of our services, please get in touch. www.wathalls.co.uk

24/12/2025

We have a lot of traditions at Wathalls, but the Christmas ones are our favourite.

Ernie the Elf, Lunch on Jesus volunteering, Christmas tree festivals and the two year old Christmas fuddle tradition.

Our doors are now closed, and our team are tucking into a homemade feast!!

❤️Sausages & caramelised onions cooked by Paul
🤍Butter & condiments supplied by Mel
❤️Pulled pork, chicken and beef cooked by Fay, Charlotte and Lynne
🤍 Soft drinks supplied by Anita
❤️ Stuffing, gravy and cobs made by Kaylee

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas 🤍

The Wathall’s team x

16/12/2025

We have some changes to our opening hours which we wanted to highlight.

While our offices may be closed, we are always available by phone, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

As a family run funeral directors, our team take it in turns to cover the phones during the hours our office is closed and Christmas & New Year is no exception.

This year two of our longest serving members of the team will be covering the phones. Mr Frank Rigby & Mr Mark Hodgson will be supported by a few members of our yard team, although they are a little shy and wish to remain anonymous.

During our open day we were asked: “do you still answer call outs on Christmas Day”.

Our answer: “We do this every day of the year, whatever time you need us”.

We are available on any of our branch numbers, but here’s our main number for reference just in case ☎️ 01332 345268

We wish you a peaceful Christmas x

12/12/2025

We want to extend our immense gratitude to everyone who joined us at last night’s Memorial Service - A Celebration of Remembrance & Hope.

What began in December of our 150th year as a one-off event has grown into a tradition we never imagined. Seventeen years on, we are humbled to still be holding this Memorial Service.

Last night, more than 500 people came together, united by a shared experience of grief.

As funeral directors, it is a privilege to be entrusted with the care of your loved ones, but at Wathall's, we feel it is equally our responsibility to continue caring for you with the same compassion long after the funeral has passed.

This service is rooted in hope and through Dandelions Bereavement Support we continue working within the communities we serve to support the bereaved whenever they need us.

Next years service will take place on Thursday 10th December 2026 🕊️

10/12/2025

We've made the final preparations for our Memorial Service which will take place at Derby Cathedral tomorrow! As you can see, Ernie has got the most important thing under control 🥃

Each year, around 500 people take the opportunity to join us at the service to come and remember their loved ones

With the theme "Hope" the service is a positive and safe space for you to remember your loved ones while feeling supported.

It's hard to describe the feeling you get from the service, it's a bit of a mixture of everything.

But for our team, the standout emotion is gratitude 🙏

Tomorrow, we get to serve you once again, and it is such an honour. The doors will open around 5:45pm, with the service starting at 6:30pm. After the service, our team serve mince pies and sherry (biscuits, water and orange alternatives for those of us who cannot get on board with mince pies, no matter how hard we try).

We'd love to know what feeling you would use to describe the service. Let us know in the comments 🕊️

05/12/2025

Our Ernie was a stow away on our recent trip.

He took a little trip to Hardwick Hall with the Dandelions Bereavement Support group members.

A lovely look around the hall followed by a walk down to the Hardwick Inn for our incredible lunch!

Community takes on a new meaning after bereavement. Having the opportunity to share some of the bad days, the good days and everything in between with people who know what it's like can make all the difference.

💛

Our Annual Memorial Service will take place on Thursday 11th December at Derby Cathedral starting at 6:30pm.

This is a safe space for all to come, feel supported and remember our loved ones passed.

01/12/2025

Ernie is his name - by Bec Wathall 🎅🏼

Ernie came to us last year after a challenging year for our team.

Originally intended for internal purposes only, we thought, maybe, just maybe there will be others out there who he could make smile.

On 1st December 2024, we posted Ernie on our page and we were shocked at how well he was received.

Named after Ernie Plackett, a fondly remembered member of the Wathall's team from the 80s, he embodies the same humour and personality as his namesake.

As Ernie begins his mission, we know he may be a little much for some of our followers.

"We give permission to mute us and promise not to be offended;
unfortunately, we know what it’s like to have your life upended."

You can snooze our posts for 30 days by pressing the three dots at the top of this post and selecting snooze for 30 days.

We will reappear at that 30 day mark as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, our Dandelions Bereavement Support page will be free from all Ernie content, and should you need a little extra support this festive season, this page shares all of the information around what support we have throughout the month as well as tips and prompts to support you.

As always, if you need us, please reach out 🤍

26/11/2025

A repost of our earlier announcement for those who may have missed it 🕯️

It’s that time of year again, our invitations will soon be sent out for our annual memorial service - a Service of Remembrance & Hope.

This service is an opportunity for those who are grieving to come together and remember their loved ones, regardless of faith, who your funeral director was or how far along your grief journey you are.

You are welcome to stay behind at the end of the service and enjoy light refreshments, all served by our wonderful team.

This year’s service will take place on Thursday 11th December, starting at 6:30pm.

There is no need to RSVP, but feel free to let us know in the comments if you are coming so we can look out for you at the service 🎩

10/11/2025

Stuck for something to do today? Shall we have a little look around the house for some books to donate?

If you missed our previous post, we are delighted to support the Derby Book Festival Children's Book Appeal once again.

All of our Derby based branches and our Ashbourne branch are collection points until this coming Friday.

📚Children's Book Appeal Autumn 2025
❓Any unwanted Children's Books
🗓️ Last donation with us Friday 14th November, 5pm

09/11/2025

Today, we pause to remember and honour those who served and sacrificed for our freedom. Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten.

To all the servicemen and women, past and present... thank you.

We will remember them. 🌹🕊️

08/11/2025

We’re honoured to continue standing alongside the this year.

For every eligible funeral plan purchased, we’ll be donating £25 to support the vital services they provide for serving personnel, veterans, and their families.

Planning ahead means peace of mind for you – and real help for our Armed Forces community.
T&Cs apply.

You can now buy a plan online here: https://www.goldencharter.co.uk/funeral-plans/301094-Wathall

05/11/2025

Do you have any unwanted children's books collecting dust at home?

We are so excited to be apart of the Derby Book Festival again, opening the doors to our Derby & Ashbourne Funeral Homes as collection points for Children's books.

Our branches will be open for donations from now until Friday 14th November. We were overwhelmed by the response last time, we had boxes of books piled up in our back room and all of them when to a good home.

Address

101-111 Macklin Street
Derby
DE11LG

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441332345268

Website

http://www.wathalls.co.uk/

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