The Nightingale Guide for Celebrant Led Funerals

The Nightingale Guide for Celebrant Led Funerals Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Nightingale Guide for Celebrant Led Funerals, Funeral service & cemetery, 19 The Crossway, London.

Family play such an important part of our personal narrative. I come from a very large family and times when we get tog...
09/11/2025

Family play such an important part of our personal narrative. I come from a very large family and times when we get together are so important. It’s so easy for the only times we see each other are funerals particularly when our parents came from a family of 13!

Being a Coleman is a very important part of my identity.

27/07/2025

Just watched a man eat a Kit-Kat as a whole bar rather than break each piece off. I was very unsettled by it.

26/07/2025

Whether we realise it or not, funerals have an impact on our own mental health. It may be that the death of a loved one triggers your own grief, it may be that you have to lead a service for some who found themselves in such a dark place that they only saw one solution or it may be for a baby who never took a breath.

It is with this in mind that I am going to be working with a well respected funeral directors to act as supervision for their team.

I am honoured and humbled to be asked to support this group of brilliant FAs, FDs, drivers, pall bearers and all others in managing mental health in the funeral business.

18/05/2025

Have you downloaded the audiobook for ‘The Nightingale guide’? You get to hear my fiend and colleague, Matthew Uden, read the foreword he wrote. Matt is the MD of Uden and Sons Funeral Directors in London. He is always focused on compassion for families and ensuring his team deliver the very best for each family they help.

His advice, guidance and friendship are always very much welcome and appreciated.

Following the death of his sister, my friend, Dominic Early, set about creating an alternative set of cards to send when...
18/05/2025

Following the death of his sister, my friend, Dominic Early, set about creating an alternative set of cards to send when you know someone is grieving.

The bright, vibrant, contrasting colours of these cards with their positive messages of love and support are sure to be appreciated.

Which is your favourite?

It is a great sadness this morning to read that Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, returning to The House of The Fa...
21/04/2025

It is a great sadness this morning to read that Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, returning to The House of The Father.

He was progressive in his views, particularly around the LGBTQ+ community where he emphasised the need to welcome and accept those who may be different including being gay.

The following are two quotes from him that I have combined into one. It is a mantra to me.

‘Kindness is firm and persevering intention to always will the good of others, even the unfriendly. We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace."

May he forever be at peace in The House of the Eternal Father.

19/04/2025

The Times runs a page with someone of note that I read each week. So, I thought I would do a ‘What I have learned’.

I was born and raised as Catholic. Whilst I no longer identify with the faith, I can quickly fall into the routine and patterns when in a Catholic Church.

I met my husband when I was 23 and we are still together as I am about to turn 50. This would appear to be quite unusual for gay couples. The key is that we still make each other laugh.

I grew up in a violent household. It’s a strange thing that violence, particularly domestic violence, has a language and pattern of its own. I spent too much of my childhood trying to protect my mother.

I felt very differently about the death of my father at the age of 71 than I did of the death of my mother at the age of 65. I am at peace with my father’s death 6 years ago but my mother (who died 4 years ago) still feels very raw.

I went to boarding school and I hated it. I didnt really feel like I had friends (although as adults, I have made good friendships with those from the school.). I made my best friends at university and then more at the first school I worked in. These wonderful people really taught me that friends can become family.

I am part of a large family. My dad was one of 13 and my mum was one of 5. The difficult thing is that the family becomes too big to be in contact with. You end up having a few aunts, uncles and cousins that you maintain contact with.

I really enjoy funerals and helping families say goodbye. I like the craft and skill of celebrancy.

I have now written my first book. I need to prove to myself I can write another.

The Nightingale Guide for Celebrant led funerals is available from Amazon and on Audible.

Yesterday was international Superman day! Created on the 18th of May, 1938, Superman continues to embody truth, justice...
19/04/2025

Yesterday was international Superman day! Created on the 18th of May, 1938, Superman continues to embody truth, justice and…faith. By faith, I mean faith in humanity - faith that we, as humans, will always make the right choice, always be kind and respectful of our differences.

At a time when America has their very own ‘Lex Luther’ (albeit a slightly orange one with a dodgy wig) trying his very best to undermine truth, justice and faith, we must do our best to be better. We must have faith in each other.

I love this picture; it brings me great joy. From the left you have Adrian McCann, myself, Ross Davey and Neil McCann. ...
13/04/2025

I love this picture; it brings me great joy. From the left you have Adrian McCann, myself, Ross Davey and Neil McCann. Lord knows how but I managed to convince our House Master, Mr Maylett, to let us perform ‘Sweet Transvestite’ as our house music entry. If I recall correctly, we came second and people saw a bit more of me than they were expecting.

Ross was brilliant as Dr Frank N Furter.

I know that Adrian, Neil and myself have all gone off in different directions and are each successful in what we do.

Ross died some years ago.

Ross was funny, creative, imaginative and kind. He felt things so very deeply and was very much loved.

When we left school, he and I would occasionally speak to each other. There was that magic of friendship where time meant nothing and we would just chat like we were 17 again.

His death continues to resonate with those of us who knew him.

May you always be at peace ❤️

13/04/2025

Thoughts from a sunny Sunday

Today would have been my dad’s birthday. I’m actually struggling now to remember his laugh, his smile and his wisdom. ...
09/03/2025

Today would have been my dad’s birthday. I’m actually struggling now to remember his laugh, his smile and his wisdom. In fact, Dad’s wisdom was very quiet. He didn’t say much…he was often having an entirely different conversation to the rest of us. He didn’t like too much noise and, when staying with me, he loved to wander round the garden with a cup of coffee. He had a great admiration for anyone who could create things.

Dad was a complex man, a quiet man and I find myself missing him even more as the time increases.

Grief doesn’t leave us and I fear I lie when I tell people that time heals. Time reminds me that he is no longer here.

09/03/2025

I think one thing I have learned about leading funeral ceremonies is to not be afraid of humour. All life has colour and this is to be celebrated. Families will tell you stories that will make them smile - always ask permission to tell them.

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19 The Crossway
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