Albany Funerals

29/10/2025

Just a few of the amazing places that have hosted some of our funerals and memorial services over the last month. These were proceeded or followed by direct cremations in all cases but one. Showing that direct cremations can be a good thing, as holding the cremation separately before or after the service can open up so many more venue possibilities for these vital life events. However, these beautiful ceremonies are a far cry from the direct cremations pushed on us by expensive advertising campaigns on our TV screens, selling unattended cremations as ‘no fuss funerals’.
It’s always worth speaking to your local funeral director who will usually offer the same service but with more care, support, and advice.




Bradbourne House
Kentfield Country Estate
Chilston Park Hotel

24/06/2025

Yes! We all deserve something special when we die, and this shouldn’t have to involve spending loads of money. Funerals don’t have to be dull and sad. Find a funeral director you trust who can help you hold a ceremony that means something to you, whether it’s simple or extravagant!

19/06/2025

Funerals in nature!
Have you considered the benefits of being closer to nature at times of grief? In our experience, it makes such a difference.
Please tell us about your own experiences.
☘️🌿🌱

Natural burial.

While vast sums of money are poured into promoting direct cremation, there’s another choice that you might not have thought of.

Around the UK there are hundreds of natural burial grounds. While locally they will be well known, there hasn’t been a strong collective movement to encourage people to think about choosing natural burial for themselves or for someone they love, so this is an option that is often overlooked.

This gorgeous photo is from one of the natural burial grounds recommended by the Good Funeral Guide, in Oxton.

Have a look and see whether there’s a natural burial ground near you, and go and visit it. Once you’ve walked in one of these beautiful places we think the idea of cremation may take second place in your plans.

Prices vary throughout the country, but are usually significantly lower than traditional burial in cemeteries.

18/06/2025

Have you or anyone you know had experience of a ‘Direct Cremation’? If so, would you be willing to take 5 mins to fill in this super valuable questionnaire devised by the The Good Funeral Guide CIC to enable them to understand how people are affected???
Thank you so much!

On today's blog:

Direct cremation. We want to find out more about why people are choosing it, and how bereaved people feel about it.

If you have experienced someone choosing a direct cremation, please tell us about it by completing our questionnaire.

Do please also share this on your platforms so we can reach as wide an audience as possible and begin to gather some insights into thoughts about this choice.

https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2025/05/direct-cremation-tell-us-your-thoughts/

05/06/2025

What do you think of these venues for funerals? Have you held a funeral somewhere other than a church or a crematorium? Please share your experiences! Thank you to the The Good Funeral Guide CICfor sharing some of ours, and for showing what funerals can be!!

29/05/2025

We agree!

07/05/2025

For the last few years, we have gathered every spring to remember and acknowledge the people dear to us who have died.

This year our amazing celebrant, Kathryn Sansom (Life and Love: Kathryn Sansom, Independent Celebrant) centered her expertly crafted remembrance service on acknowledging the grief journey that each of us is on, finding comfort in joining with others and learning to travel forward without our person.

There is such strength and support in coming together as a community to pause, and to remember, each with our own unique memories, to hear the name of our person, and light a candle in their memory.

Marc Lemezma (Celebrant Marc - Funeral & LIfe Celebrant), another of our cherished celebrants, regaled us with two beautiful poems he had written, one especially for this event, and another for a previous funeral (shared with permission) both very much on theme. 'Journey' and 'A Biker's Blessing'. (Both attached below). Thank you both so much for working with us to create such a beautiful service.

Reverend Nicky Harvey delivered a heartfelt blessing to conclude our proceedings and Becky Mckean, another of our wonderful celebrants expertly read all the precious names out. Thank you all.

Thank you also to all those of you who came, and donated to Heart of Kent Hospice. We raised a fantastic £341.50.

Wonderful flowers by Jo at gardenroomatgoldensquare.com and delicious cupcakes by Sweet Sonya's Cakes. Thank you!

07/05/2025

If you've watched daytime TV recently, you will have been bombarded with adverts selling the merits of Direct Cremation.

Indeed, this 'non funeral' is growing in popularity in the UK, particularly since the pandemic.

There is very little research in this area, and The Good Funeral Guide CIC are trying to understand more about any impact, positive or negative, that direct cremation has on bereaved people.

They have expertly crafted a clear and simple questionnaire (attached in blog below) for those who have experienced someone close to them having a direct cremation (i.e. where nobody attended the coffin's committal at the crematorium).

Was it a financial choice? The lack of 'fuss'? The wish to have a ceremony somewhere without the coffin present after or before the cremation took place? or something else?

It only takes about 5 mins and please share as widely as possible.
Thank you!

On today's blog:

Direct cremation. We want to find out more about why people are choosing it, and how bereaved people feel about it.

If you have experienced someone choosing a direct cremation, please tell us about it by completing our questionnaire.

Do please also share this on your platforms so we can reach as wide an audience as possible and begin to gather some insights into thoughts about this choice.

https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2025/05/direct-cremation-tell-us-your-thoughts/

07/04/2025

We are looking forward to our upcoming Remembrance Service on Saturday 26th April at 2 pm, at Boughton Monchelsea Village hall. If you would like to join us, please either book directly via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/albany-funerals.or get in touch with our office on 01622 746688/info@albany-funerals.co.uk and we will book you in, and take the names of the people you would like to remember.

06/03/2025

It's with great sadness that we have had to make the decision to close our premises in Great Chart, Ashford at the end of March. The current economic climate, staffing issues and problems with the building have put a huge strain on us, and it feels the right thing to do to regroup and focus completely on our busy Maidstone branch. The office will close on Friday 28th March and we will not be accepting any more funerals after today. If you do need us in the Ashford area, we cover the whole of Kent and we will always do whatever we can to help through our Maidstone office. Thank you to all our lovely clients in the Ashford area, and our celebrants and other providers, it's been a pleasure working with you to make beautiful funerals. Please do stay in touch!