A generous gift for your family
18 December 2018
Written by Director of Communications, Francesca Coles: This year, perhaps more than most, I’ve been struck by the number of advertisements and campaigns that are advocating the giving of love, kindness, and compassion this Christmas time…In times of economic uncertainty like our current Brexit situation, the trend is to focus on ‘experience giving’ and spending […]
A proud moment – Funeral Director of the Year Finalist
15 September 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: This morning I’m travelling to Bournemouth with my wife and Head of Communications Francesca, fellow Funeral Director James Rogers, and Trainee Funeral Director Steven Long. And whatever happens at the Good Funeral Awards ceremony later – I can honestly say I’m really proud of our team and our accomplishments…Being nominated […]
Is there a Funeral Price War raging – and if so, who started it?
7 September 2018
 Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Over the summer you may have been made aware of the considerable turmoil in the funeral industry at the moment… Well, behind the scenes here at Coles we’ve been pulling out all the stops to campaign on your behalf for fairer funeral prices for all – and wanted to share […]
Pride in Our City
29 August 2018
Written by Head of Communications, Francesca Coles: This Bank Holiday, the streets of Cardiff were alive with Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend! The weather was kind and the sun shone while colourful floats flooded the city centre and a dragon made up of balloons lead the carnival spirit. It was a wonderful sight to see so many […]
When should funeral arrangements not be a personal choice?
28 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve read my previous blogs this month, I’ve been writing about the importance of personal choice when it comes to making funeral plans and arrangements. There really is no right or wrong way to say goodbye to a loved one, and at no point should you feel pressured by […]
What will your favourite flower say about you?
22 June 2018
Written by Services Manager, Claire Robertson: This month we’ve been talking about how it’s important to have choice when it comes to end of life care and funeral plans. There is always a lot to think about when somebody dies and making funeral arrangements can be stressful. All too often, people feel hurried into making […]
Our step-by-step guide to personalising a funeral
14 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Last week, there were lots of news headlines about the lack of transparency and ‘confusion’ in the funeral industry, particularly around pricing. We couldn’t agree more with Senior Director of Markets at Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Daniel Gordon, when he said to BBC News: “People can understandably be very […]
Funeral Industry under Scrutiny in the News… and its about time!
4 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve listened to the news over the weekend you may well have picked up a story that is also making newspaper headlines – about the price of funerals, the choice available to people, and the conduct of companies selling pre-paid funeral plans. In the last couple of days, Ministers […]
What is a multi-faith funeral?
30 April 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: It’s not all that long ago when traditional Christian ceremonies were the norm for funerals in the UK, but with an increasingly multicultural society in modern Britain, funeral providers have adapted the services we provide. People from all walks of life, cultures and religions are proud to call Cardiff their […]
Funeral Flower Etiquette by Religion: Should you send flowers?
25 April 2018
Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: Over the last couple of weeks, Gareth has been talking about religious and faith funerals. During my time with Coles, we have commissioned personalised funeral tributes on behalf of religious families in the shape of: Crosses, Angels, Gates of Heaven, Open Books, Jesus Fish, Five Pointed Stars, Aum, Khanda, […]
Spirituality in Life and Death
18 April 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: In my last blog, I talked about religious traditions in death, using my own belief system – Roman Catholicism – as an example. Today, I’d like to talk about a growing trend in funerals: Spirituality.At Coles, we’ve been arranging Humanist Funerals (non-religious) for a number of years now, but at […]
Pre-plan your funeral before 31st March to save £350
25 March 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: The clocks have gone forward, the sun is out here in Cardiff – and traditionally, this is the time of year we think about spring-cleaning our homes, tidying up the garden and getting our affairs in order. Earlier this month I wrote about how, if you’re looking for a new beginning […]