March funeral flower of the month: the beginning of spring

19 March 2018

Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: The daffodil (narcissus) is without doubt, the most iconic flower in Wales – and it can be seen growing everywhere in swathes of brilliant yellow at this time of the year. Symbolising rebirth and new beginnings, which is why it’s sometimes known as the ‘Lent Lily’, narcissi are a […]

New Beginnings…

12 March 2018

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: I started planning my blogs about ‘New Beginnings’, our theme this month, the day Cardiff experienced a foot of snow on St David’s Day! Just a few days later, our beautiful new baby daughter, Sophia, finally joined us in time for us to have an extra special Mother’s Day this […]

February Funeral Flower of the Month: It had to be the rose!

17 February 2018

Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: It would be remiss of me not to talk about the rose this month – it is, after all, synonymous with love, Valentine’s Day, and the month of February. Perhaps you were lucky to receive a red rose last Wednesday? The rose was the clear choice for our Petal […]

Are you facing the death of a loved one?

8 February 2018

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: It’s been a really busy few months for Coles Funeral Directors, and we’re always deeply conscious that this means widespread sadness and grief for the many families we work with here in Cardiff. For some, death hits the family without any warning, whilst for others it comes as a release […]

January floral tributes to usher in the New Year

22 January 2018

Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: Over the past couple of weeks, Gareth has been talking about resolutions, so today I’ve set myself the challenge to share a few ideas for flowers that are: in season during January; make beautiful funeral blooms; and tie in to this month’s theme! White Heather – whilst it might […]

My New Year’s Resolution 2018

10 January 2018

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: This month, it probably comes as no surprise that we’re talking about ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ here at Coles, and everyone in the team has made at least one… have you?According to a recent survey reported in the Telegraph last week, 85% of the promises we make to ourselves in January […]

Remembrance Gifts that Celebrate Life

5 December 2017

Written by Claire Robertson, Office Manager at Coles Funeral Directors: December is widely considered a time for celebration with gift-giving high on the agenda at the end of the month! This got us thinking… as more often than not when a loved one choses cremation and their ashes aren’t interred or scattered – their cremains […]

November Flower of the Month: Poppies and other symbolic stems

8 November 2017

Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: If you’re part of our Facebook community, you’ll have seen that this month we have a Remembrance Tree in our funeral home on Newport Road – on which, each leaf is a message of remembrance for a departed loved one. (There is still time to include your message of […]

10 innovative ways to scatter and transform cremains

26 October 2017

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: We’ve been getting inspired at Coles this month as we look at innovation in the funeral industry. Today we’re looking at alternatives to interring or storing ashes in decorative urns. Some of the practices are already part of our service offering, but when it comes to memorials and keepsakes using […]

The most common place to die in Cardiff by 2040

24 October 2017

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Last week, I met with Care Home professionals from all over Cardiff and the South Wales area at the annual Care Roadshow held in Cardiff City Stadium. The conference that ran alongside the programme focussed on pioneering treatments for the elderly, and there were lots of innovative products on show […]

Incredible Product Innovation in the Funeral Industry

18 October 2017

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: You may have noticed over the last couple of weeks that we’ve been sharing some links to fascinating product innovations in the funeral industry. In this summary, I’ve tried to find examples of really cutting edge ‘out-there’ products (most of which come with a hefty price tag) whilst also suggesting […]