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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Your Final Act of Love: Caring for the Dead

28 February 2018

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: When I started in the death care industry many moons ago – I made a decision. A commitment if you will, to the dying, the dead and the grieving, that I would do my very best to take care of them and ensure the funerals I planned would perfectly reflect […]

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 […]

PRESS RELEASE: Two-dozen white roses set adrift on Valentine’s Day inspire a growing Death Positive movement in Cardiff.

13 February 2018

Cardiff, Wales, February 13th, 2017| On Valentine’s Day, 14th February 2018, two dozen white roses will be released downstream along with thoughts, feelings and messages to the deceased that were previously ‘left unsaid’. The timely petal release into the Rhymney River is the first of many events that Coles Funeral Directors has planned this year […]

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 […]

Things Left Unsaid to your Loved One?

4 February 2018

Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Working closely with bereaved families throughout Cardiff, we’re very aware that in grief, many people feel regret that they didn’t get the chance, or didn’t have the courage, to share important things with their loved one before they died.So we’d like to give you the opportunity to acknowledge these thoughts […]