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 […]
Dying Matters – And here’s why…
14 May 2018
Written by Director Gareth Coles: Today marks the start of Dying Matters Awareness Week – a week dedicated to encouraging and helping people to talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life. As you might expect, this is a mission that is very close to my […]
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 […]
Spring, Easter, and Religious Funerals…
8 April 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: For many of you reading this blog, the Bank Holiday last weekend will have been filled with egg hunts, too much chocolate – and perhaps an Easter Vigil. This time of year is, of course, important for many congregations in Cardiff as a period of celebration, reflection and prayer.Whether you celebrated […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]