Thread: Britain's youngest funeral director

Originally Posted by olbod

Watched the doco this week about a 16 year old girl who goes to work at her fathers funeral parlour.
Heartening and inspiring stuff.
What an incredible child.
I can understand Dad's pride in both his girls.

Robert

For me, there wouldn't be many jobs in the world worse than that. But I guess you get used to dealing with profound grief and embalming bodies on a daily basis. Undertaking seems to often be family run businesses.

I often wondered about why bodies need to be embalmed, it there was no viewing requested surely embalming would not be necessary and an unnecessary cost.
I know funeral palours are there to make money as it is a business. I found the hard part was selecting a coffin, they start showing you pictures of caskets at your most vunerable time of grief and you feel mean and cheap if you choose a cheaper casket. They tend to use the line, most people choose the "Braxton" Which happens to be say $3000., and your looking at the $900 model.

A guy i worked with also told me and he was serious, that after an autopsy and the body goes to the funeral home, they fill the empty cranial cavity with rolled up newspaper, if that's the case, better specify some land rover mags ,so at least I can have some interesting reading when I go.

Originally Posted by It'sNotWorthComplaining!

I often wondered about why bodies need to be embalmed, it there was no viewing requested surely embalming would not be necessary and an unnecessary cost.
I know funeral palours are there to make money as it is a business. I found the hard part was selecting a coffin, they start showing you pictures of caskets at your most vunerable time of grief and you feel mean and cheap if you choose a cheaper casket. They tend to use the line, most people choose the "Braxton" Which happens to be say $3000., and your looking at the $900 model.

A guy i worked with also told me and he was serious, that after an autopsy and the body goes to the funeral home, they fill the empty cranial cavity with rolled up newspaper, if that's the case, better specify some land rover mags ,so at least I can have some interesting reading when I go.

I guess they have to embalm because the body is often unrefrigerated for an extended period prior to being burried or cremated and I don't think coffins would be completely air/fluid tight. Oww..... I'm getting queasy

did you know Cremation:
The box containing the body is placed in the retort and [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incinerated"]Incineration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] at a temperature of 760 to 1150 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius"]Celsius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] (U.S.A.1400 to 2100 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit"]Fahrenheit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]). During the cremation process, the greater portion of the body (especially the organs and other soft tissues) is [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporized"]Evaporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] and oxidized by the intense heat; gases released are discharged through the exhaust system. The process usually takes 90 minutes to two hours, with larger bodies taking longer time.[[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed"]Wikipedia:Citation needed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]]
Jewellery, such as wrist-watches and rings, are ordinarily removed before cremation, and returned to the family. The only non-natural item required to be removed is a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacemaker"]Artificial cardiac pacemaker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame], because it could explode and damage the cremator; the mercury contained in a pacemaker's batteries also poses an unacceptable risk of air pollution.[[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed"]Wikipedia:Citation needed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]] In the United Kingdom, and possibly other countries, the undertaker is required to remove pacemakers prior to delivering the body to the crematorium, and sign a declaration stating that any pacemaker has been removed.[10]
Contrary to popular belief, the cremated remains are not ashes in the usual sense. After the incineration is completed, the dry bone fragments are swept out of the retort and pulverised by a machine called a cremulator to process them into "ashes" or "cremated remains",[10] although pulverisation may also be performed by hand. This leaves the bone with a fine sand like texture and color, able to be scattered without need for mixing with any foreign matter,[11] though the size of the grain varies depending on the cremulator used. Their weight is approximately 4 pounds (1.8 kg) for adult [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human"]Human - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] females and 6 pounds (2.7 kg) for adult human males. There are various types of cremulators, including rotating devices, grinders, and older models using heavy metal balls.[12]
The grinding process typically takes about 20 minutes.


do you want to be smooth or Crunchy?

I'll go smooth and be put into an hourglass.

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

I'll go smooth and be put into an hourglass.

Crikey, I like that idea.
I wonder if...

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

I'll go smooth and be put into an hourglass.

well, at least then, you will always be dead on time.

No need to wonder, put in your will. Last wishes and all have to be honoured.