The London Green Funeral Exhibition
A full review of this year's London Green Funeral Exhibition 2008 will appear here shortly.
Diary date: The London Green Funeral Exhibition will be held on Saturday, 19th April 2008 (not 26th as previously reported). The venue, as before, will be Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1.
Doors will open at 10:30 am and the programme of events will run until 4:00pm. Guest speaker Alexandra Boyd, eco-designer and environmentalist will speak at 11:30, followed by the event's key note speaker David Bellamy, botanist and environmental campaigner.
Panel discussions will take place from 2:00 - 3:00 with the feature topic "How any funeral may be made more green". Panellists include Roslyn Cassidy, John Harris, Brian Keep, Nick Taylor and Kate Woodthorpe. The panel will be chaired by Ken West.
Special features of the event will include advice on planning a green funeral, funeral artefacts, art exhibitions, a poetry recital, and a bookstall. All those interested in or new to green funerals are encouraged to attend, as well as those who want to learn more about funerals in general.
The event will conclude with a Memorial Circle for those who wish to participate in commemorating friends and family who have died.
Tickets for the event cost £8, and can be ordered online Here.
Lunch and refreshments will be served at the event by One Drop Presents.
The cost of lunch is £6 and may be pre-booked Here.
Meal ticket purchases will support One Drop Presents, a social organisation concerned with creative youth development.
Report on:
The First London Green Funeral Exhibition
(incorporating the 15th Day of the Dead)
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
Saturday 28th April 2007, 10.30am - 4.00pm
By Adeline O'Keeffe
Bright April sunshine greeted participants arriving at the first London Green Funeral Exhibition (incorporating the 15th Day of the Dead) organised by The Natural Death Centre (NDC). Exhibitors from all over the UK displayed diverse examples of biodegradable coffins, shrouds and jewellery as well as offering funeral specific green advice and services. Books, original art and photography complimented the practical and beautiful artefacts as they were caught in the dappled light of the main hall. During the day workshops were held and the day was capped by a lively panel discussion.
The main room at Conway Hall buzzed with excitement as the exhibition firmly established itself: biodegradable coffins of cardboard, willow, bamboo, and even banana leaf or water hyacinth lined the hall, alongside gorgeous shrouds of jute or wool all of which help transform the way we view death. It was a pleasure to imagine the possibilities inherent in any ceremony presented by such creative coffins. Visitors' graffiti on a plain white cardboard coffin was both striking and humourous; it led to thoughts of how a small child might picture a farewell on its blank canvas, while the temptation with any of the natural fibre coffins (bamboo, willow etc) would be to weave individual flowers into the structures. If more people knew how attractive a coffin could be why on earth would they chose a boring conventional one? And, casting off the woeful shrouds and artificial coffin linings of the past, why not be dressed in a garment reflecting individuality as well as being environmentally sound?
Ecoffins' stand
Main speakers:
Members of the public visited the stalls before settling down to hear the main speakers. No sense of solemnity or sorrow accompanied Julia Hailes, author of The New Green Consumer Guide, or journalist and author of Get Dead, Jamie Oliver as both evoked smiles and laughter from the audience with personal wishes and anecdotes. Julia Hailes stressed simplicity as the key to having a good green death, and emphasised that with a little thought any funeral can be made greener; meanwhile Jamie Oliver recounted humourous tales from his interviews with the funeral trade.
Julia Hailes
Workshops:
During the day Josefine Speyer, co-founder of the NDC, hosted an intimate workshop with a personal account of a green burial. In one of the upper rooms at Conway Hall a small group heard at first hand of the unexpected and shocking death of Josefine's husband, Nicholas Albery (also a co-founder of the NDC). Beautiful photographs complimented Josefine's account while she recounted the activity, organisation and sense of involvement experienced by friends and family. Again, simplicity was evident in Josefine's descriptions and photographs: her son and his friends dug the grave; the gathering was against a backdrop of grass and trees with simple wooden posts marking the space for celebrating a life. The sense of an event that took its time, without need for rush; of space and a very real chance to reflect over the course of a day with others that knew the deceased was palpable.
Meanwhile, another group gathered together to plan funerals with Susan Morris, a trustee of the NDC and palliative care nurse. After introducing participants to a choice of funeral options pens, paper and crayons were put to good use as people brought their ideas to life through drawing, prose and poetry. From this novel way of planning came vastly different and striking images of what a funeral or memorial can be: a coffin aboard a Viking ship emerging from a sleepy Scottish mist proved to be inspiration for a more achievable memorial of wild flowers dispersed at sea; a family picnic with oodles of homemade gooseberry wine to the tinkling of acoustic guitar; cremated remains within a catherine wheel of sparks released into the night sky and headed for Venus; burial in a rural churchyard with an outdoor memorial a year later. So, without need to stand on ceremony, participants inspired each other with elemental designs of an ideal yet achievable funeral with celebration being a key component. Those who took part said they really enjoyed being given free reign to talk and listen to what others had in mind, and appreciated Susan's guidance on what can be achieved with ease.
Panel discussion:
Subsequent feedback from visitors to the exhibition suggests the panel discussion was very popular. Kathryn Edwards, chair of the NDC advisory board and independent funeral celebrant, introduced what became a lively panel debate. The topic was how practical is a green funeral? Kathryn began by defining "green" as an ethos (in funerals, at least) that goes beyond being environmentally friendly: "it denotes a tendency towards a creative and personalised event with increased participation from mourners". A green funeral director, then, is one who, without fuss, will offer cardboard, bamboo, willow or other biodegradable coffins and proactively encourage as well as support the bereaved becoming more involved in the funeral process. Thus, one might say that "green", in the context of funerals, can be taken in a broader sense to mean both "modern" and "inclusive", as opposed to "traditional", which many callers to the NDC helpline describe as being for "onlookers".
Passionate contributions from Rosie Bullough, (independent natural burial ground manager), John Mallatratt (independent funeral director), Tony Walter (course director of the MSc in Death & Society, Bath University) and Ken West (who opened the first natural burial ground at Carlisle in 1991) ended with questions from the floor. Tony Walter opened the debate focusing on issues affecting natural burial grounds citing three issues of concern. Given their current proximity and the inevitable mileage to get to them, how green are they really when travel and subsequent visits are taken into account? He also questioned how these relatively new burial grounds would be viewed in the future: just as the Victorians' vision for cemeteries as pleasant parks didn't turn out as expected, how would natural burial grounds look in, say, 100 years time? In addition, Tony was keen to highlight the need for robust funding arrangements to ensure the long-term security of natural burial grounds.
Ken West's contribution lent more towards wildlife; recalling his early apprenticeship when cemeteries were scythed by hand rather than mowed by machine with the use of fertilisers. He reminded the audience that every cemetery should have at least one owl that feeds on the wildlife in the rough grass. His enthusiasm for keeping things as natural as possible was evident in his obvious delight when, as manager at Carlisle cemetery, he acted in the truest sense of the word as 'caretaker' by changing policy to ensure the return of the barn owl with the opening of England's first natural burial ground. Ken was also keen to record that natural burial is not for everyone: with a wealth of experience alongside bereaved people he noted that some felt it resembled a pauper's grave and were distinctly uncomfortable with it.
Next to speak was Rosie Bullough who, as a natural burial ground manager, sees the whole spectrum of experience from digging a grave to helping mourners get the most out of being in nature. Her knowledge about the natural world and specific wildlife was shared in the context of good funeral practice that aims to help the bereaved on the day, as well as afterwards when visiting the grave, in terms that are entirely and robustly eco-viable. What came across very well was the idea that the site of any natural burial ground - be it mature woodland or wildflower meadow - is encouraged to be seen as a living memorial to those buried there rather than the individualised graves that many of us have become so accustomed to. Rosie also relayed how lovely the view is from lying down in a grave - that's quite nice to know!
The final speaker on the panel was John Mallatratt. As a funeral director, he encourages and supports green practices and the involvement of the bereaved in the funeral whilst being sensitive to the effects of grief and the needs of mourners. John recounted useful, first hand experiences of the diverse needs at a time of grief, not all of which are necessarily eco-friendly, but can be seen as participatory for family and friends and therefore modern - as previously outlined by Kathryn - in that they positively stand for choice, an often missing ingredient.
From the floor came questions, comments and some answers and the time seemed to fly by all too soon. After a noisy celebration of raffle draws followed by poems read by Mike Jarvis (director, NDC) and Julian Litten (honorary consultant, NDC) the day was made complete by the lighting of candles and quiet reflection.
Takes allsorts to make a world !
Date of London Green Funeral Exhibition 2008:
Next year's London Green Funeral Exhibition is likely to be Saturday 26th April. Further details will be posted on our website in due course. If you would like to be notified in advance of the date and venue please let us know by email or telephone.
2005 Day of the Dead... 16/17 APRIL 2005
last year's main London event took place at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square, Holborn, featuring a panel discussion about funeral rites and ceremonies, poetry readings, and an exhibition of art and photography. Click here for a full report of the event. In Lincolnshire, the Birdsong Burial Ground between Willoughby and Sloothby held an open day. Family Tree, the Creative Funeral Company of Stroud, held 'The Dead Lift Me Up' - an evening of stories and songs of death and life.
In Scotland, an event was held at the Wooplaw Community Woods. Activities included a guided walk, willow garland making, and a fireside discussion.
2004 Day of the Dead... 18 APRIL 2004
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At the Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell, London, the Natural Death Centre celebrated the Day with a festive event featuring a display of beautiful and unusual funeral artefacts, talks from Dr Julian Litten, the funerary historian, author of The English Way of Death, and the Natural Death Handbook Awards winners, live poetry and music, and a memorial ceremony where people were invited to light a candle for someone who had died. For a report of the London event, please click here. [We still have a few copies of Dr Julian Litten's excellent book, The English Way of Death, available at the special price of £20 including p&p. Click here to read more...]
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In West London, Kensal Green Cemetery offered a guided tour of the Anglican Chapel.
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Nationally there was a co-ordinated Open Day at many of the UK's natural burial grounds – places where eco-friendly burial takes place in a biodegradable coffin or shroud, and a tree or shrub is planted as a memorial instead of a headstone. People were invited to take tours of these sites and chat with the owners.
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The South Downs Natural Burial Ground at the Sustainability Centre, East Meon, held an open day.
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In Scotland, the woodland burial ground at Craufurdland Woods, Fenwick, Ayrshire KA3 6BY, was open to visitors.
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In mid-Wales, Green Lane Burial Field, located between Welshpool and Newtown on a small plateau with magnificent views over the Severn valley to the north and the Kerry Hills to the south, had its official opening.
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In Norfolk, Colney Woodland Burial Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7TY, held an open day which was free to all. The event included local exhibitors (funeral directors, woodcarvers and stained glass window specialists) and various talks (by Age Concern, Macmillan Cancer Relief and others).
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In Brighton, on Saturday 24 April, ARKA Original Funerals, hosted a guided tour around Brighton's Extra Mural Cemetery, followed by a small interfaith ceremony and a picnic up at the woodland burial site.
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In North Yorkshire, on Sunday May 16th, 2-5pm Brocklands Woodland Burial hosted an open afternoon, with leaflets, cups of tea and juice, examples of biodegradable coffins on display, and a mini 'nature trail' to keep the kids occupied.
Click here for a Report of the 11th National Day of the Dead, 13 April 2003
Click here for a Report of the Tenth National Day of the Dead, 14 April 2002
Report of the Ninth National Day of the Dead, 8 April 2001
by Retta Bowen
A Day of the Dead is not everybody's cup of tea. Mostly people asking about my plans for the weekend were disconcerted, if not outright alarmed to discover that my Sunday was to be dedicated to contemplations of death. It's not a cheery subject; it's not the sort of thing that goes down very well at a school reunion. But it must be said that we run short on days like these, as a nation, despite our own personal losses and private griefs. Any passing stranger might have been surprised to learn that the group of people making their way noisily into Heber Road, site of the Natural Death Centre, were actively wanting to partake of a day for the dead.
The day, as many know, takes its inspiration from the Mexican celebration, which begins on Hallow's Eve and sprawls into November the 2nd. While we, in this country grow up trick or treating, never really questioning why we scar a smile on a pumpkin, dress up as a witch or bob an apple, children in Mexico may be rather closer to understanding the importance of commemorating the dead. Our National Day of the Dead hopes to do this too, and to harness a single day amidst the flood of days that pass unchecked without thoughts of death to pay tribute to those who have died - and to remember our own mortality. To this end, we invite families all over the country to light a candle during the course of a meal, and to remember aloud one who had died. Woodland burial grounds not subject to foot and mouth restrictions were also encouraged to participate by holding open days to the public.
Perhaps the unsuspecting passer-by's suspicions may have been mildly prickled by the cargo of bizarre coffins being hauled out of vans and into the house, and with just a little less reverence than usual. Assembled in the garden, surrounded by blossoming trees, they recovered their elegance. Hazel Selina's unusually shaped 'ecopods' (see photo) were a refreshing departure from the traditional coffin shape we mostly take for granted. The combination of a svelte, gold leaf exterior and cream feathered insides made for a very stylish way to go. It looked even more inviting than my bed, but then of course, you'd be in it for longer. It's taken six years to hone her vision and design down to this streamlined, 100% biodegradable 'pod', its mattress stuffed with recycled office paper. William Wainman's bamboo eco coffins (see photo below) were likewise environmentally friendly and rather fine looking. It seems he'd started off in the furniture business, and then been inspired to carry his designs over into coffin production. There's something friendly about them, generally; with their woven handles and threaded lid fastenings, they reminded me of a small suitcase I had as a child. Perhaps that's it - they look as though you'd be going somewhere pleasant and warm. Coffins could hardly come more natural than this: with minimal treatment used on the cut bamboo, the coffin contains even less harmful chemicals than the body.
Finally, we had the opportunity to lift the lid on Andrew Vaccari's 'earthsleeper', constructed out of sundeala papiermache which is made from recycled newsprint. Radiantly blue and rectangular, it looked more like a storage trunk than a coffin - deep and huge, with the kind of surface texture that begs to be touched.
Amazingly, Vaccari told us that it takes only five minutes to assemble.
We left some in the garden still marvelling at the strange forms, while the rest moved inside for some poetry. Perhaps they were trying to imagine themselves inside one of them. One woman doubted she'd fit the ecopod, but was reassured by Selina that it took almost any shape or size. No doubt we feel too big with life itself to imagine any lid clicking shut on us with ease. I found myself compelled to take their leaflets, nonetheless.
'Veroushka sang to us in French before enacting what she calls singing into the bones'
The invite had asked people to bring a poem or song to perform on the theme of mutability or mortality. I had mine and duly forgot the first line, but was prompted by helpful shouts of 'roses are red, violets are blue'. Somehow that triggered it. We enjoyed some old favourites - Brook's 'There is some corner of a foreign field' - but mostly we were privileged enough to have home-grown poems. These were all the more moving because they were about a person dear to someone present and so made known to us also, in a way. So rarely are we read to or sung to outside of churches or theatres and it's a pleasurable thing indeed to witness how even a performance by a lone individual threads a group together. Veroushka sang to us in French before enacting what she calls 'singing into the bones'. Taking a volunteer, she pressed her face into the woman's back and, letting her mouth hover at the top of her spine, chanted so that the surprised woman felt her spine 'tingling'. A strange sight, but undoubtedly a stranger sensation.
'Circling the grave, his entire choir had sung unaccompanied in multi-part harmony'
Nicholas kicked off the debate 'What does a green funeral involve?' by getting each of the invitees from various woodland burial grounds and our one green undertaker to describe a memorable funeral they'd experienced. Their descriptions were a reminder that creativity is both possible and cathartic at sad times. Terena Plowright and Rosie Bullough from East Meon Woodland burial ground told of the funeral of a young man who had sung in a choir. At his ceremony, standing in the thick of the woods and circling the grave, his entire choir had sung unaccompanied in multi-part harmony. Roslyn Cassidy, of the recently founded Green Endings funeral directors, described the funeral of a woman in her fifties who had known for a long time that she was dying. She had, with extraordinary efficiency, prepared an envelope for each of her friends, and had left instructions for its contents to be read aloud by the recipient at her graveside. Each letter was different; a memory of time they had spent together, an anecdote, a message. How curious and strong to be directing proceedings at your own funeral: the idea was unforgettable. Warwick Clarke remembered the first burial at his woodland burial ground in Olney before they had opened officially, when the site was still a field with no infrastructure to speak of. But, for the family of one man who had died suddenly and wanted a pagan funeral, it was good enough; they selected a plot and had the ground blessed. On the day, the rain pelted down relentlessly but they wore their wellies, drank wine and celebrated in style, regardless. A month later they returned to plant an oak, which remains the best looking tree on the site.Nicholas then asked that each of them describe the site of the woodland burial ground as though for the benefit of a blind person. We were led round kinks in the roads, up the brow of a hill and through gates. We looked out on one side over a small town, and could just discern a church spire; on the other, the woods and fields and the sheep beyond. There are sheep at both sites. In the true spirit of 'greenness', Warwick explained that a plaque at the head of the grave bearing the name of the deceased will eventually be eaten by the sheep - earth to earth, and all that.
'Each member of the group was asked to introduce themselves with a brief summary of their desired death arrangements'
To get us in the mood for the living will and funeral plans workshop, each member of the group was asked to introduce themselves with a brief summary of their desired death arrangements. This was a novel form of introduction but one I doubt is likely to catch on in other social situations. Peter was up for quietly keeling over in a field, left to the weather and the sheep, though he did concede that it might be difficult to arrange. He found a possible companion in Flora, who was eager for a similar last experience. We filled out the forms in pairs, asking each other questions and worrying away at whether one would/would not like for close relatives to be informed of one's terminal illness. It's so hard to know how one might feel, to make the imaginative leap to an unknown territory that depends upon so many variables. Even if deciding on my favourite music, the drugs I imagine I might appreciate and who I would like to sleep in the same bed as me may be just as relevant for today as the day I die.
'The space almost seemed to expand with those remembered and rendered present by an act of memory'
Finally, if all this had not dampened our appetites, we shared what food had been brought, pot luck style. Then, drawing into a circle with the lights lowered, we were each invited to light a candle for someone who had died and to tell something about them. Some told stories, or evoked some quintessential quality - their speed, or the look of their hands; some simply named the person they were choosing to remember, while some wished to pass. The circle was very intimate, but the space almost seemed to expand with those remembered and rendered present by an act of memory we were all sharing in. It felt good to do this, to make these much loved people real again, not just for ourselves, but for others, too. We said we were going to, but did we really contemplate our own death? It's hard to know. Hard to imagine other than someone else being laid out in one of Hazel Selina's beautiful feathered coffins, inviting as they were. But I do know that it was a good day; an enjoyable day, but also an opportunity to learn something about death without the urgency and pain that necessitates having to learn too much too quickly. I'm not planning on turning my toes up for a good while yet, but I like to think I'm a little more prepared for it. I imagine Nicholas's neighbours are probably more prepared for it by now - it's their ninth day of the dead, too.
* The Natural Death Centre is now at 12a Blackstock Mews, Blackstock Road, London N4 2BT (tel 0871 288 2098; email: contact@naturaldeath.org.uk). For further details of the exhibitors and their work see The Natural Death Handbook, 4th edition. The book can be ordered securely online by credit card for £15.50 incl. 1st class p&p.
