Ninety-two people attended the second meeting of the London Association of Funeral Directors’ newly formed Western District.

Chairman of the District, Ray Barnes, welcomed the assembled and thanked all those for braving the torrential rain to attend. The meeting that followed  on the 15 September comprised reports from the NAFD President, Mrs Sue Saville, and then by officers of the Western District and LAFD (Jason Downing: education; Simon Truelove: health & safety and legislation), before a number of guest speakers gave short presentations. Fran Hall from the Chiltern Woodland Burial Ground in Beaconsfield recommended funeral directors contact her regarding the dignified dispersal of unclaimed cremated remains; the Revd Anne Richardson, chaplain to the deaf and blind in London suggested four ways funeral directors could assist when arranging a funeral particularly for those with hearing impairments. The final speaker was Bob Coates, the Superintendent and Registrar of Mortlake Crematorium. He used this opportunity to formally announce his retirement in 2010. He has been at Mortlake since 1980 and worked in local government since 1972. Bob reflected on the changes he had encountered over the years including the shift from 20 minute services to half an hour; dispensing with the rota minister; and the increasing need for flexibility to meet unusual requests. He said that a service was recently held under the gazebo in the crematorium gardens before the coffin was taken for cremation. Bob’s philosophy was, “If you can’t give a reason to say no, then say yes.” Ray Barnes thanked Bob for his unswerving support of funeral directors over the years and all present at the evening’s meeting expressed their warm appreciation of Bob’s tenure at Mortlake.

With the meeting closed, a hog roast and buffet supper then followed and, despite the damp conditions, a splendid firework display concluded the evening.

Congratulations must be extended to Ray and his committee for organising such a successful event.