Why choose a memorial?
People have been commemorating their loved ones with some form of memorial stone for thousands of years. To mark a final resting place or create a focal point for families to visit, we can advise on a full range of traditional and contemporary memorial options.
Burial memorials
Our team of craftsman, and your funeral director, will guide you through the various options and in a location of your choice be it our branch, your home or the cemetery.
Memorial craftsmen
New memorials
We supply a wide variety of memorial in any colour, size or finish from the traditional to the unusual. Clients can opt for a memorial from a range of choices,or we can design something entirely bespoke to suit your needs and reflect your personal requirements that is subject to local cemetery regulations.
Existing memorials
Where there is an existing memorial, our team will prepare the additional inscriptions. We also offer a renovation service to ensure all memorials – old, damaged, leaning or weathered – can be repaired or restored for generations to come.
Inscriptions
Inscriptions are very personal and there is no formula as such to follow. Cultural norms can play a part with some nationalities favouring photographs, ironmongery, and other elements to dress the memorial. Others can be as simple as a name and a date.
Typically, a memorial will include the name of the deceased and relevant dates of birth and death, sometimes adding their age. It’s also common to include relationships. In some cases a location: their home or birth town or a place they lived for a while is added too.
As well as a mark of time a memorial is an opportunity to add an epitaph, a short sentence or two that sum up how you and your family want the deceased to be remembered. Our team can help you craft the wording to enable you to create the fitting and lasting tribute you require.
Cremation memorials
General memorials
You can memorialise a loved one’s legacy or memory in other ways as well. Jewellery, online memorials, memorial trees, bushes, or plants, benches or plaques in favourite places. Some people arrange events as commemorations or at anniversaries. You may even want to consider a lasting legacy such as a prize or bursary.
After the Funeral FAQs
What is the difference between Tell Us Once and Life Ledger services?
Tell Us Once is a service aimed at notifying central and local Government agencies of a death so that they can centrally update records. Not only does this process the administration of certain accounts, it reduces the mail and other correspondence generated by these agencies over time.
Life Ledger is the private alternative and notifies telecom, financial, utilities and similar providers.
Both services are free to use and speed up the process of closing accounts.
Should I ask for additional copies of the death certificate?
It is often useful to obtain additional copies of the official death certificate called a ‘Certified Extract’ or 'Certified Copy of An Entry' as some institutions only accept originals which they may retain. Registrars will charge a fee for these copies.
Who else should I notify?
The following organisations are not included in the Tell Us Once service and you should notify them separately.
Financial
- HMRC for business tax, corporation tax or VAT related updates
- Mortgage provider
- Banks and building societies
- Premium bond, loan or other financial organisations
- Credit card, in-store cards and other loyalty programmes
Domestic
- House, car, breakdown, holiday and buildings insurance providers (car insurance policies are commonly in one name so we advise you to check before driving)
- Utility companies
- TV licence, phone and broadband providers
Personal
- Employer(s)
- Education establishments if in current term
- Professional associations
- GP, hospital, dentist, optician and anyone else providing medical care: NHS and private provider
- Charities, organisations or subscriptions the deceased made regular payments to
- Libraries, children’s or adult services (meals, visits etc) or other clubs
- Church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other places of worship
- If the deceased has a licence for firearms, please contact the local police station.
How do I ask for mail to be redirected?
The Royal Mail redirection service intercepts mail addressed to the deceased and redirects it to an address of your choice. This can be arranged on a monthly, half yearly or annual basis. The Bereavement Register is also available to stop unsolicited post being sent to the deceased’s address.
What should I do about property or land owned?
If the deceased owned land or property, a different updating process is required which is typically dealt with by the executor, administrator or lawyer appointed by the deceased or next of kin. They will also deal with any Wills or Letters of Wishes with regard to the overall estate (property and belongings).
