Ann Jones Funeral Celebrant

10/10/2026

It’s ok to not be ok, and it’s also ok to talk and cry ….

07/10/2026

This Thursday is International Day of Older People 💚

It’s a day to celebrate the older people in our families and communities, the stories they tell, the things they teach us and the memories they help to create.

At Cannock Chase Crematorium, we have the privilege of hearing so many wonderful stories about lives well lived.

So this week, perhaps take a little time to call, visit or have a cup of tea with an older person in your life.

And maybe ask them to tell you a story you haven't heard before. 🤎

07/10/2026

So, if you want an undignified impersonal funeral, this is the company to go for. Before you arrange your funeral, ask your local director, they can do it cheaper and better, and your family would probably like to say goodbye, using a celebrant like me!

⚰️ A major funeral company has secured approval to establish one of 'Britain's biggest' mortuaries, despite fierce opposition from residents who described it as a 'human conveyor belt. '.

The substantial storage facility - capable of accommodating up to 700 bodies in racks stacked five coffins high - is being developed by Pure Cremations, Britain's leading direct cremation provider.

Following approval from York Council last week, the 37,673 sq ft former telephone exchange will be transformed into a storage facility at York Business Park, in Nether Poppleton, North Yorkshire.

👀 The company, which operates a comparable facility at Knutsford, Cheshire, has stated it will serve as the firm's principal mortuary for the North East.

It will become one of the UK's largest facilities - surpassed only by temporary structures erected during Covid, which could accommodate up to 1,300 bodies.

Numerous local residents had previously opposed the proposal, labelling it as "horrific" with some likening it to a "human conveyor belt".

😔 Local funeral director Martin Rowley, 64, who operates Rowley & Sons Family Funeral Services, in York, said he is "disappointed" by the decision. He alleges the approximately 25 members of staff working at the site will be unable to provide sufficient care for the deceased.

Martin, who also serves as a Conservative councillor for the Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward, commented: "This facility just endorses the impersonal, transactional, profit driven nature of the Pure Cremations operation.

"I'm not questioning their service, rather the industrial scale of the facility. How can so few staff realistically look after so many bodies and ensure they are kept in good condition.

"If the council really cared about people and transparency, they would have brought this planning application to the Planning Committee for determination."

01/10/2026

I’d sit with my sister, what about you?

01/10/2026

30/09/2026

Rest in peace Esther ❤️💔❤️

29/09/2026

Why does the funeral director walk in front of the hearse? Funeral paging is the traditional practice of a funeral director walking slowly on foot in front of a hearse at the start of a procession or past significant local landmarks.
History and Meaning
• Origins: The custom dates back to Victorian times and horse-drawn carriages, when funeral staff walked ahead to clear the path of obstacles, uneven roads, or crowds.
• Respect: Today, it serves as a solemn, respectful gesture to honor the deceased on their final journey.
• Pacing and Safety: It helps set a slow, measured speed, signals oncoming traffic to slow down or stop, and allows following cars in the cortege to maintain a uniform pace.