I've been to far too many funerals, and they seem to be on the increase as more and more of my contemporaries and relatives die.
Most of them are predictable and sombre affairs, but now and again one stands out. A few weeks ago a former work colleague died. He was a big fan of "Top Gun", but sadly never got to see Top Gun Maverick. However, at his funeral the music he chose was Take My Breath Away, and then Great Balls of Fire as the curtains closed in the Crematorium.
Afterwards his wife was very apologetic, but we all had a good laugh. It's how he'd have wanted it.
At another funeral a few years ago, a distant relative of mine who was a driving instructor insisted in his will that his coffin should be wheeled into the church with "L" plates on the front and back.
However, the most chaotic was the funeral for an old friend in Coventry. We drove down on the morning, and there were bloody roadworks on the M6. I had to put my foot down, and got to Canley Crematorium just as a hearse was going through the gates. I followed this to the chapel, and we stood around for a few minutes. I didn't recognise anyone there, and thought nothing more about that. But we were just going into the chapel when we saw the name of the deceased - and it wasn't my old friend.
Unbeknown to me there are TWO chapels in the grounds of Canley and I'd driven to the wrong one. I drove over to the other chapel and the coffin hadn't yet gone in. Apparently Brian, who had been in the Navy for some years had asked for a Naval Chaplain to officiate at the funeral. We waited and waited, and the crematorium staff were getting edgy as another funeral was timetabled in the next half hour but the Chaplain never turned up. Eventually, the funeral director said he'd have to take the service.
Well, he didn't know that much about the deceased, so he said a few things you'd expect, and then he said
"Thank you God for the Life of Brian"
A few of us started giggling, and we were wispering, "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy", and "What did the Romans ever do for us?"
We had a good laugh at the wake. I think Brian would have enjoyed it.
Most of them are predictable and sombre affairs, but now and again one stands out. A few weeks ago a former work colleague died. He was a big fan of "Top Gun", but sadly never got to see Top Gun Maverick. However, at his funeral the music he chose was Take My Breath Away, and then Great Balls of Fire as the curtains closed in the Crematorium.
Afterwards his wife was very apologetic, but we all had a good laugh. It's how he'd have wanted it.
At another funeral a few years ago, a distant relative of mine who was a driving instructor insisted in his will that his coffin should be wheeled into the church with "L" plates on the front and back.
However, the most chaotic was the funeral for an old friend in Coventry. We drove down on the morning, and there were bloody roadworks on the M6. I had to put my foot down, and got to Canley Crematorium just as a hearse was going through the gates. I followed this to the chapel, and we stood around for a few minutes. I didn't recognise anyone there, and thought nothing more about that. But we were just going into the chapel when we saw the name of the deceased - and it wasn't my old friend.
Unbeknown to me there are TWO chapels in the grounds of Canley and I'd driven to the wrong one. I drove over to the other chapel and the coffin hadn't yet gone in. Apparently Brian, who had been in the Navy for some years had asked for a Naval Chaplain to officiate at the funeral. We waited and waited, and the crematorium staff were getting edgy as another funeral was timetabled in the next half hour but the Chaplain never turned up. Eventually, the funeral director said he'd have to take the service.
Well, he didn't know that much about the deceased, so he said a few things you'd expect, and then he said
"Thank you God for the Life of Brian"
A few of us started giggling, and we were wispering, "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy", and "What did the Romans ever do for us?"
We had a good laugh at the wake. I think Brian would have enjoyed it.