Ashes to Ashes; Dust to Daisies

katex · 09-03-2010, 00:41

Last week spent some time tramping over graves and in the cemetery office... no . not sad ... great fun.

Undertaker came into the office to collect 'suchabody's ashes' (well not a body any more

). He was handed a little envelope. Mmmm . is this is what we are reduced to? Of course, may have not been the actual ashes of 'Albert', but just wondered what the family would do with them.

I hear about people expressing a wish for them to be scattered on cricket pitches/beauty spots (doesn't do the grass any good though), have tried to think where I would wish my burnt offerings to be recycled. Honestly, can't come up with anywhere 'cept the Garden of Remembrance in the cemetery to join me mum and dad.

Just wondered if any of our members on here have willed a desire on this.

garinda · 09-03-2010, 01:02

Lol, we've had fun with ashes.

My Dad retired at fifty, bought a place overlooking the sea in Pembrokshire. No more messing about going up to the Lakes, he could keep his much loved boats five minutes away, and planned to spend lots of his newly won free time down there.

Sadly he died the next year, and left instruction that he wanted his ashes scattered in the sea.

Myself, mum, and my brother like boats, but didn't love them, as my father did. We were 'mostly' willing helpers, to help dad get pleasure from his hobby.

A few weeks later at Easter, his family went down to mum and dad's holiday place in Wales. A rather sad weekend was spent, because we were missing someone who'd always been with us. We put off scattering the ashes until shortly before we planned to leave.

The time came, and we solemnly processed down to the beach at Saundersfoot.

What we really should have done, and which dad most certainly have done, was checked the tides timetable.

The sea was nowhere to be seen!

We marched for ages. Wind howling, rain lashing our faces, and light fading fast.

We did eventually find some shallow lapping water, and carried out dad's wishes, knowing he'd be laughing at our earnest, but shambolic effort to carry out his simple instructions.

garinda · 09-03-2010, 01:06

I want mine thrown to the four winds, at a special place high on Ossy moors.

I just hope I don't interfere with the workings of any nearby windmill.

katex · 09-03-2010, 01:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I want mine thrown to the four winds, at a special place high on Ossy moors.

I just hope I don't interfere with the workings of any nearby windmill.

Ok .. better mark the coordinates on a map now Garinda (an X will suffice) .. so no future members get it wrong ..

Garinda's last visit..jpg

garinda · 09-03-2010, 01:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Ok .. better mark the coordinates on a map now Garinda (an X will suffice) .. so no future members get it wrong ..

Attachment 15809

I'll need a big X , as I've put on weight...and plan on leaving a big sack full of cinders.

katex · 09-03-2010, 01:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I'll need a big X , as I've put on weight...and plan on leaving a big sack full of cinders.

Hey, hang on !! .. they would be great in the grit bins for future snow falls ... think of it as a donation to HBC. Might even earn a posthumous CBE or summat ... LOL.

garinda · 09-03-2010, 01:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Hey, hang on !! .. they would be great in the grit bins for future snow falls ... think of it as a donation to HBC.

I'm not going to change in death, what I was like in life.

I'd rather be a nuisance, by breaking a windmill, than be of some practical use to someone.

Neil · 09-03-2010, 01:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I'll need a big X , as I've put on weight...and plan on leaving a big sack full of cinders.

Hopefully someone will empty your sack into the more usual urn which will make scattering you a little easier.

garinda · 09-03-2010, 01:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Hopefully someone will empty your sack into the more usual urn which will make scattering you a little easier.

Let's hope there's not a light scattering of snow when I snuff it.

My sacks will remain unemptied, like the bins.

Benipete · 09-03-2010, 11:48

I'm going up that way next Tuesday,let me know if I can be of assistance.

Happy to help.

Spider61 · 09-03-2010, 12:44

Top of Pendle Hill for me

garinda · 09-03-2010, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spider61

Top of Pendle Hill for me

If the wind's blowing the wrong way you could end up in a Dingle's garden.

DaveinGermany · 09-03-2010, 19:39

Out over the Liverpool bay / Mersey estuary to be swirled along the coast of my youthful exuberances, plus anyone who wants to dance on my grave are going to have a difficult time of it for sure.

Margaret Pilkington · 09-03-2010, 20:35

I think that somewhere in the dim and distant past I blogged about the disposal of my Dad's ashes.

My Father loved Ronda, and when he died my mother decided she would take his ashes and scatter them over the deep ravine there.
His ashes were transported in a Nescafe Frappe jar, up into the mountains went my Ma and a sister Vanessa (heavily pregnant).
They travelled by public transport, though my sister had offered to drive, my mother was fearful that she wasn't fit to do so.

On reaching Ronda they chose a spot on one of the viewing platforms that jut out over the deep ravine(there are a few of these)......they were waiting for an opportune moment to toss the ashes over the side.
On the next viewing platform were some young men from Birmingham....with thick brummie accents.
Ma and Vanessa waited and waited for these young men to vacate the platform so that they could hurl father over the side and into the ravine in relative privacy and with some solemnity.
It was not to be..... the young men lingered and ma and Vanessa ran out of patience.
They chucked father out over the ravine. A thermal current picked up the ashes......up into the air they soared......then down, then up again and down......suddenly a gust of wind came along and blew fathers ashes all over the brummie lads.
They made some comment about the dust being sand from the Sahara......Ma chuckled, she said the ash was from a very hot place but not from the Sahara(this was under her breath and not to the lads in question) Ma then took a photo of father out of her handbag, she tossed that over the side of the ravine too. It experienced the same fate as the ashes.....up and down it went on the currents of air, and was eventually blown back into the road where it was run over by a truck that was heavily laden with watermelons.......Poor Dada, run over by a truck.
I am sure my father would have been tickled to little mint balls if he had been aware of the trouble he had caused in the disposal of his ashes.....I like to think of him having watched the whole performance with a wry grin on his face and a glass of Fundador in his hand.
Solemnity just wasn't his bag.

katex · 09-03-2010, 22:05

Such lovely stories from Margaret and Garinda .. great that the last memories of our loved ones are wrapped in a large grin.

Spider: Hope you will leave behind some fit relatives to climb the heights of Pendle Hill, or are you arranging finance for a helicopter drop ?...

Great story on 'confessions' on the Simon Mayo radio show last week. Ok .. missed a bit, but the gist was that relatives were preparing a Christmas Cake in the kitchen. Seeking out some spices, they came across a container and decided these were the ones. Everybody ate the cake with great relish. Week later same container turns up with an accompanying note explaining that 'here are your Uncle Albert's ashes'...

The confessor kept his mouth shut that they had all had a taste of Uncle Albert until recent times... great story.