Among other things, I am an ex-stand up comedian, an avid reader, a keen amateur actress, an Instagram cemetery photographer, and a collector of Toadstools, anything cow print, and Irregular Choice shoes.
I first heard about Humanist UK funerals in 1998 when my baby daughter, Alice, died, and having a meaningful, personal funeral made a huge difference to a horrendous experience.
When my Grandma died in 2011, I wrote the ceremony for a Celebrant to deliver, but it was only after my Dad’s funeral in 2016 that I decided to train as a celebrant so that I could offer others the chance to give their loved ones the funeral that is right for them and their families.
It’s not a popular opinion, but I love good funerals and detest bad ones, so I will always go out of my way to make sure that every funeral I give is as good as it possibly can be and is an accurate reflection of the deceased. The best compliment I can get for my work is, “it’s like you knew them.”
I also work as a University lecturer, so have a lot of experience of public speaking. I have written for magazines, academic book chapters, and newspapers, as well as writing funeral ceremonies, so I am skilled at writing in a range of styles to suit the audience.
I can work with you to create the perfect ceremony, whether that be traditional and sombre or upbeat and life affirming. Ceremonies I have led have included singing, dancing, and a chorus of Happy Birthday to You, but I have also led many with a more sedate format when that was more appropriate for the family concerned.
