I was born and educated, in Africa, and have lived in England, since 1979. My paternal grandparents were Scottish and my other grandmother was Cornish.
My wife and I were married, in a Humanist ceremony, in 1999, I trained as a Celebrant, in 2007 and I have also served as a member of The Humanist U.K. Training Team and still support new trainees, as a Mentor. I think that it is paramount that families have choice in how to mark special and significant landmarks. I am aware that you have choice and, if you are sufficiently generous and trusting to invite me to be a part of your the ceremony for your loved one, I shall work hard to justify that trust and to ensure that you get what you want and to try to add value through my experience.
Death is an inevitable part of the cycle of life, captured in the seasons. Memories are the things which make us the people that we are and funerals and memorials are a parting and a leave-taking and a reflection of somebody’s life, in all of its seasons. If they are a time for sadness and reflection, they are, though, also a celebration of life and an opportunity to remember its triumphs and pitfalls, with grace, decorum and humour. Most families who request Humanist funerals, are non-religious, though, in my experience, they might have formed an attachment to some particular words or music because it was part of their upbringing and so there is a need for adaptability. If we are to reflect somebody else’s life accurately this might mean embracing some of the values and beliefs other than our own. It is important for families to feel that they are being listened to and being offered the kind of ceremony which they want.
As an experienced celebrant, I can bring a range of technical, personal and interpersonal skills and produce scripts with imagination and subtlety, which combine seriousness and humour, which are fresh, original and lasting, and to present them in a manner which is meaningful, thoughtful and memorable, respectful and dignified.
