Readers' letters

I don’t wish to sound morbid or offend anyone, but there appears to be a trend setting in concerning funerals.

We read plenty of adverts about the ever increasing costs of funerals and how one should insure against them.

However, no funeral directors, crematorium staff, clergy or registrars of birth, marriage and death, warn of the likelihood of a delay of two weeks from death to the actual ceremony.

The excuses the public hear are:

1) there had to be a post-mortem 
2) the officials are on holiday, 3) relatives and friends have to come from abroad 
4 ) the undertakers are very busy 
5) Shortage of venues – religious or secular.

The list goes on and on.

Forgive me but the comedian Dave Allen would have had a field day with the present state of affairs.

I have attended two funerals recently of lifelong friends in the Preston area.

One died in hospital on May 24 and was buried June 7 – a period of 14 days. The second died in hospital on July 2 and was cremated July 19 – a period of 17 days.

I thought “what will be will be” until I read the announcements in the LEP (July 20).

There was one with a reasonable period of nine days but all the remainder ranged from 11 days to 20 days. This cannot just be a coincidence and I would welcome any comments from the Institute of Funeral Directors, Registrar of Deaths or other active participants.

It wasn’t too many years ago the dearly departed were brought home to lay in the front parlour for the family, but I bet it did not take up to two weeks to bury or cremate them.

To sum up, people are paying more and more for slower services.

It would be interesting to learn whether this is a national problem, and yes, I do remember well the Grave Diggers’ strike.

Yours Disheartened, Preston

Green areas look shabby

Well, at last our grass verges are being cut.

However, the contractor appears to have no supervision on site.

The grass looks like it has been cut with a knife and fork and then blown around.

Even sharper blades might be a good idea.

Yes, we are grateful the long grass is now cut, but what a mess – uneven and no edges trimmed.

I am told the normal specification has been reduced, I am not sure what that means.

However, observing the workers at work, they are not up to the standard we are used to from Preston City Council. The two days I saw them, they packed up just after lunch.

Lancashire County Council may be saving money but at what expense?

After years of excellent service from Preston City Council, our green areas now look shabby and this does not reflect well on our city.

Coun Christine Abram, Cottam

A thought
for the day

Thought for the day in light of the recent decision by Parliament: “Guided missiles, misguided men ...” – Martin Luther King.

Michael Parker via email

Address supplied