Funerals and Coronavirus/ COVID-19

At the present time, we’re arranging funerals as we would normally, but we’re aware that the situation with coronavirus/COVID-19 is changing rapidly. As we tread into unchartered territory, we want to reassure you that we are taking every possible step to ensure funerals can go ahead with the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community as our main concern.

• We are well prepared to take care of people who have died with coronavirus/COVID-19 in line with the official guidance we have received from the government. We will continue to look after everyone in our care in our gentle and sensitive way, but have put procedures in place to ensure we can do this safely. This means that our team may be wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) even when the risk is deemed to be low.
• If you are faced with arranging a funeral and cannot, for whatever reason, have a face-to-face meeting, we can arrange an appointment with you over the phone, email, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp etc. Paperwork can, in most situations, be completed digitally.
• Should you need to arrange a direct cremation or burial with us (this is when a person is cremated or buried without a funeral service and with no mourners in attendance), we can advise on how you can put together a meaningful memorial service at a later date, as well as offering support with your grief.
• We are working closely with our colleagues throughout the funeral profession to ensure we can offer the same high standards you would normally expect from us during this unprecedented time.

f you have any questions about coronavirus/COVID-19 and funerals, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 01273 820018 or by emailing info@bungards.co.uk.

Help to protect your loved ones from the worry and expense of your funeral with a pre-paid funeral plan from Bungard & Sons.

If like 700,000 other people you want to make sure your funeral is done your way with the minimal amount of fuss to your next of kin then consider a funeral plan to make things easier. We have carefully chosen Golden Charter to partner with over all of the other funeral plan providers as they are actually owned by Independent Funeral Directors like us and have over 25 years of experience. Plus they are the only funeral plan provider recommended by our governing body SAIF (Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors) so we know we and our families are in safe hands.

Your money is well protected with Golden Charter, and you can choose to pay in full or in instalments depending on your preference. Also depending on how you pay your funds will either go into the Golden Charter Trust which is worth about £1.126 billion pounds or paid into one of the UK’s leading life assurance policies. Golden Charter is also a Funeral Planning Authority registered provider which means they are committed to protecting customers’ payments and guarantee to cover the funeral director’s services included in your plan.

All in all we think that purchasing a pre paid Funeral Plan from Golden Charter is one of the most sensible things you can do, it ensures your wishes are adhered to and it makes sure that your loved ones do not have to deal with the worry of wondering what you may have wanted and of course having to find the funds for your funeral. At the time of need one phone call to us from your next of kin is all it takes to set the wheels in motion and for us to start arranging your wishes. We pride ourselves on the level of care and professionalism we provide to every one of our families and as we are Brighton & Hove’s Oldest Independent Funeral Directors we have picked up a thing or two over the last 113 years! We are now on our 5th generation of funeral directors and plan on staying around for another 100 years so your funeral will be in very safe hands.

Please feel free to call us, email us or pop in and have a chat if you would like to know more about our plans, we can tailor to your needs so no matter how simple or extravagant a send off you desire we can accommodate your wishes exactly.

• Dick Miller, 90, was a star of 1980s classics such as Gremlins and The Terminator.
• Michel Legrand, 86, was an Oscar-winning composer who worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minnelli, Edith Piaf and Barbra Streisand.
• Windsor Davies, 88, was best known for starring as Battery Sergeant Major Williams in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. Aged 88.
• Andre Previn, 89, worked on films such as Gigi, Porgy and Bess, My Fair Lady and Irma La Douce – and he won best music Oscars for all four.
• Drummer Andy Anderson, 68, was best known for his time with The Cure in the 1980s, but also worked with Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, the Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock and Mike Oldfield during his career.
• Peter Tork was one of the founding members of 1960s pop band The Monkees, famed for hit songs such as Daydream Believer and I’m A Believer. He died aged 77.
• Best known for his roles in The Sopranos and Casino, Vinny Vella, 72, starred in dozens of films throughout the 1990s and 2000s, often playing a gangster.
• Instantly recognisable for his distinctive white ponytail, black sunglasses, gloves and high starched collars, Karl Lagerfeld, 85, was one of the world’s most famous fashion designers.
• England’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper of 1966, Gordon Banks, 81, made 73 international appearances during his footballing career.
• Jan-Michael Vincent, 73, rose to prominence in the 1980s, playing pilot Stringfellow Hawke in US TV series Airwolf, about a high-tech military helicopter and its crew.
• A five-time Oscar nominee, British film legend Albert Finney, 82, was known for playing many different characters, with his list of films including Erin Brockovich, Big Fish, Scrooge, Annie and Murder On The Orient Express.
• Clive Swift was best known for playing Richard Bucket, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth Bucket, in the classic comedy Keeping Up Appearances. Clive died aged 82.
• Comedian Jeremy Hardy, 57, was a regular guest on radio panel shows The News Quiz and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.
• Mike Thalassitis was a footballer and one of the stars of season three of reality TV hit Love Island in 2017. Mike died aged 26.
• TV presenter Magenta Divine, 61, was known for her trademark black sunglasses, stylish attire and husky voice.
• Luke Perry became a household name for his role as heartthrob Dylan McKay in US teen show Beverly Hills 90210 between 1990 and 2000. Luke was 52.
• Keith Flint, 49, was frontman of The Prodigy, the twisted firestarter who brought the sound of British rave music to an audience of millions across the world.
• As Chewbacca, the 7ft 3ins Peter Mayhew, 74, was a fierce warrior with a soft heart; a loyal sidekick to Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon.
• Rowland ‘Boon’ Gould was a founding member of British band Level 42, alongside his brother Phil, Mark King and Mike Lindup. Rowland was 64.
• Ken Kercheval, 83, was best known as oil tycoon Cliff Barnes, rival of Larry Hagman’s scheming oil baron JR Ewing, in US TV series Dallas.
• Liverpool legend Tommy Smith, 74, played for the Merseyside football club for 18 years and was affectionately nicknamed the “Anfield Iron” by supporters.
• Sandy Ratcliff, 70, was one of the original cast members of BBC soap EastEnders, playing cafe owner Sue Osman between 1985 and 1989.
• The Tiger Who Came To Tea, by Judith Kerr, has never been out of print since being published in 1968, selling more than five million copies. It is the author’s best known book, among others including When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and the Mog The Cat series. Judith passed aged 95.
• Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda,70, was a three-time world champion and the only man to have won the drivers’ title for both Ferrari and McLaren.
• Grumpy Cat, real name Tardar Sauce, had 1.5 million followers on Twitter, more than 8 million followers on Facebook and 2.4 million on Instagram when she died in May 2019.
• After retiring from acting, Doris Day had been very private, accepting the Cecil B DeMille award at the Golden Globes in 1989 and doing her last TV interview five years later. She died of pneumonia aged 97.
• Former WCW wrestler Silver King, real name Cesar Barron, starred opposite Hollywood star Jack Black in the 2006 comedy Nacho Libre collapsed in the ring aged 51.
• Brian Walden, 86, was a broadcaster and former Labour MP who was best known for an interview with Margaret Thatcher in 1989 which helped bring about the end of her time as prime minister.
• Comedian Freddie Starr, 76, became a household name after rising to fame in the 1970s, but was undoubtedly best known for The Sun’s infamous 1986 front page, “Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster” – one of the best known headlines in the history of British tabloids.
• Heartbeat actor William Simons, 79, played the role of PC Alf Ventress in the hit TV police drama for nearly two decades, starring in all 18 series of the show between 1992 and 2010.
• Gloria Vanderbilt, 95, was a US fashion icon, author, actress and socialite, the great-great-granddaughter of financier Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made headlines throughout her life.
• Ex-Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes formed part of the iconic team who won the Premiership trophy without suffering any losses during what is now known as the club’s “invincible” season in 2003-04. Jose was 35.
• “King of the Broadway musical” Harold ‘Hal’ Prince, 91, worked on shows including Phantom Of The Opera and Sweeney Todd, winning a record 21 Tony awards in a theatre career which spanned seven decades.
• Actor Rutger Hauer, 75, appeared in more than 100 Dutch and international films and won a Golden Globe for his role in the 1988 film Escape from Sobibor.
• Brendan Grace, 68, played Father Fintan Stack in the cult TV comedy series Father Ted, and was also a stand-up comedian.
• Denise Nickerson, 62, played golden ticket winner Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s bestselling novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Emmerdale star Freddie Jones was described as one of the TV soap’s “favourite human beings” following his death at 91. The father of fellow actor Toby Jones played Sandy Thomas in the ITV show
• Rip Torn, 88, was an award-winning television, film and theatre actor who starred in Dodgeball and Men In Black following his film debut as a former prisoner of war in Time Limit in 1957.
• John McCririck, 79, was the famous racing broadcaster known for his outlandish dress sense and provocative broadcasting style, who also achieved fame through appearances on entertainment programmes including Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Wife Swap.
• Doctor Who writer and script editor Terrance Dicks wrote for the long-running TV science fiction series from 1968 to 1983, for the second, third and fourth Doctors; played by Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. Terrance was 84.
• According to US magazine Car And Driver, jetcar racer Jessi Combs, 36, was widely known in racing circles as the “fastest woman on four wheels”, and broke a record in 2013 with a run of 393mph (632kmph).
• Peter Fonda, 79, was born in New York in 1940 to Hollywood star Henry and his socialite wife Frances Ford Seymour, and was the younger brother of Jane Fonda.
• Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, 88, was the first black woman to receive the prize for literature, which she was awarded in 1993.She also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988 for her novel Beloved
• Entertainer and impressionist Joe Longthorne, 64, performed to millions of people around the world and sang at the Royal Variety Show several times, in a career which spanned several decades. He also earned an MBE for his charity work in 2012.
• Robert Mugabe was the former president of Zimbabwe ousted in a military coup after 37 years in power. The 95-year-old had ruled the country, a former British colony, from 1980 and was the world’s oldest head of state before his dramatic exit two years ago.
• Nicknamed “Le Bulldozer” early in his career for his determination and ambition, former French president Jacques Chirac, 86, led the country between 1995 and 2007.
• Former Glasgow Rangers footballer Fernando Ricksen, 43, spent six years playing for the club and earned 12 caps for the Netherlands at international level.
• South Africa rugby legend Chester Williams, 49, was famously the only black player in the Springboks squad that won the Rugby World Cup on home soil in 1995.
• German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, 74, was known for his dramatic but simple black and white portraits, having worked with supermodels including Kate Moss, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington.
• In a journalistic career spanning 40 years, Peter Sissons, 77, became one of British television’s most experienced and influential newsreaders. He presented the BBC’s Nine O’Clock News from 1994 and was considered to be one of the UK’s longest-serving news presenters when he retired from broadcasting in 2009.
• Ginger Baker, 80, was the drummer and co-founder of rock band Cream with Eric Clapton in 1966, and also performed with Hawkwind, Blind Faith and Fela Kuti.
• Reg Watson’s “legacy lives on in Ramsay Street” – the fictional road on which the long-running Australian soap Neighbours has been set since it made its debut in 1985. As the creator of the series he helped launch the careers of some of the biggest stars in Australian entertainment before passing aged 93.
• Belgian Paralympian Marieke Vervoort, 40, won gold and silver in wheelchair racing events at the London 2012 Paralympics, and two further medals at Rio 2016.
• Robert Freeman, 82, was the man behind some of The Beatles’ most famous album covers, helping to define the band’s image with the 1963 cover for With The Beatles, their second album.
• Gary Rhodes, 59, worked in restaurants around the world and was one of the first big TV chefs, starring in programmes including Rhodes Around Britain and MasterChef.
• British theatre director and presenter Jonathan Miller, 85, was one of the most renowned figures in the arts, following a decades-long career that encompassed theatre, television and opera.
• Beloved critic and broadcaster Clive James, 80, was admired for his wit and ability with words, both as a writer and broadcaster, and appeared frequently on radio as well as on TV from the 1970s to the 2010s.
• Former England captain and Sky cricket expert Bob Willis, 70, was a mainstay of the England team for more than a decade, playing in 90 Tests and 64 one-day internationals after his debut in 1971.
• Award-winning actor Ron Leibman, 82, was a star of stage and screen, but readily acknowledged he would perhaps always be best known for playing the father of Rachel Green in Friends.
• Puppeteer Caroll Spinney, 85, portrayed the beloved Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch until he was well into his 80s.
• Singer and actor Kenny Lynch, 81, was known for his 1960s hit Up On The Roof and appearance in Pinewood comedy Carry On Loving.

Richard, Ben, Zoe and Ray would like to wish all of our families and our local community a peaceful Christmas, and a very happy New Year.
We are available throughout the festive period 24 hours a day. Wishing everyone a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas time              

The Bungards Team x

I CAME ACROSS THIS ARTICLE LAST WEEK, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HUMAN COMPOSTING?
In April 2019, Washington became the first US state to legalize the composting of human bodies. As a result of this new legislation, the world’s first-ever composting site, Recompose, will open its doors in spring 2021 in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood.
Plans for the facility drawn by Olson Kundig Architects in collaboration with Katrina Spade, founder and CEO of Recompose, were released yesterday and it looks nothing like a traditional funeral home.

The 18,500-square-foot facility is a light-filled open space decorated with an abundance of greenery that can be moved around.

The space is comprised of 75 hexagonal-shaped vessels where bodies are stored for decomposition. All the vessels are stacked, looking a little like a beehive, around a gathering space meant for ceremonies.
Human composting is believed to be significantly more environmentally friendly than traditional methods of burial or cremation. Recompose’s patent-pending method involves placing bodies in one of the moisture- and temperature-controlled vessels filled with wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. In just 30 days of microbial activity, the body breaks down into soil. Recompose’s human composting consumes just one eighth of the energy required for cremation.
The human composting process generates around a cubic yard of soil from the human body. Mourners can choose to keep the resulting soil or Recompose can use it to help reforest land in southern Washington.
Credit to Eben Diskin – Matador Network – November 2019.

This year we held our Remembrance Service in conjunction with St. Barnabas church and had a lovely big turn out. Thank you to all who came and enjoyed Fr. Johns moving service and helped us to devour a mountain of mince pies and mulled wine afterwards!
The ‘Lights of Love’ look spectacular on the tree outside the church, make sure you take a look if you are passing Sackville Road and take a little moment to remember your special loved ones like we did on Monday.
If you find yourself facing Christmas alone this year and would prefer not to be, please do get in touch with us for advice on local activities in the area you can join in with.
Bungards wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas time.

This is a lovely little story I came across, make sure you keep filling up your account!

A 92-year-old delicate but well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and his face shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he manoeuvred his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

‘I love it,’ he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. ‘Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.’

‘That doesn’t have anything to do with it,’ he replied. ‘Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how I arrange my mind.

I already decided to love it. ‘It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.’

‘Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life.’

‘Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in.’

‘So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.’

Golden Charter looks at the almost universal trend for documenting every aspect of our lives using our smartphone cameras, from holiday destinations to what we’re having for dinner, it’s little surprise that there are an increasing number of photographs taken at funerals.

A 2015 survey in the Telegraph showed that one third of mourners admitted to taking “selfies” at funerals, mainly to get sympathy on social media. Many are in bad taste and highlight a lack of awareness that sharing pictures from a funeral on social media can cause real distress for grieving relatives.

But the strong reaction people have to funeral photographs is not just about selfie sharing on social networks – people are generally not particularly comfortable with the idea of taking photographs at a funeral.

Many people bristle at the thought of funeral photographs, seeing it as disrespectful and an invasion of mourners’ privacy. Some people question why anyone would want to remember such a sad affair in photographic detail. Others are distressed by the notion of posing for a funeral photograph the way they might for a wedding photograph, feeling that they need to hide their emotions for the sake of the camera.

But there is a small but growing consensus that, if we record every other significant event in our life, why not the passing of our loved ones?  For many families, a funeral is one of the very few times that all members of the extended family come together in one place, making it a unique opportunity to capture a truly cross-generational photograph.

A unique family memento

So whilst some may perceive it to be a bad idea to take out your phone to shoot a quick selfie or gather together grieving family members for a photo opportunity, considerate funeral photography can provide a unique family memento of a special time.

If you plan to take photographs at the funeral of a friend or family members, be sure to ask permission of the family members organising the funeral. You should also ask the permission of the location where the funeral service is taking place. The attending funeral director may also be able to give advice.

While you can take photographs yourself, there is a growing number of professional funeral photographers who will ensure that photographs are taken discreetly and sensitively. A good funeral photographer can cover all aspects of the send-off, from the service to the wake.

Funeral photography isn’t to everyone’s taste, but as more and more people come to see funerals as celebrations of a life past rather than a sombre mourning ritual, it is likely we will start to see professional photographers document the proceedings the way they would a wedding or a christening.

Funeral photographer Alison Burke says on her website: “More and more we are seeking to commemorate the life of the person we are bidding farewell to in a celebratory and positive manner.”

She explains that funeral photographs have to do some good for those who remain in life. “It has to be carried out thoughtfully, with compassion and respect, but above all else, it must come from the heart, and when it does, it can be a beautiful and touching way to remember this significant moment.”

We are incredibly proud to announce that our lead Funeral Director Benjamin Day has been nominated and has successfully made it through to the final of the Good Funeral Awards 2019!

The awards are hosted by the Association Of Green Funeral Directors with this years ceremony being held in Kent on the 19th October to celebrate excellency within the funeral profession.

Ben will face some tough competition with finalists drawn from all over the country, but we are keeping everything crossed he comes home a winner! We know he truly deserves industry recognition for the amazing service, care and dedication he gives to every one of our families.                                                                                                                     Good Luck Ben!

UPDATE 

Sadly Ben did not win as “Funeral Director of the Year” at the awards this year. However he is definitely a winner in our eyes. It was so lovely to read all the nominations that he received from his clients and families but also the kind and very well earnt praise and support he received from local ministers, celebrants and colleagues. Ben is such a great and appreciated member of the Team and may he continue to serve for many years to come. Congratulations from all of your colleagues Ben for being our Best Funeral Director.

Ben and his wife Leila attended the event and both looked amazing as the photo shows. The event was preceded by an exhibition at the venue of Port Lympne Hotel, Hythe and an opportunity to explore the gardens.