Is there a Funeral Price War raging – and if so, who started it?
7 September 2018
 Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Over the summer you may have been made aware of the considerable turmoil in the funeral industry at the moment… Well, behind the scenes here at Coles we’ve been pulling out all the stops to campaign on your behalf for fairer funeral prices for all – and wanted to share […]
When should funeral arrangements not be a personal choice?
28 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve read my previous blogs this month, I’ve been writing about the importance of personal choice when it comes to making funeral plans and arrangements. There really is no right or wrong way to say goodbye to a loved one, and at no point should you feel pressured by […]
What will your favourite flower say about you?
22 June 2018
Written by Services Manager, Claire Robertson: This month we’ve been talking about how it’s important to have choice when it comes to end of life care and funeral plans. There is always a lot to think about when somebody dies and making funeral arrangements can be stressful. All too often, people feel hurried into making […]
Our step-by-step guide to personalising a funeral
14 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Last week, there were lots of news headlines about the lack of transparency and ‘confusion’ in the funeral industry, particularly around pricing. We couldn’t agree more with Senior Director of Markets at Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Daniel Gordon, when he said to BBC News: “People can understandably be very […]
Funeral Industry under Scrutiny in the News… and its about time!
4 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve listened to the news over the weekend you may well have picked up a story that is also making newspaper headlines – about the price of funerals, the choice available to people, and the conduct of companies selling pre-paid funeral plans. In the last couple of days, Ministers […]
Pre-plan your funeral before 31st March to save £350
25 March 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: The clocks have gone forward, the sun is out here in Cardiff – and traditionally, this is the time of year we think about spring-cleaning our homes, tidying up the garden and getting our affairs in order. Earlier this month I wrote about how, if you’re looking for a new beginning […]
New Beginnings…
12 March 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: I started planning my blogs about ‘New Beginnings’, our theme this month, the day Cardiff experienced a foot of snow on St David’s Day! Just a few days later, our beautiful new baby daughter, Sophia, finally joined us in time for us to have an extra special Mother’s Day this […]
Your Final Act of Love: Caring for the Dead
28 February 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: When I started in the death care industry many moons ago – I made a decision. A commitment if you will, to the dying, the dead and the grieving, that I would do my very best to take care of them and ensure the funerals I planned would perfectly reflect […]
3 Resolutions for the Grieving
30 January 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: We say goodbye to more people in winter than we do during any other season of the year, so it’s not all that surprising that the New Year can be bittersweet for a lot of people.It’s important to remember that when we love deeply, we grieve in the same way. […]
January floral tributes to usher in the New Year
22 January 2018
Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson: Over the past couple of weeks, Gareth has been talking about resolutions, so today I’ve set myself the challenge to share a few ideas for flowers that are: in season during January; make beautiful funeral blooms; and tie in to this month’s theme! White Heather – whilst it might […]
Have you resolved to get organised this year?
15 January 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Following on from my blog on resolutions, I understand from some of the feedback that ‘getting organised’ is high on the agenda for lots of people this January! (It’s certainly high on our agenda as my wife and I get ready for the arrival of the newest addition to our […]
Why would you want to pre-plan your funeral?
2 October 2017
Written by Gareth Coles: Throughout September we were actively campaigning to raise awareness about the importance of talking to your loved ones about what you want to happen when you die.Truthfully, it strikes me as strange that in this day and age when we spend months planning for Christmas; when it’s not unusual to take a […]