Cremation or burial?

M0nica

For most of my life, I have wanted to be cremated. All my family have been cremated

but

In the last couple of years, I have been thinking about burial, in a wicker coffin. Ideally in my local church graveyard or in a woodland grave.I have loved the countryside all my life, studied landscape history and the thought of becoming part of the landscape after my death is increasingly attractive.

Mind you, even if my children say they will do as I wish, once I am dead, how will I know? They may decide to cremate me and bury beneath a rosebush in the crematorium garden.

Exactly. Sadly my son died 5 years ago and he was very much into nature and we had a woodland burial in a beautiful place where you can see a harbour. I very much like the thought that energy can be neither created or destroyed and feel he is now part of the nature he loved, and that one day I will join him

This thread was started in 2019.

That being said, I used to want a cremation, but these days I rather fancy being composted. I hope that by the time I die, this will be widely available in the UK.

I realise that it's an old thread but it was nice to see posts from Phoenix, Rufus, Galen and a few other ' absent friends '.

It's a subject that I am still undecided about, I've been trying to plan my funeral for some time now, I have chosen my readings and hymns, so I really should make my mind up.

Burial for me- simple local wood not varnished, no fancy handles, cotton liner- or a lovely wicker coffin- in natural burial ground with one native tree planted- no flowers on polystirene boards, just a few natural flowers in season, or none if not in season. Just like the one round the corner from where we lived- and when all the plots are taken, it will be left to grow as a natural native tree forests. Cremation is really NOT ecological at all, and neither are burials with fancy woods from the amazon and silk liners, brass handles, etc. All those reefs are made of diabolical polystirene which will remain forever, uncompostable.

That is after they have taken all the bits that can still be used by someone else.

Speedy private cremation for me. All sorted with sons.

💐 Pandapatch, your sons resting place sounds ideal, he is part if the nature he loved.
It's cremation for me, a simple cardboard box.

Cremation and scattered in the garden of remembrance at the crem.I currently have the ashes of both my inlaws here ,my sister in law wont scatter them and isn't happy about us doing it without her .
In my opinion that is very disrespectful MIL kept her husbands ashes so they could be scattered together ,he had been dead 17 years before she died .My husband is very patient with his sister but even he is very irritated by her .Maybe someone here can tell me if its OK to hold onto ashes instead of scattering them as the deceased had wished ,I dont want to cause an arguement but it makes me very uneasy .Maybe I should just let her keep them.My fear is they'll still be sitting in her house when she dies,we viewed a house where ashes had been left behind sitting on a mantel .I found that very sad .

I have already paid for my (unattended) cremation and the ashes will be delivered to my eldest daughter. Like M0nica, I think the idea of being 'recycled' into the ground is appealing, still I'll settle on having my ashes scattered in woodland - anywhere will do - some extra minerals for the trees!

My body is down for donation. That’s if it’s still in good enough nick for them to want it.
When speaking to the organisation I asked if I was too old, 70 at the time, they told me they had received a body of someone who was 106 😄

Kim19

Speedy private cremation for me. All sorted with sons.

When you say 'speedy' what do you mean? What is the average waiting time these days?

Sorry,F, only just seen this now. Timespan a week max I'm told by the local crem.

That is good to know, because not many long ago, we have had friends who had to wait months- which is unbearable to my mind.

Cremation is really NOT ecological at all

This is what worries me. Yet burial is hugely expensive and I don't want my children to have to spend shedloads of money on laying me to rest. Is it better to have a non ecological cheap cremation and leave the money burial would have cost to my children (perhaps with a charity people can donate to), or to be buried in a natural burial ground and return the body slowly to the earth as most animals do? There is a beautiful place nearby where such burials are done, but when I found out the cost it was huge.

What do you mean by 'huge', out of interest.

Fleurpepper

What do you mean by 'huge', out of interest.

Sorry, can't remember; I enquired a few years ago and just immediately knew that it was out of my price range! I'll try and find out and post it tomorrow.

It's interesting to read about everyone's preferences for cremation or burial. Personally, I lean more towards burial.

My plan is to live forever - gong well so far!

What about this? Anyone interested? Personally I think it's a great idea - any new alternatives to conventional cremation or burial are surely to be welcomed.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081058

Blondiescot

What about this? Anyone interested? Personally I think it's a great idea - any new alternatives to conventional cremation or burial are surely to be welcomed.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081058

In some quarters it’s being referred to as boil in the bag cremation 😱

cremated, no service and scatter my ashes anywhere, my son is okay with this and as he is my only child i want to make it as easy as possible for him.

MerylStreep

Blondiescot

What about this? Anyone interested? Personally I think it's a great idea - any new alternatives to conventional cremation or burial are surely to be welcomed.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081058

In some quarters it’s being referred to as boil in the bag cremation 😱

Newspapers love a snappy headline!

Donating your body to medical science isnt always possible - paperwork all needs to be in order for it to be actioned when the time comes and some causes of death means body cant be accepted. I know one family who were successful and one who wasnt.

Right at this moment as I read this thread I am trying to sort out a headstone for my mum's mum/dad/grandma.

My mum left an amount of money and the week before she died she said I know what I would like to do with that money. That was for her parents/grandparent to have a "proper" headstone in the churchyard. They never had one only a home made one which was fine, but had rotted or been taken away.

But to be honest we are prob talking around £2,000 just for a basic black headstone and lettering and then the other bits and pieces.

It may sound bad but I feel the money could have gone to something maybe a bit more natural like planting lots of trees or donating some towards things.

But because it was my mum's almost final wishes I have and want to carry them out, I am not intending to spend the whole lot as I want to do a bit of something else with what's left, maybe a bench or something that people may use for a long time.

So yes writing down and letting people know before hand is good.

Burn and return for me, all paid for..🤓