Reflecting on highlights of 2014… here’s one: Wallace Stuart funeral directors winning the award for “Most Promising New Funeral Directors 2014”.

We asked Lel and Sarah why them and asked what they’ve learned so far.

See them pictured below at the Good Funeral Awards and in the classic Fling style pics with family.

Q Why do you think you won Most Promising New Funeral Directors?

“We hope we won because our past families said some lovely things about us…but it could also be because we bribed them with cake!”

Q What have you learned so far?

1. We never say “You can’t do that”. We do not believe in the word “no” (although Wallace does when I ask for something that costs money!)
2. Humour can often be a big healer.
3. We have learnt to have a LOT of patience!
4. The little things can mean the most .
5. Believe in ourselves, to have faith in what “Wallace Stuart” stands for – not what other Funeral Directors THINK we should stand for!
6. We believe in the power of tea and cake!
7. We have an open door policy and people are welcome to pop in anytime and can look around our premises (apart from the mortuary area if a loved one is resting with us). We have nothing to hide.
8. We believe that families should have the choice to do as little or as much with their loved ones as they wish –to beasinvolvedastheyfeelcan be eg: washing, dressing and make-up of their loved ones.
   

   Lel and Sarah, Wallace Stuart, Most Promising New Funeral Directors

Q What would your own ideal send-off be?

Sarah: “Blimey. I want EVERYTHING we do not stand for: I want a size ten (Lel can squeeze me in) , pink butterfly embossed coffin, lots of bling… flowers everywhere… I want professional mourners wailing, like the Chinese ones on “The Moaning of Life”… maybe Harrison Ford and David Soul could do that bit? Don’t mind anything else… Harrision and David can figure it out…

Lel: “My ideal send off would be: extra slot at the crem (cos husband’s paying). I want a motorbike hearse to do my final 100mph (Hyabusa cos my feet wouldn’t touch the ground on my husbands) I want a fluffy woollen coffin, only 6 orchids (cos flowers are a waste). I want my entry music to be “Baby elephant walking” and Sarah has to lead me in doing a funky walk… along with all the bearers… the full version! I want my mini on one side of the catafalque (I have measured the doors…it fits!) and my motorbike to be on the other side. I want my wake to have Bookers quiche and lots of black pudding and sausages! I want my cremated remains to go into my casket (which is in my front room, on a shelf) and wait there til my husband dies and then we are going to be mixed up together! Donations to MS (cos I got it!)”

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