News

Memorial tattoos are tattoos that contain the cremation ashes of a loved one, fine gains of ash are incorporated into the ink before the tattooing. It is interesting that in the UK, celebrities have the ability to legitimise practices and set trends. We are always on the look out for when this happens with cremation ashes.  Here we [...]

The ex prime minister Margaret Thatcher is to have her ashes interred (buried) next to those of her late husband Denis. Following the private cremation of Mrs Thatcher at Mortlake cremation in South West London the family plan to keep hold of the ashes until the autumn before interring them at the Royal Chelsea Hospital [...]

I don’t profess to be big up on the Country and Western scene, but it does seem to have its fair share of characters. Kinky Friedman, who was performing for his Bi-Polar World Tour*, told a crowd at Poor David’s Pub in Dallas that :  “I’m gonna be cremated and I want my ashes spread [...]

This week sees the launch of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, every year companies, organisations and supporters get together to celebrate and raise the awareness of Fairtrade issues. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. The sales of fairtrade chocolate, [...]

The Edinburgh crematoria at Mortonhall is at the centre of a scandal. Prior to 2007 it was their policy not to return the ashes of stillborn children and very small infants (antenatal or neonatal babies). The basis for this, it would appear, was  a blanket policy to inform parents that there would be no ashes [...]

The Rwandan parliament has passed an amendment to the law permitting the use cremation. “The law grants permission to those who wish to cremate,” said Social Affairs Committee chairperson, Esperance Mwiza, while presenting the bill to the House chaired by Speaker Rose Mukantabana on Tuesday. She added that once the law is implemented, all cemeteries [...]

A German soldier left his estate to a Scottish the village of Comrie, Perthshire and is to have his cremation ashes scattered there where he was a prisoner of war camp during WWII. Heinrich Steinmeyer was a soldier in the Wafhen SS and was captured fighting to defend a bridge in Caen, Normandy. Mr Steinmeyer [...]

Normally I am pretty respectful in this blog, but here we have a case of splendid nonsense complimented by a healthy dollop of ignorance and stupidity. A box containing ashes have left by a river. Yep that’s it … that’s all folks! What makes it worthy commentary is the reporting, the commentary, the fact that [...]

An old war veteran from Exeter passed recently, he had suffered from a war wound all his adult life after standing on a landmine in France in 1944. He told the family he had a ‘bullet’ in the knee. He didn’t complain about it, but just asked the grandchildren not to sit on it. After [...]

  This article was from the Buckingham Today website concerning the practice of crematoria ‘up-selling’ to people who have used their services.   A couple received marketing literature from the crematoria operator a few days after the service for the man’s brother, they we appalled by this and told the newspaper so. They said they [...]

  Neil Armstrong’s cremated remains have been scattered at sea. The US aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea provided the backdrop to the service that saw his wife inter the ashes of the legendary astronaut into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The ceremony included a bugler and rifle salute and his wife was presented with [...]

I have posted a few times on the issue of unclaimed ashes and how they line the shelves of funeral directors, with some cremation urns dating back decades. This is story from Merritt in Canada, a funeral director was selling up his business and the new recipients wanted a clean slate. So what should be [...]

Here we have first case I that I have read about, where someone’s ashes have been seized. Mrs M Nagamah passed away on the 14 August and “According to her family, she lived her life as a Hindu and died a Hindu. They were preparing to give her a Hindu funeral,” said Hindu Rights Action [...]

  I reported recently that  the ownership of the racing driver Carroll Shelby’s ashes were in dispute and that there was a potential court battle looming between Mr Shelby’s estranged wife Cleo and his children from a previous marriage. Both claiming ownership, backed up by documentation. Well it did not go to court, so I [...]

Divers in York, Maine find evidence people have not got scattering at sea quite right. Divers are finding sealed plastic bags with peoples cremated remains un-scattered at the beauty spot of N. On the Maine coast – Cape Neddick Sohier Park. Apparently these unsuccessful scatterings has happened on at least two occasions the first time [...]

  I found this interesting site dedicated to Bio archaeology and mortuary archaeology – now there is a niche specialism! Apparently you can learn a lot about the funeral from the bones once they have been burned. The colouring, completeness and the warping of the of the remains – can reveal fire temperature, how the [...]

  There just had to be an ashes story to go along with the wonderful London 2012 Olympic games and we weren’t to be disappointment a lady from Australia admitted taking the ashes of her late father – an Olympic silver medallist in the triple jump – sneaking down to the trackside and scattering them [...]

  Scotty from Star Trek has had his ashes launched to space, this is a journalists dream. I know I am a bit slow to this as it happened last month, but past all the quotes and puns there a few interesting bit and pieces in this. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape [...]

It would appear that there is an increasing number of American Jews are opting to be cremated rather than buried, which some parts of the community are quite unhappy about. Jews have a long tradition of burial, and more orthodox elements find cremation abhorrent. I have posted on the about this before and the scriptures [...]