Austin's Funeral Directors

How nature can help us in difficult times

  It’s a well known fact that spending time outdoors has major health benefits, both physically and mentally. Getting back to nature can improve your mood, reduce stress, help you be more active and even increase your self-esteem. If you can’t go outside yet due to some restrictions, you can still reduce stress with games […]

Keeping Memories Alive

Keeping memories alive The flowers have been chosen, the eulogy written and the order of service finalised; once the funeral is over, our thoughts naturally turn to how we are going to keep the memory of our loved one alive. After what probably seems like a very busy and full on few weeks or months, […]

How to prepare a eulogy

A eulogy is a funeral speech prepared and given by someone close to the deceased, about their life, their character and their achievements. The Cambridge Dictionary describes it as “a speech, piece of writing, poem, etc. containing great praise…”. In essence, a eulogy is a celebration of someone’s life. It’s a chance for everyone at […]

Claire Receives Outstanding Contribution to Charity Award

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019 “Outstanding Contribution to Charity” Award On Thursday evening (13th June 2019), I had the great pleasure of attending the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards held at St Albans Cathedral. Austin’s Funeral Service has been involved as a sponsor and a judge for these  awards for several years. This particular evening, however, I had […]

A Guide to Winter Funerals

With the weather turning chilly, we’ve put together some tips on dealing with a winter funeral WHAT TO WEAR Keeping warm will be a key factor in your choice of outfit as you’re likely to be spending time outside viewing the flowers and chatting to mourners after the service. You might want to layer your […]

The rise of ‘fun’ funerals

Once upon a time, when you attended a funeral it would be a sombre occasion with mourners dressed in black. Today, many funeral homes and services are conducted as a celebration, with loved ones choosing a fun theme to represent the deceased’s personality or interests. Christmas In America, one funeral home has become known for […]

Cremation Caskets

With people opting for cremation services more than ever, there are now many different ways to keep a loved one’s ashes. We look at some of the options… Interment and burial The traditional storage for cremation ashes is an urn or casket that can be buried in a cemetery or perhaps in a natural burial […]

The art of ‘death cleaning’

When a loved one dies, one of the difficult tasks you may have to take on is clearing out their home. It can feel sad going through their possessions and it may seem like you’re having to say goodbye all over again. In Sweden, there’s a tradition called ‘doestaedning’ – death cleaning – that may […]

Funerals in Ancient Rome

From professional mourners to elaborate processions, we look at how wealthy Romans said goodbye to their deceased… Back in the days of Ancient Rome, it was believed that a person’s soul left their body through the mouth – so the nearest relation would be at their loved one’s deathbed ready to inhale their last breath. […]