Monday, 15 February 2010

Reader's letter of the day

From The Metro:

I am delighted Davender Ghai has won his appeal to allow 'open air' cremations, provided they are 'enclosed in a structure' (Metro, Thu). I look forward to outdoor crematoria springing up all over the country, where people can dispatch their loved ones with respect and dignity.

But I bet you still won't be allowed to have a cigarette in one.

Roland Finch, Newcastle.

5 comments:

Sue said...

Half my family originate from Scandinavia. I'd like a Viking burial. You know, the burning boat on a river type :)

What are my chances do you think?

Mark Wadsworth said...

Sue, at least that will be outdoors so the mourners will be able to smoke.

sobers said...

So as a farmer I can burn my own corpse, but not that of any of my cattle or sheep that die on the farm then?

If its eco-friendly to burn human corpses, why not animal ones too? Don't they deserve a nice funeral pyre as well?

Or would only animals of 'colour' qualify for this exemption? Black sheep perhaps?

JuliaM said...

Just tell DEFRA your cows and sheep have all converted to Hinduism!

Alternatively, if Sue's Viking sendoff gets the go-ahead, become a worshipped of Cernunnos and take 'em with you, like the Celts used to do...

Mark Wadsworth said...

S, is there really a rule against burning animal corpses? Who dreamed that one up? Weren't there all those pictures of piles of burning cows in the last F&M epidemic?

JM, B, if cows had a choice, they'd go for Hinduism, but I'm not sure if they get a say on the matter.