Tester & Jones latest blogs

It's September and, not only are children heading back to school, but Bonfire Season is upon us! It's Uckfield Carnival this week, followed on Saturday 12 September, by Crowborough Bonfire and Carnival! The only way to discover exactly what's going on that day - from the afternoon activities on Chapel Green to the timings for the evening procession - is to buy a carnival programme. We bought our one from Fieldbuss next-door but you can find them in various outlets throughout

Our Bereavement Group (the BGs) dodged the rain showers on Sunday 30 August to enjoy a spectacular 'Last Night of the Hever Proms' at the Two Sisters' Theatre at Hever Castle. This was the 25th anniversary of this rousing event at Hever. Glenys was there with 36 BGs members and says that the orchestra and conductor were very 'entertaining' and the Mezzo Soprano was 'delightful'. She added: "It really was wonderful and I think everyone was overwhelmed with the whole event." Th

Join Tester & Jones Funeral Services and our Bereavement Group (the BGs) for our Macmillan Coffee Morning, between 10.00 and 12.00 on Friday 25 September. In addition to some delicious cakes, we're also holding a raffle for the charity. If you feel able to donate a raffle prize, and drop it in beforehand, that would be really kind. Macmillan has spent more than 100 years helping people living with cancer. The charity states: From the moment someone is diagnosed with cancer, w

Everyone is unique and, here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we make sure we remember that when we are creating a funeral service. This means we tailor every single funeral to represent that particular person and work with families to make the service truly special. Last week, we supported a family to incorporate their much-loved Dutch fire engine into a funeral, which was directed by our Branch Manager, Lorne Miller. (Many thanks to the family for giving us permission to

Glenys and some of our Bereavement Group members (the BGs) joined with Crowborough Rotary for a lovely sunny trip on the Bluebell Railway on Saturday 22 August. They also enjoyed a tour of the engine works and signal box. Thanks to Graham Bucksey of Rotary for organising such an interesting trip

This year's Open Day at Wealden Crematorium provided not only an opportunity to find out more about funerals, death and cremations, but also offered a variety of interesting talks, covering topics including the benefits of using an independent funeral director, such as Tester & Jones, and how metal recycling after the cremation process supports charities and protects the environment. Jo Walsh and Louise Stapple from our team went behind-the-scenes to view Wealden’s Crematoriu

Here at Tester & Jones, we’ve organised many funerals over the years, where families have given something to those attending to remember that person by. Examples have included seeds and bulbs, handkerchiefs, charms or small stones, sweets and candles. The seeds or bulbs – often a favourite flower - will hopefully offer some brightness in the months afterwards, while the sweets are typically ones that person enjoyed. After a burial recently, those present were offered a shot o

Donating your body to science isn’t for everyone, but if this is something you feel you’d like to consider, here’s some information. Body donations for anatomical examination are essential for educating future healthcare professionals, supporting medical research and improving clinical procedures. A donated body may be used to teach anatomy, support the development of surgical techniques or contribute to other scientific studies. Is donation guaranteed after death? No. Al

We are delighted that Lorne Miller joined us on Monday 15 June as Branch Manager at Tester & Jones Funeral Services. “I am really pleased to have been given this opportunity and the first few weeks have gone really well,” says Lorne. “At the moment, I am absorbing everything that’s happening here and seeing how everyone works together.” This marks a return to the team for Lorne, who spent five years with us 20 years ago. “Back in 2005, I had no experience in the funeral

As your trusted SAIF-approved, locally-owned funeral director, we feel it is important you are aware of exactly what a Direct Cremation entails. A standalone Direct Cremation, booked through a national company, has no service for family or friends at all. It is quite simply a removal of your loved one, followed by the return of the cremated remains some weeks later. It is also often the case that your loved is transported to a central cremation hub far from home. But, here

You are invited to Wealden Crematorium’s annual Open Day in Horam on Wednesday 19 August between 10.30am to 3.00pm. This year the open day will take a slightly different format. While there will still be the usual opportunity to see behind the scenes of the crematorium (including a chance to view the building’s new hybrid cremator) this time, there will also be talks throughout the day. These include ‘who takes care of your funeral if there’s no family or money?’ and ‘celebra

Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, the news about the sentencing of a funeral director in Hull is truly shocking and we are thinking about everyone who has been touched by these events. While, the UK funeral industry remains officially unregulated currently, families do have the option of choosing a local funeral director – such as Tester & Jones – that is a member of the industry association SAIF. As a long-time member of SAIF, we abide by its Quality Assurance Pro

Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, our families have often chosen beautiful, handcrafted Somerset Willow coffins. When Glenys and Jo visited the National Funeral Exhibition in Warwickshire a few weeks ago, they made sure they visited the company’s stand to say ‘hello’. While there, they were interested to discover that Somerset Willow has recently partnered with Outside the Box caskets. As the company explains: “At Somerset Willow, we recognised early on that Outside

As a long-time member of industry association SAIF, we abide by its Quality Assurance Programme – which ensures members of the public receive the first-class service they expect from using an independent funeral director. In addition, all SAIF members undergo an inspection of their premises and operations on a periodic basis. We had our Quality Assurance Inspection recently and are delighted to have passed. This means families, and the loved ones we have the privilege of ca

Tester & Jones Funeral Services has been a member of Crowborough and District Chamber of Commerce since we were established more than 20 years ago and, yesterday evening, Glenys attended the organisation's Summer Meeting and Social Evening. It took place at The Bear Inn in Hartfield, where members were able to enjoy a drink in the sunny garden, before moving inside for the more formal part of the evening. Chamber President, Matthew Allen from James Rose Chartered Accountants

On the evening of Tuesday 30 June, Jo Walsh and Louise Stapple from Tester & Jones attended a regional meeting held by our membership organisation, The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) at the Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel in Pembury. It was an opportunity to find out how SAIF’s ongoing Handled With Care campaign is going and also to hear updates on industry news, as well as catching up with other local independent funeral directors. Jo a

We've been proud to support Crowborough News since its launch 12 months ago and excited to see this month's issue. Our advert in the July 2026 edition focuses Direct Cremation. It's easy to be tempted by adverts on TV for low cost direct cremations. However, if you do opt for a direct cremation, you don't have to use a national firm. Alongside our traditional funeral options, Tester & Jones offers a Direct Cremation package from £1,640. From your first phone call, a member of

Families deserve clear information when making funeral choices. Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we understand that direct cremations are right for some families. However, since the growth of companies such as 'Pure Cremation', who are able to portray themselves through national media campaigns, it may be easy to forget that your local independent funeral director can offer the same option. Choosing Tester & Jones - your local independent funeral director - means fami

Water cremation is something we’ve heard talked about for a few years now, so we were interested to read in the latest edition of Insight, the magazine for our membership organisation, SAIF, that the process has recently been legalised in Scotland (the first part of the UK to legalise this type of cremation). Also known as alkaline hydrolysis, water cremation uses a combination of water, heat and an alkali solution to accelerate the natural breakdown of the body. The proces

On Friday 12 June, Glenys Jones and Jo Walsh made the trip to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire to spend a day at the National Funeral Exhibition - the UK's largest funeral trade show. Organised by the National Association of Funeral Directors, it was an opportunity to meet up with suppliers and other funeral directors, while discovering some of the latest innovations in the funeral industry. We particularly enjoyed watching the skills on show from Somerset Willow.