Tester & Jones latest blogs

Team Tester & Jones had another busy day on Sunday 14 December. Jo very much enjoyed the Carol Service at St Michael and All Angels Jarvis Brook this afternoon - which was another opportunity to admire the stunning Christmas Tree Festival. Our T&J tree is still looking gorgeous and will remain in the church until January. Rev Judith Wilkinson revealed that the Festival had raised £1,100 over the weekend. The winning tree was decorated by Jarvis Brook School in its first year

We are so lucky to have an amazing team here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services and we enjoyed being together to celebrate Christmas. Our festive team afternoon was made extra special with a performance by Ceiron Faux (aka Not King Cole). At the end of his brilliant set, he was joined by our very own Louise.

The St Michael and All Angels Jarvis Brook Festival of Christmas Trees was officially opened by Crowborough's Mayor, Councillor Natalie Whittle, on the morning of Friday 12 December. As usual, it is absolutely magical. The Festival is open until 6.00pm on Friday 12 and from 10.00am to 6.00pm on Saturday 13. There's then another opportunity to see the Christmas trees, if you attend the Carol Service at 3.00pm on Sunday 14 December. After you've enjoyed the Festival, there are

Crowborough enjoyed another brilliant Christmas Cracker evening on Friday 28 November. Santa enjoyed his time at Tester & Jones, while Glenys spread some festive joy along the High Street, visiting the Rotary Club stall and saying 'hello' to the Mayor. Crowborough's Christmas lights are now on and the festive period has arrived.

Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we've been donating a Christmas tree to Heather View Care Home, just up the road from us for a few years now. Recently, our team dropped off this year's beautiful tree and it's looking gorgeous. We hope all the residents and team there enjoy the tree and have a lovely Christmas.

Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we utilise the services of several ministers and celebrants. Here we find out more about Carl Brown, who says:   “I am an independent funeral celebrant and I often describe my journey to becoming a celebrant as a ‘calling’.   I started my career as a civil servant and also spent many years serving as a deacon and church elder. I retired from the civil service at 55 and retrained as a plumber - a complete change but it improved my work-

Five of our team were in Mayfield last night to enjoy the Mayfield Festival Choir Autumn Concert in the beautiful setting of St Dunstan's Church. The concert was Antonin Dvorak's 'Stabat Mater', written as a time of the composer's life in his mid-30s, when his first three children had died within a space of two years. And, yet, the music manages to capture emotions ranging from fear, awe, fervour and patriotism to love, joy and triumph. The conductor was Jeremy Summerly and t

At Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we have been a proud member of SAIF Independent Funeral Directors since we were established more than 20 years ago.  Recently another member of SAIF – Spire Funeral Services based in Chesterfield – shared a post on social media that went viral. It simply asked that drivers give their funeral corteges respect, when out on the road.   The post stated: Just lately we are having more and more drivers on the roads being impatient and trying to p

We are happy to be supporting the beautiful Christmas Tree Festival at St Michael and All Angels Jarvis Brook once again and are looking forward to decorating our tree. This year, the Festival is being held over the weekend of Friday 12 to Sunday 14 December. Here are some memories from last year's festival.

We are proud to have recently joined Trustpilot - the open, independent, and impartial review service - and have just received our first five-star review on there.

Over the years, our Bereavement Group (the BGs) has heard talks from a variety of speakers and organisations - from DIY tips and poetry readings to planning a holiday and writing your Will. Last week, our BG2 group enjoyed a really interesting talk from a representative of Cats Protection. This nationwide charity - which is based down the road from us in Chelwood Gate - has been helping cats since 1927 and has a vision of a society where 'every cat has their best possible lif

Our Bereavement Group (the BGs) always enjoys the productions put on by TWODS - Tunbridge Wells Operatic & Dramatic Society - and, on the afternoon of Wednesday 29 October, a group went along to The Assembly Hall to see The Sound of Music. It was an absolutely excellent production - with amazing performances from everyone, with a special mention to all the von Trapp children, Captain von Trapp, the Mother Superior and, of course, Maria and all the nuns! It was wonderful to be

We've had a presence in the beautiful High Street in Mayfield - next door to Truffles Bakery - for seven years now. Over that time, we are proud of the number of families based in the village who have put their trust in us to conduct their loved one's funerals. While we've been serving the Crowborough community for more than 20 years, we also support families in not only Mayfield, but Withyham, Rotherfield, High Hurstwood, Jarvis Brook, Groombridge and beyond. Mayfield was lo

If you haven't had an opportunity to visit Summersales in London Road, the new cemetery in Crowborough, here's a quick stroll round the grounds. Summersales is open for visitors daily (and there’s plenty of parking on site): October to March: 09.00 to 15.30. Since it opened in May, we have supported a number of our families with burials and services at Summersales. If you are interested in finding out more, please do call our team on: 01892 611811 or just call in.

Since it opened in May, we have supported a number of our families with burials and services at Crowborough's new cemetery, Summersales, in London Road. Owned and managed by Crowborough Town Council, Summersales offers coffin and ashes interments, as well as natural burials; the Ashdown Family Garden, allowed families to be buried together; The Children's Garden; and Summersales Lea, an area of four circular garden beds, available to book for scattering of ashes. There's also

Wearing a suit to the office was once a default expectation but, according to data from YouGov, only 7% of workers now say they don ‘business attire’ at work. In fact, the most common work dress is ‘smart casual attire’, which 34% of workers say describes what they wear to work. The dress code across many professions has certainly become more casual over the years and, since lockdown, a lot of people have abandoned their suits and formal attire for more comfortable clothes.  

Here at Tester & Jones, we are proud to be based in East Sussex and close to the sea. In fact, our unofficial county anthem is ‘Sussex by the Sea’:   “And when you go to Sussex, whoever you may be, You may tell them all that we stand of fall for Sussex by the sea’ William Ward-Higgs, 1907.   For many of us, being near the sea feels very calming – breathing in the sea air and listening to the waves lapping on the beach. For others, the sea can really feel part of who they are

Tester & Jones has entered a team into the Rotary Club of Crowborough Quiz Night on Friday 14 November at Crowborough Community Centre....

This Hospice Care Week, William and Jo from our team went along to an Open Morning at Hospice in the Weald  Cottage Hospice in Five...

Our Bereavement Group (the BGs) has been spending some time away together in Devon, which included taking a ferry ride to Agatha...