In a recent film, The Last Bus, actor Timothy Spall stars as Tom Harper, a retired widower, who is travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End with his late wife Mary’s ashes. Tom sets himself the mission of making that journey entirely by bus, using his bus pass.
While much of the film centres on Tom’s journey and the characters he meets on his trip, it reminded us of the ‘journeys’ our families sometimes make with their loved-one’s ashes. Some keep them close by at home, while others (Covid allowing) travel thousands of miles to make sure they return home safely or to a special place which brings back precious memories.
If a loved-one is cremated, then most families ask for their ashes to be returned and they will be contained in an urn or a casket. Here at Tester & Jones, we offer a wide range of designs. Some, particularly the ceramic and brass urns, come in different designs and resemble a beautiful ornament to keep on display at home.
Caskets – which are more square-shaped than urns and fairly traditional in look – are available in real or faux leather and wooden versions.
If you’re looking for a more natural, environmentally friendly option, then we have Somerset willow caskets (which include a natural cotton ashes bag inside); silk, paper and leaf urns; and the Daisy Collection, which are created from banana leaf or water hyacinth.
If you are looking to bury your loved-one’s ashes and want a biodegradable urn, so that they return to the soil over time, then we have a variety of options, including beech wood or sand. We also offer urns made from a sustainable thermoplastic material called Arboform., which will generally biodegrade in five to eight years, once placed in soil, but will remain completely intact until burial.
We also offer a range of scatter tubes – which come in a variety of designs and are a useful shape if you decide to scatter the ashes. Again, there are a wide range of designs from flowers to rainbows.
If you are scattering ashes, why not take some bulbs or wildflower seeds to scatter in the location, so that when you return, the flowers will mark the spot.
Sometimes people need a little time after somebody has died to make a decision about ashes and we are happy to look after the ashes until the family feel ready to take the next step.
Find out more here: https://www.testerandjones.co.uk/caskets-and-urns-east-sussex-kent
