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Richard Lockwood - Independent Funeral Celebrant

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Richard Lockwood - Independent Funeral Celebrant

Independent Civil Funeral Celebrant
'The day on which you say your final farewell is like no other'

The day on which you say your final farewell is like no other...

As an independent funeral celebrant, I write and conduct personal funeral tributes and ceremonies. It would be a true privilege to perform this last task for your loved one. In my celebrant role I am totally independent of any Religious or Humanist organisation, and all of my ceremonies are individually tailored to deliver a unique and truly personal tribute. I am a member of the Fellowship of Independent Celebrants and I conduct Civil Funeral Ceremonies. These may include Religious, Spiritual or non-Religious aspects, at your request. I truly believe that when we lose someone dear to us, not only should we mourn their passing, but also we should celebrate their life. You can be assured that the funeral service will be a precious opportunity for expressing grief, saying goodbye, giving thanks and celebrating the life of the deceased. It will be a valuable source of healing, and whilst nothing can take away the grief, a genuine, well prepared tribute may well ease the pain.

21/08/2024

Good afternoon all,
For families who wish to instruct me for a funeral service:

Please can you make sure that you ask your funeral director to make it clear that you have asked for me personally. I do my utmost to accommodate all requests, but sometimes it is not clear that you have requested me personally, and if I am busy with my other business commitments, on occasion I have to decline.

A recent family with whom I had established a great working relationship with, were truly disappointed to be told that I was not available to take the service of another family member. Had I have known the details, on that occasion, it would have been possible for me to reschedule my other commitment.

It goes without saying, if you are unsure please feel free to contact me directly to discuss my availability, and if you need assistance in appointing a decent funeral director, I work alongside some fabulous individuals whom I regard as the best in the business and would recommend in a heartbeat!

Call me on 0771 229 8779

Thanks all,

05/09/2023

Wear something red!

Over the course of our lifetime, we meet many folk whose presence and influence will leave huge footprints on our hearts and in our minds. For me, the indefatigable Betty Milich is a classic example, and someone who I will always hold in the highest regard, with much affection.

I first met Betty when a friend and I happened across the Leicester Progressive Spiritualist Church one murky November evening in 1997. Neither of us had ever ventured into a ‘spooky’ church before, and we thought it might be fun to see what went on behind the closed doors….
We positioned ourselves at the back of the congregation and sat listening to the preamble of church notices and assorted wise words synonymous with what I now know as Spiritualism.

And then this lady stood up to give her demonstration of clairvoyance. She was elegantly dressed, a lady in her mid seventies, with perfectly coiffured hair and a friendly face. She proceeded to give out several messages to those eagerly waiting, most of which were received with gasps and much gratitude, confirmation from the world of spirit, that our loved ones are always close.

And then she attempted to communicate with another lady in the congregation, who was accepting not a single word from our Betty!
As a new comer to the movement, I watched with delight as Betty proceeded to go back and forth like Billy-o to her spirit contact for more information, but still the lady profusely declined to accept the evidence.

Somewhat drained, Betty finally gave up, stamped her foot on the rostrum and bellowed at the lady that the spirit world are never wrong!

With this change in atmosphere, it was somewhat unnerving that the next ‘victim’ she chose was me!
Her opening gambit was ‘I’m getting the name of Richard, does that mean anything to you?’ My vacant expression said it all, I couldn’t place anyone called Richard and somewhat nervously I just shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. Was I about to be chastised by this formidable woman in front of all these people as well?

It was a nudge from my mate who reminded me that my own name was Richard, and I reluctantly offered the information to Betty who by now was fast approaching Rottweiler mode in frustration!
The congregation fell about laughing as I whimpered the words Richard is my name…..

What happened next was truly incredible, Betty went on to deliver a lengthy message from the world of spirit that to this day has never been surpassed in its accuracy. I was stunned and delighted in equal measure, as I guess were the rest of the congregation, not least of all as Betty’s soft tone and comforting character resumed its rightful position in front of the crowd.

It was not long before I started to attend regular services and over time, I became involved with the committee. I made many friends and was invited to sit in Betty’s development circle which ran for several years at her lovely home in Leicester.
There was always a warm welcome, and a great calming atmosphere in that house, not to mention the delightful aroma of a freshly baked cake that we devoured over a cuppa at the end of the session.

Sadly as the years passed by and Betty’s health deteriorated we lost touch, but I often find that she is in my thoughts.

She had many snippets or words of wisdom, one of my favourites being ‘if you want to win the day, wear or carry something coloured red’ – I keep a red hanky in my drawer for such occasions, and believe unconditionally that my departed loved ones are never far away – all thanks to this fine lady who said to me all those years ago – can you place a Richard – well I can now Betty, rest easy lovely lady, until we meet again.

13/07/2023

As a funeral celebrant it is always a privilege to work with bereaved families, and creating and delivering a bespoke service and tribute are just part of what is involved.

By far and away the most fulfilling part for me, is getting to meet families and to take their initial instructions.
On many occasions, loved ones have little or no idea of what to expect from my visit, and they are often quite reserved in their approach, and not always comfortable with sharing their emotions with a stranger.

Needless to say, barriers are soon broken down and over a decent cuppa a favourable plan is soon forged.

I’ve lost count of the number of truly wonderful families that I have worked with since my first service almost 20 years ago - but for a number of reasons, some meetings remain in my mind for a long time.

Today was one of those occasions.

When you work in an environment where sadness prevails, it is nobody’s fault that you can often find yourself absorbing a great deal of negativity.

The family that I worked with today, whilst grieving their loss, were filled with joy and halcyon memories of a truly wonderful husband, father and grandfather - It was a joy to spend a couple of hours hearing about all manner of shenanigans with lots of laughter and twinges of sadness.

I left feeling totally uplifted having absorbed their positivity, thank you 🙏

I work alongside some of the most amazing, compassionate and conscientious folk, funeral arrangers and funeral directors, bearers and those unseen behind the scenes, all of whom strive to deliver a faultless service on a daily basis, and I know that they all share my sentiments.

I’m now sitting on my sofa, with a small glass of red, reflecting on my day at work and thinking how lucky I am to be asked, and to be trusted with these final duties.

One kindly lady asked me recently if I enjoy my job - but in truth it never feels like a job at all - I’ll leave it to you to decide what my answer was.

Much love ❤️

Address

Leicester
LE80WF

Telephone

+447712298779

Website

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The day on which you say your final farewell is like no other... As an independent funeral celebrant, I write and conduct personal funeral tributes and ceremonies. It would be a true privilege to perform this last task for your loved one. In my celebrant role I am totally independent of any Religious or Humanist organisation, and all of my ceremonies are individually tailored to deliver a unique and truly personal tribute. I am a member of the Fellowship of Independent Celebrants and I conduct Civil Funeral Ceremonies. These may include Religious, Spiritual or non-Religious aspects, at your request. I truly believe that when we lose someone dear to us, not only should we mourn their passing, but also we should celebrate their life. You can be assured that the funeral service will be a precious opportunity for expressing grief, saying goodbye, giving thanks and celebrating the life of the deceased. It will be a valuable source of healing, and whilst nothing can take away the grief, a genuine, well prepared tribute may well ease the pain.

A recent client said: Thank you for bringing your lovely cheerfulness, warmth and laughs into our home (we wish we could bottle you!) and thank you for making our life easy with all your precious work, I feel like a weight has been lifted. We are so glad you are doing everything for the funeral and we feel safe with you. Bless you for everything xx