Ken Barlow, Independent Funeral Celebrant.

31/01/2026

Two funeral services in the past 24 hours… different venues, different families but the same emotional occasions.
Well done to you all and best wishes for the future.

23/01/2026

24/12/2025

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Enjoy the good times.

20/12/2025

A tough time of the year for people bereaved whether recently or in the past, Christmas is never quite the same is it?
Try to stay strong and enjoy life as your loved one would have wished you to do.

16/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2406415949813683/

12/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100091950528194/posts/812419118499765/

Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” wasn’t written with funerals in mind, it was born as a piece of sharp satire. Eric Idle composed it for the final scene of Life of Brian (1979), where characters sing cheerfully while being crucified. The absurd contrast between the upbeat melody and the bleak situation became the joke, and that tension is exactly what later made the song resonate with the British public. Its message, dark humor as a coping mechanism, fit neatly into a national tradition of meeting hardship with wit.

Over time, the song escaped its comedic origins and became a cultural shorthand for resilience. It turned into a football chant, a pub singalong, and eventually a staple of public life, long before it entered funeral halls. When The Co‑operative Funeralcare analyzed tens of thousands of services, they found it had become the most‑played funeral song in the UK, surpassing hymns like “The Lord is My Shepherd” and “Abide With Me,” as well as pop anthems like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”TIME. The choice reflects a shift in how many families want to be remembered: not with solemnity alone, but with a wink, a grin, and a bit of irreverence.

Its popularity also reveals something deeper about British attitudes toward death. Rather than treating funerals as purely somber occasions, many people now use them to celebrate personality, humor, and the quirks that defined a life. “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” offers a final moment of levity, an inside joke shared between the deceased and the mourners, a reminder not to take the end too seriously. In a way, the song has become a modern ritual: a last laugh, delivered with affection, at the edge of the grave.

11/11/2025

A very sad, emotional and tearful funeral service today, matched only by the pouring rain outside.

29/10/2025

A reminder that Happy Daze is on tomorrow at Vibe 75 from 12-2pm. Dave and David from NSI will be sharing the history of NSI as well as updates on the various projects NSI is currently working on. Pop along for a cuppa and a trip down memory lane!

27/10/2025

A very well attended funeral today with happy memories, funny tales and sad farewells from family friends and colleagues.
It is always good to see a life so well lived, recognised and celebrated. Thank you all.

23/09/2025

Another fine farewell from family and friends to a man whose life was well lived and well loved right to the end. Ride on ‘Nipper.’

13/09/2025

Ready for work…

11/09/2025

I am often asked for poems to read out at a service. I’ve updated this page with appropriate poems for folk to consider. They appear in the photo section, feel free to peruse.