| Thank you to Rev. Paul Sinclair from Motorcycle Funerals who sent us this blog post. Journey to Beautiful Speyside The prospect of chilling wind, heavy rain and at times hail showers did nothing to daunt Christianna Campbell. She rode 123 miles on the pillion seat of our Triumph hearse alongside her dad on his final ride from the Kingskettle Parish Church in Fife to the beautiful and very peaceful Delliefure Natural Burial Ground overlooking the River Spey near Grantown on Spey in the Cairngorms National Park. Quick checks on how she was doing on the pillion along the way were invariably met with a big smile. Christianna’s dad Alasdair rode an outfit himself. He was a member of the Federation of Sidecar Clubs so it was very fitting that he was carried in a sidecar and that Christianna, so often his passenger, travelled with him. For her it was an experience she will forever cherish, and to the many people who attended the funeral service to celebrate Alasdair’s life an everlasting and powerful symbol of the bond between a doting daughter and her dad. Our rider took it as a great compliment when she said before leaving that she would be fine as she was used to riding with someone nice and rounded like him! His daughters now know what is expected of them at some point in the future, and the crossbar has been set very high indeed. Nobody can deny that Christianna Campbell is a very worthy extraordinary recipient of the Motorcycle Funerals Ltd Rider Award, usually only presented to Funeral Directors on the third occasion they travel on the pillion with us. |  Christianna rides alongside her father on the Triumph and sidecar hearse.  The coffin bearers in amongst the Birch tree wood.  Alasdair's father plays his last respects. |
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Many thanks to Colin McCran and his son Lewis for getting to grips with the clearing up operation at Hundy Mundy so quickly. These photos came in today... Several large trees came down at our woodland burial ground in the Scottish Borders last night in gusts of 120mph. Mary and Colin the custodians will be up there clearing the debris over the next few days and later transplanting seedlings. It's sad to see but it's all part of woodland regeneration. One of the benefits of a natural burial ground is the long term view and sustainable approach to preserving the landscape. The fallen trees represent about 5% of the woodland and there were already young trees developing as part of on-going forestry management. There is an interesting BBC article on the 'healing power of nature' and how woods recovered from the great 1987 storms.
From inside the shelter, the oak beams frame the view out across the burial ground to the hills beyond. Looking north over The Vale of Glamorgan is the Garth mountain and St Fagans, south is the Bristol Channel while the view east includes the Millennium Stadium and Severn Bridges.
“Our calm and simple approach coupled with shelter's availability means families can make the occasion more personal“, says Annabelle Traherne, the burial ground’s owner and custodian. “Being able to meet families here to hear what they want and telling them what others have done before really helps to bring together a service and a resting place which reflects the personality of the person who has died.” We welcome anyone who wishes to visit the burial to do so, or call us if you have any questions. Have a look at Cardiff Natural Burial Meadow's website. www.cardiffnaturalburials.co.uk www.cardiffnaturalburials.co.uk/gallery |
