Independent Funeral Director - Funeral Celebrant - Bereavement Counsellor

02/10/2026

Today we said goodbye to Alan.

Alan was a devoted husband, dad and grandad…. though lovingly known as “Danger” by one of his grandchildren… a nickname Alan secretively cherished.

After leaving school, Alan went on to build a lifelong career in painting and decorating. He proudly stepped into stately homes and pubs leaving his mark wherever he went while taking great pride in the work he did.

But above all, Alan was a family man. He was deeply loved by those closest to him and will be remembered for the life he shared with them and the memories he created.
Alan will be sorely missed by all those who knew and loved him.

02/10/2026

Today we said goodbye to Gill.

Today’s service was somewhat different, as the family chose two venues to help create a truly personal and fitting celebration of Gill’s life.
We began with a personal tribute and farewell at the crematorium before moving on to Worden Hall where we came together to celebrate Gill’s life, raising a glass of w**e or two, just as she would have liked.
The setting, along with all the extra details that had been so thoughtfully planned, created a unique and very special day — one that reflected Gill beautifully.

Gill was a much loved sister, wife, mum, Granny and friend to many. She devoted so much of her life to her siblings and when her family grew with the arrival of her own children, she became a phenomenal Mum. Later, she took on the treasured role of Granny, becoming much loved and adored by her grandchildren.

Gill also dedicated herself to her career. She trained hard, worked tirelessly and became a highly respected teacher and head teacher. She was someone others looked up to, valued and respected, not only for her knowledge and dedication, but also for her incredible work ethic.
Today was about remembering Gill for all that she was…. the love she gave, the lives she touched, the family she cherished and the memories she leaves behind.

Gill was a very special lady who will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

28/09/2026

Today we said goodbye to Eddie.

Eddie was a much loved brother, husband, dad, grandad and friend to so many. I think the whole of Blackburn came out today to pay their respects…. It was such a phenomenal turnout and I guess I’m not surprised, because wherever there was Eddie… there was fun, music and laughter.

Eddie taught himself to play the guitar and would always be seen with it at every event, playing until the early hours and keeping everyone entertained. His music, his laughter and his infectious personality brought so much joy to the people around him.

Today Eddie’s family take a little comfort in the hope that he is lovingly reunited with his wife Lorraine at Heaven’s gate. ❤️💙
And I’m sure, just like everyone here today, there will be one hell of a party going on in Heaven… complete with Eddie’s guitar, a karaoke machine and a camera being shoved in your face! 📸🎸🎤 😊

Eddie will be deeply missed by every single person who knew and loved him.

24/09/2026

Today we said goodbye to Jean.

Jean was a quiet soul but if ever she was challenged, she showed a side of herself filled with pure defiance and strength.
When the council decided to change her house number from number 5 to number 13, Jean certainly had something to say about it. There wasn’t a cat in hell’s chance that she was living at number 13! Needless to say, Jean won the fight and her house became 11A.

Jean was a devoted wife, mum, nana and great-nana and a valued and respected neighbour for over 70 years.
At the phenomenal age of 90, Jean had seen so many changes in the world. Today we shared memories of her childhood days, including the rag-and-bone man visiting the houses in the local area. Jean took great joy in feeding the horses carrots.

Jean always held a strong belief in the afterlife. In her adult years she found great comfort in attending her local spiritual church where she offered healing to those in need.
Today Jean is lovingly reunited with her beloved husband, Bill.
Jean lived a wonderful life, she had a strong spirit and she was a much-loved lady who will be deeply missed.

23/09/2026

For those who know me well, you’ll know just how much I love “rainbow breathing” 🌈
Its symbolism alongside being such an easy to follow exercise makes it a lovely piece of creative therapy that I’ve used with many children over the years…. In fact, I’ve had so many children tell me, “Every time I see a rainbow, I think of you!” 🌈💛🙏🏻🥰

Today we tried something a little different…
We’re never without our hands, so today we focused on finger breathing…. a simple breathing exercise that can be used anywhere, at any time as an immediate calming technique. 🖐️🌈

We had lots of fun creating our own versions while talking about the colours we chose and what those colours meant to us. 🎨

Colouring became another wonderful form of creative distraction and emotional regulation as we explored different emotions, talked about overwhelm and found practical ways to manage those big feelings.

Sometimes the simplest tools can be the most powerful…. A breath, a hand, a colour, and a moment to pause. 💛

16/09/2026

This week has been a little different for me… 🎩💗🥰

I’m incredibly proud to say that I was back in my Funeral Directing uniform, facilitating the funeral of a very good friend’s family member.
I was honoured not only to be asked to support the family, but also to work alongside R. Hough & Sons and have the opportunity to utilise Ryan’s beautiful premises to care for and honour a very special lady.

Being able to return to funeral directing in this way has been incredibly meaningful. It reminded me just how much this work is a part of who I am. To have the opportunity to support families at such an important and deeply personal time is a true privilege and without doubt, a vocation and a great soul-feeder. 💗🙏🏻💙

My heartfelt thanks to the family for trusting me to be part of such a special farewell and to Ryan for welcoming me into R. Hough & Sons and supporting me throughout.

Earlier this week was a particularly special time for R.Hough & Sons.

I had the privilege of working alongside Kelly for the first time, supporting her with a funeral where she was both Funeral Director and celebrant.

Kelly has only visited R.Hough & Sons a couple of times, yet she chose to place her trust in us to support her throughout the arrangements and funeral.

For me, that means more than I could probably put into words.

To have someone with Kelly’s experience within the profession visit our funeral home and feel confident that this was somewhere she wanted to bring a family she was supporting is a huge compliment.

We had never worked together before, but from the very beginning, everything just seemed to fall into place. The communication, the teamwork and the way we worked alongside one another made the whole experience a real pleasure.

Most importantly, we feel that everything went as well as it possibly could have done for the family.

But what I’ll take away from this is the trust Kelly placed in R.Hough & Sons.

When I opened these doors, I wanted to create somewhere that people could feel confident in placing their trust. Somewhere that families could feel supported, but also somewhere that people within our own profession could turn to when they need a helping hand.

Our profession can sometimes feel like one where everyone is expected to stand on their own, but I’ve always believed there is something to be said for supporting one another.

If I can help another Funeral Director or celebrant, whether that is with a funeral, our facilities or simply by being someone they can rely on, then I want R.Hough & Sons to be that place.

Earlier this week felt like a real example of that.

Kelly, thank you for trusting R.Hough & Sons. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside you.

Ryan 🤍

14/09/2026

Today we said goodbye to Mabel.

Mabel’s family took comfort in the hope that she is now lovingly reunited with her late husband Bill and her baby boy. 💙

Mabel was a force of nature. She never suffered fools and was always one step ahead! She truly had a heart of gold and adored her daughter and grandchildren…. there was nothing she wouldn’t do for them!

Mabel had a fantastic work ethic, alongside a witty personality that clearly kept everyone on their toes. There were many memorable one liners over the years:

“Look at his face, it could stop a clock!”

“Ooh, he’s all sugar or all sh*te!”

It was a true honour to facilitate today’s service and to hear about Mabel’s incredible life. Her phenomenal 90 years were filled with so much character, love, laughter and memories.
Hearing about them genuinely made me smile.

Today Mabel…. you are lovingly reunited with your boy and your beloved husband Bill.
I’m sure heaven’s gates have embraced a love beyond measure. 💖💙💙

Rest peacefully Mabel. You certainly left your mark. 🕊️

10/09/2026

Today I had the privilege of facilitating the funeral of a gentleman whose greatest role in life was simply being there for his family.

As his children reflected on their younger years, it was clear that so many of their happiest memories were made alongside their dad…. Weekends were filled with adventures; stockcar racing, watching the greyhounds, clay pigeon shooting and many more little outings that become treasured memories.

And then there were the weekends at home… sweets and ice cream while settling down together to watch scary movies, creating the kind of memories that may have seemed ordinary at the time, but become priceless with hindsight.

Today was not just a goodbye, but a celebration of a dad who gave his family a lifetime of memories to hold onto.
It was an honour to help his family tell his story and to be entrusted with such an important part of their farewell. 💙🙏🏻💖

09/09/2026

Back to school… 📚💛

Today was back-to-school day… and oooh, how good it was to see all the students and teachers again! There was also a lovely welcome for a new student into my little room.

Counselling can bring out so many emotions…. sadness, anger, fear, uncertainty, jealousy… but also laughter, joy and hope. And today, there were plenty of those joyful emotions shared.

There were lots of stories about the holidays, lots of plans made for the coming weeks and lots of moments of connection.
As we recapped on the school holidays, we deflected in all sorts of ways… playing Jenga was one favourite! Although for someone else, kicking a ball at the wall proved to be an equally good way of deflecting! 😄

Being creative has always been such an important part of my counselling sessions, so when one child asked if we could make a chatterbox…. of course we did. 📝✨

It’s certainly good to be back.
Back to the conversations, the creativity, the laughter, the big emotions and most importantly, being there for the children as they navigate whatever the coming weeks may bring. 💙🙏🏻💖