Reading Silent Spring

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published in 1962. It was one of the most significant books of its time and it helped launch the environmental movement. I was very young when it first appeared but I did grow up in the 60s and 70s and I do remember the almost apocalyptic feeling of dread at what was happening to the natural world at that time.

I’m currently working on organizing climate and eco grief circles so I thought I would read the book. Does it still have a message for today’s environmental struggles and activists?

It’s a powerful read. Carson trained and worked as a scientist but she was also a fine writer and she succeeded in marshalling substantial and complex evidence and data, yet at the same time making it accessible to a wide audience. Her key theme was the indiscriminate use of chemicals during the post-war period, mainly in agriculture and forestry, and principally in the USA. These chemicals were designed to kill pests and weeds and maximize crop yields.

What struck me most forcefully in reading the accounts of one disaster after another was the sheer toxicity of the chemicals used. Today we quite understandably worry about the insidious nature of environmental pollution. How tiny amounts can accumulate over time in our bodies. And this certainly was happening back in the 50s as well. But the effects of crop spraying could be almost immediate. A plane would fly over, spraying the fields (and residential areas, towns, lakes, rivers – it was often “blanket” spraying of entire areas) and within hours, people would find their yards full of dead and dying birds. The chemicals killed the target insects…. and everything else, even pets and livestock. And since they killed all the things that ate the insects, sooner or later the pests would return, often in greater numbers than before.

Lots of people, ordinary people as well as scientists, were aware of these disasters. But Carson’s book seems to have acted as a channel or a catalyst for action. Much of the protest and action against pollution, as well as the legislation that was enacted to limit or ban the use of these chemical, stemmed from Carson’s book.

Reading it after all these years triggered a lot of thoughts. Memories of growing up in an industrial landscape scarred by mining and heavy industry. Becoming aware of the natural world – and of the threats that it faced from pollution. The struggle of the young environmental movement against well funded business interests. The slow but real progress that was made in banning the most toxic of the chemicals and of indiscriminate spraying.

But there was also a sense of weariness as we see today the same struggles having to be made. Legislation and norms to protect people are being rolled back.

And I was deeply struck by the Afterword in my edition. Written in 1998 by Linda Lear, it details how fiercely Carson was attacked at the time. The chemical lobby threatened to sue to prevent publication. They financed an expensive PR campaign to discredit Carson. It will come as no surprise that her gender was a focus for attack, she was, after all, a “hysterical woman”. One critic wrote that: “Silent Spring … kept reminding me of trying to win an argument with a woman. It cannot be done.” I suppose that’s a sort of compliment, though hardly intended as such. Tellingly, Carson was a “fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature” and (of course) she kept cats…. Some things, it seems, never change.

But despite those attacks, this important book did change minds and did usher in a new awareness and a willingness to act, even at the highest political levels. Things may look pretty bleak at the moment but I like to hope that the ultimate message of this book is that the hard difficult truth can, when presented with eloquent passion, change the world.

A Thank You to The Grief Well!

I just wanted to say thank you to Tracy Chalmers and Willow Meili of The Grief Well. I’ve just completed a six-month course of facilitator training: “A six-month embodied journey to cultivate the skills for holding space and witnessing grief.”

I’ve enjoyed the course and especially interacting with Tracy and Willow and all the participants. I feel much more confident about leading grief groups, grief cafés, grief circles now. Specifically I want to focus on earth or eco grief and the sense of loss we are feeling as we witness climate change.

My first event will take place on 5 March this year: “Making Space for Climate Grief“. I doubt if I would have been able to do this without the resources that the course has given me.

So thank you again and I’m sure we will collaborate again soon!

Michael, 16 Feb 2026

Climate grief – finding a space to talk

In March this year it will be seven years since I started to work as a funeral celebrant. Recently I have been examining how I can use some of the skills I’ve acquired to make a change of direction. Specifically I want to look at creating events where people feel able to talk about the grief and anxiety they feel about climate change and environmental loss – eco grief.

Most people are well aware that things are not right with our world. Of course, many folk “deny” that the climate is changing…. or accept that it is but refuse to believe that we have any part in it. But I think that deep down we mostly do accept the evidence we can see all around us, and recognize that our way of life has led to this.

But this is frightening and overwhelming. Last year the UK government published a report on national security and biodiversity. I write “published” but in fact they were pressured into doing so by a freedom of information request as the Guardian’s George Monbiot reports. Without that pressure the report might never have surfaced. Its opening line is “Global ecosystem degradation and collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity. [likelihood: HIGH]”. Monbiot suggests that this report has been compiled by the joint intelligence committee. I’ve no idea who might sit on such a committee but I suspect not too many blue-haired vegan wokerati (sadly). And they speak of “national security” and even…(whisper it) “prosperity” being threatened. Now that is serious.

But it always feels like it’s just too much. So that when we most need to act, we can’t. We feel overwhelmed.

I wonder if maybe, as well as data and information and argument, we need to explore how we feel about this. Admit that we feel overwhelmed. Or scared. Or bewildered. Just acknowledging these feelings can sometimes be a prelude to action. It can help us feel less alone and isolated.

But how to do this? I’m aiming to run some climate or eco “grief circles”, initially on Zoom. These offer a safe and non-judgmental space where people can talk about their feelings. It could be sadness at the loss of something local and personal like a wood or a green space in a town. It could be that sick feeling you get at 3am when you wonder if the world itself is dying. And it could also (and this is important too) be the feeling of joy and renewal that you feel in nature, by the sea, listening to the birds.

To help in this work I’ve been studying with a team in Canada – Tracy Chalmers and Willow Meili of the Grief Well. Over the past few months they have been helping me translate the skills I’ve acquired as a celebrant. Talking to friends and families of people who have died, when grief is very raw and yet action is required in arranging a funeral that will honour and mourn their loss. Adapting those skills to help facilitate groups where people are experiencing profound pain at the loss of their worlds.

This is new for me but I’m ready to start and here are the details of my first event, scheduled for 5 March.

In the meantime I’d love to hear your thoughts on this or any aspect of eco or climate grief. Please contact me here.

Portuguese wildfires – land, loss, identity

As part of my shift to working with the grief that stems from environmental loss, I recently interviewed my friend Rita Freitas. We were both students on the University of Glasgow’s End of Life Studies MSc programme. Rita is from Portugal. She lives in Lisbon but has a house in a rural area of the country called Castelo Branco.

This summer the village was threatened by wildfires. Mercifully the village itself emerged undamaged but all around were scenes of devastation. Trees, crops, vines, beehives, livestock pets…. terrible losses.

I asked if I could interview Rita and I have made our conversation into a little video. In it, Rita explains how these were not just material losses. They deeply affected these communities that are so connected to the land. Ancient fruit trees and vines can never be replaced. They represent something of the very identity of the people.

Here is the video. It is my tribute to the communities affected by the fires and my way to acknowledge their loss.

(As legendas estão disponíveis em português.)

Praising the mutilated world

We are living in dark times.

As a man of 66, I can say that much of my life has seen “dark times”. I remember as a little boy, looking at a photo of an elephant mutilated by poachers. I couldn’t quite understand then what I was seeing in the magazine my mum had bought to nurture my love of animals. I remember at school watching a film about the death of a polluted river. I remember, vaguely, the unease we felt about Silent Spring. There was a hole in the ozone layer. Acid rain. And now, half a century later we watch the continued descent of our world with mounting horror.

And the temptation is to run away. Switch off the damned news. Take solace in the wide range of anaesthetics available today. For a time, especially in this most difficult year, I have done just that. I have, after all, my own worries and my own peace of mind to consider.

But the niggling whispers don’t go away. Suffragettes and Stonewall rioters. Rainbow Warriors. Older voices. Calling us to remember something I heard at a Upaya Centre talk just this weekend:

WE WERE MADE FOR THIS WORK.

So…. what can I do? A 66 year old semi-retired man from Scotland who looks after his mother. Well, six of those years I have spent as a funeral celebrant: working with grief, channelling grief, giving voice to grief. But also praising and celebrating lives. Perhaps I have learned something in those years that I might apply to a wider world of grief – dying glaciers, dying communities, dying democracies. Is there still something to praise in this mutilated world?

It’s worth a try.

Portrait by Paul Connell, Derravaragh Studios

Dundee Crematorium is fully open again

I’ve just conducted a funeral service at Dundee Crematorium. It’s the first I have done there since it re-opened recently. I had previously written to say that the chapel was closed for ceremonies. This was for refurbishment of the chapel itself – the cremation facilities themselves were unaffected and an arrangement was in place for families to hold services in a nearby hotel.

Now I can report that things are completely back to normal and everything is fully functional again.

Michael Hannah, Broughty Ferry, December 2024

Beary Tales in Cupar! Funeral Director Focus: Lynn Smith

When I visited Steven Stewart Funeral Directors’ new offices in Newport, Fife, recently, Rhys Small suggested that I also speak to his colleague Lynn Smith. So I drove over last week to the main office in Cupar and chatted with Lynn, the newest member of the team.

Lynn Smith

I started by asking my usual opener of how Lynn entered this world of funerals. And like so many of the people I ask, Lynn replied that she had always had a fascination for all things related to death. Some people might find that “morbid” but, in my experience, it often gives people a sharper appreciation of life.

But in Lynn’s case there was a twist. Although she had the funeral fascination, she was advised by someone connected to the profession “not to try to become a funeral director”. Because, they told her, “as a woman, you’ll never get ahead”.

So after leaving school, Lynn first went into retail management and then took a job in a GP practice, rising to practice manager. But her interest in the funeral world never really left. So when a job came up at Brewsterwells Crematorium, near St Andrews, Lynn applied. It was a great introduction to this world, especially as Brewsterwells was brand new and Lynn joined right at the start.

One open door sometimes leads to another. Earlier this year, Lynn was asked by Steven Stewart if she’d like to become a funeral director. It was the opportunity to follow the career she’d always wanted.

In a small independent company like Steven’s, everyone gets to do a bit of everything. Just days into the job Lynn was driving a hearse! It means that each day is incredibly varied.

And Lynn has brought her creative skills to “bear” in the team! Specifically, she makes handcrafted memorial bears. These beautifully made small bears are not just a comfort in themselves at a time of loss. Each one comes with a little tin heart that can hold some of a loved one’s ashes. They are a unique and highly personal memorial for the bereaved.

Lynn explained that she had always been highly creative and interested in craft. She had also loved to collect bears. Now she gets to combine these skills and interests with her passion for her chosen profession.

Thank you Lynn for sharing your story, proving that you certainly did get ahead in this business, and for showing me your beautiful memorial bears.

Michael Hannah, December 2024

CONTACT

Steven Stewart Funeral Directors Ltd
01334 655 323
www.stevenstewartfunerals.co.uk

Newport  – New office! Steven Stewart Funeral Directors

steven stewart funeral directors newport office

Every now and then I write a little piece on my local funeral directors. I’ve featured Steven Stewart Funeral Directors before – twice in fact… back in 2020 and a follow-up in 2021. But I decided to take the occasion of them opening a new office in Newport-on-Tay to post an update on their business. And this time my host was Rhys Small rather than Steven himself.

steven stewart and rhys small in the newport office
Rhys and Steven

Rhys has worked in the business for around five years. When I first did the rounds of the funeral directors in Dundee and Fife to introduce myself as a celebrant, it was Rhys who spoke to me at their main office in Cupar. Since joining he has been a key member of the team.

I asked how he had first come to work in the funeral business and he explained that he’d been working as a bar manager but was looking for something different. “My wife, Kaylie, runs a florists business called Oor Fleurs. Inevitably, she works a lot with funeral directors and she told me that Steven was looking for someone to join the business. I met him, we got on, and he offered me a job. I didn’t have any formal qualifications as a funeral director but Steven trained me in every aspect of the business”.

Since then Rhys has taken an important role in developing the business. He has helped to introduce new online systems and to build up their social media. He’s working on revamping their website, soon to be relaunched. And he has played a big part in preparing and opening the new office in Newport.

steven stewart funeral directors family room
Family room

The office is in a central location on the High Street and is bright and welcoming. “It will make it much easier for families in north Fife and Dundee to visit us. We have an attractive family room where we can discuss funeral wishes and make arrangements in comfortable surroundings.”

Rhys and I chatted about how the Scottish funeral continues to develop and change. One challenge for independent funeral directors is the rise of the direct cremation. Pure Cremations and other big companies are relentlessly advertising these – mainly by stressing how much money people can save. But as Rhys explained, a reputable funeral director can also arrange direct cremations. And in the case of Steven Stewart, they have a service room in Cupar, so can host a respectful ceremony, arrange music, engage an officiant (whether ministers, priests or celebrants). And still offer a competitive price and personalized service.

Greater choice is all very well but in the aftermath of bereavement it can be overwhelming. Recognizing this, Steven Stewart like most funeral directors, offer ways to plan ahead. It can help your family with one set of decisions when you’re gone. Of course, most funeral directors offer “funeral plans” (Steven Stewart work with Golden Charter) but these are essentially financial packages and not everyone wants to, or can, commit to a plan. Rhys wanted to stress that they will talk to people about their “funeral wishes”. A way of exploring options without commitment and in a relaxed environment. He’s currently working on an online form that can help people to think about choices and safely record them. As a celebrant, I’m especially keen that people have choices in the person they want to lead their ceremonies and we talked about a possible link-up to the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association (SICA).

Congratulation to Steven, Rhys and all the team on the new offices in Newport and thanks for taking the time to speak to me.

Michael Hannah, Broughty Ferry, October 2024

CONTACT

Steven Stewart Funeral Directors Ltd

01334 655 323

www.stevenstewartfunerals.co.uk

[All photos by Zöe.]

BLIPS at the Edinburgh Fringe

BLIPS – Brief Limited Intermittent Psychotic Symptoms. If these episodes are a part of your own life, how might you explain them to other people? Well, you could download an article from a medical journal. You could just describe your feelings, your experience.

Or you could do as Margot Mansfield does in her powerful show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and try, through the energy of her intensely personal performance, to immerse her audience in a direct experience of her reality as she lives it. This is not an easy show – a jarring, jangling soundscape assaults the ear. Margot confronts us with some of her deep fears and Siri-regulated paranoia. 

And she uses her circus skills to create striking physical images of precariousness and of life only just in balance. The driving need to keep things in frantic motion just to stay upright.

Such an emotional and brutally honest performance could overwhelm…. but Margot, with circus instinct, deftly employs humour to keep us in balance. Hugely recommended.

Michael Hannah, Dundee, 15 August 2024

Assisted dying – implications for celebrants and end-of-life doulas

On Monday 29th July, I hosted a zoom session for celebrants and end-of-life doulas on the possible implications of assisted dying legislation. There is a Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament that would legalize a form of assisted dying. What might that mean for our work?

I assembled a panel of three experts. Naomi Richards is Director of the End of Life Studies Group at the University of Glasgow and has made a study of this topic. Sarah Farr is an end-of-life doula (or soul midwife) who works in Toronto, Canada. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is already legal in Canada and Sarah works with people who have requested this, so she brought first-hand experience to the workshop.

Finally, Kelly Oberle, like Sarah and myself, is a recent graduate of the Glasgow University MSc programme in End of Life Studies – the programme on which Naomi is a senior lecturer. So for the four of us, it felt a bit like a reunion!

Kelly, who also lives in Canada, interviewed families of people who had requested MAiD as part of her research. Like Sarah, she came to the meeting with personal experience of the issues raised by assisted dying.

We opened the workshop with Naomi’s presentation. She first talked about definitions and terms. What assisted dying is… and what it isn’t. She talked about the difference between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. And she broadened this by looking at the different countries around the world that have legalized some form of assisted dying. That allowed her to talk about the different models that exist and she contrasted Oregon in the USA with the Benelux model. She compared eligibility and she discussed how the procedure is actually administered. (The euthanasia vs physician-assisted suicide route.) By doing this, she was able to speak about the Scottish Bill and how it would work. She also mentioned developments in the Isle of Man and Jersey as well as in Westminster.

Sarah then spoke about her work as a Canadian end-of-life doula. A large proportion of her clients have requested MAiD and so she has first-hand experience of the issues they face. Lack of information, gaps in provision, differences between provinces within Canada…. Sarah spoke about the real day-to-day challenges of this new way of dying. It made me realize that there would be such a need for the work of people like Sarah if Scotland legalized assisted dying. But would there be funding….?

Before I asked Kelly to speak about her research I played a little film. This was a 3-minute glimpse of a “living wake”. In it, a Canadian man in a hospital ward is shown surrounded by family and friends. We learn that this is his own “wake”. Friends and family give tributes and there is music and food and drink. At the end we read that the man died the following day at his own request. It’s an intense and incredibly moving video – whatever one’s own feelings about assisted dying. I have thought a lot about it and about the potential role for celebrants in these sorts of situations.

Kelly then spoke about her research. Her interviews were of people who had actually experienced a relative choose MAiD. They spoke of their feelings: of stigma, of guilt, of sadness. They often talked about a series of “lasts” – a last meal, a last walk, a last glass of wine. That will be true of anyone regardless of how they die. True retrospectively….but for people who choose assisted dying and their families, there are what Kelly described as “opportunities to be intentional”. Perhaps the most striking word that she found people using to describe the death of their friend or relative was “beautiful”.

There was a lot of information presented. And attendees had lots of questions. Some points of information. Many questions of the practicalities of how things work in Canada, how Sarah actually works with families, the “nitty-gritty” of how people negotiate the realities of MAiD.

People also expressed a willingness to learn about this in preparation for what may happen in Scotland, what is also happening in the wider British (and Irish) context. In particular there was a desire to continue to exchange information with Canada and a recognition of the immense store of experience that people like Sarah and Kelly have amassed.

I suggested that it would be good to keep in contact and to arrange another workshop in the future. If you’re a celebrant or doula and are interested in this issue (or if you want to chat about Glasgow University’s End of Life Studies Programme) and what it could mean for your work, please do contact me here.

Michael Hannah, Broughty Ferry, 30 July 2024

Stewart Abercrombie – musician

Last week I met Stewart Abercrombie who was the musician at a funeral I was conducting at Brewsterwells Crematorium, near St Andrews.

stewart abercrombie musician
Stewart Abercrombie, musician

I’d never worked with Stewart, so I thought I’d have a chat … the chat grew into a little interview… and I decided to add to the occasional series of musician showcases on my blog.

I started by asking him how his interest in music started:

“For as long as I remember, music was always present, and song continues to play a big part in family gatherings. My father and uncle won numerous trophies in their accordion competition days, and that is the music I grew up listening to. And which now plays a big part in my career. Hearing live performances from such a young age inspired me to take up the mantle myself. I began piano lessons at primary school and studied it throughout secondary to advanced Higher. But the learning never stops. I always endeavour to improve technique and to widen my repertoire. Each genre and composer has their own demands and technicalities to polish.”

Loving to play music is one thing, of course, but I wondered when it turned into a career for Stewart?

“In 2015, the three Fife crematorium organists retired and services were then to be engaged on a self-employed basis. A family friend in the funeral business suggested I enquire and put my talents to use. The job was something entirely new to me at the time and I remember only too well as a teenager how daunting it was to play for such important services! My confidence has grown steadily throughout the years and in gaining all the experience I have in this very niche field of work. I find this career path extremely rewarding as it makes a difference to individuals in difficult circumstances. No two funerals are the same. I also love that each day varies. One morning I’m in Falkirk, and in the afternoon I could be in Perth or Dundee – I work across Scotland although I’m Fife based.

“In my career so far, I’ve covered a broad range of events. (I embrace everything that’s thrown my way with enthusiasm.) As a full time pianist and organist, the majority of my work consists of weddings, funerals, other ceremonies, recitals and accompaniment to other musicians and singers.

“I also began playing the accordion and violin many years ago and I enjoy playing Scottish country dance music. Being in that scene for some time has afforded many performance experiences to me, playing in bands and ensembles, ceilidhs etc. I’ve even been asked to play solo accordion and fiddle at graveside ceremonies – which was a real honour.”

At the funeral we both worked on, Stewart accompanied a hymn. He also played a medley of mainly 1960s folk music including a version of El Cóndor Pasa. I know that Stewart had spoken directly to the family. So I asked him to say more about how he works with families.

“I’m generally engaged through a funeral director, or officiant. But if the bereaved family have any special requests they often speak directly to me. You have to be a consummate professional in the field of funerals. There’s just no room for error and everything has to be right. I discuss the family’s wishes down to the last detail to make sure their loved one has the fitting service. Often I can advise clients of pieces that may be suitable if they are undecided under the pressure of the circumstances. I’m able to play a huge variety of pieces in different genres – my own tastes are hugely eclectic.”

We talked a little about the decline of hymn singing. Stewart noted that: “since the pandemic there’s been a great surge in the use of ‘canned’ hymns with choirs, which for any self-respecting musician is heartbreaking.” I agreed, but noted that it can be awkward when there’s a hymn but no-one sings. What can we do about that? Well, we both felt that there are other ways to bring traditional hymn tunes into services. They can be played to accompany the coffin being brought in without the need for singing. They can be woven into a medley that reflects and evokes a life.

The important thing, we agreed, was offering families the opportunity for live music. As Stewart said “I think music undoubtedly plays an integral part to ceremonies like weddings and funerals – when it’s done correctly it can express emotion that words alone can’t. Much loved pieces of music that mean something to a family make a service so intimate and personal”. He’d love to see more soloists, whether it be woodwind, brass, string players, vocal performers or organists performing a part in funerals, just as we see in weddings so often.

Stewart went on to say how he loves the challenge of navigating a new organ (new to him – in some cases these instruments are 150 years old!)

“Sitting down and getting to know an instrument and getting a feel for the colours and possibilities it offers for the first time is like being a kid in a sweetie shop. I’m passionate about sharing how versatile and expressive the instrument can be. When approached with an open mind and imagination, the organ’s bounds extend much further than cliché hymns and stereotypes.”

Stewart ended by summing up: “I have been a church organist for nearly a decade and I’m currently privileged to serve the congregation of St Bryce, Kirkcaldy. It’s a grand old building built in 1877 of 13th century gothic style. The congregation are fantastic and I’m lucky to accompany their choir on a three manual organ and grand piano.

“Music has been extremely rewarding to me. I’m almost 28 and look forward to the future opportunities it presents.”

And away from music, which clearly plays such a huge part in his life? “I have a love of studying history and architecture. I enjoy the countryside and the outdoors. I have a love of horses and keep a large selection of poultry. I love good food, drink and socialising with friends.”

Thanks to Stewart for taking the time to chat! He can be contacted on ‭07766 477834‬. Or by email: abercrombieorganist@yahoo.com. Or via my own contact form.

Below is a little clip of him playing Elgar’s Imperial March at St Margaret’s Memorial Church, Dunfermline.

Text by Michael Hannah, Broughty Ferry, July 2024

Speaking to a funeral photo tribute (Obitus)

Most celebrants will be familiar with the various kinds of picture tributes that are now possible at funerals. Obitus, a company that provides music for many crematoriums, can also display photos or pictures on a screen or screens. Their products range from a single photo that remains static throughout the ceremony to slideshows.

michael hannah celebrant conducting a service at brewsterwells crematorium with sarah lawson BSL interpreter
Michael at Brewsterwells below the tribute screen (from a staged funeral, not the service referred to in the blog)

These can be set up in different ways. They can loop through the entire service, for example. Or can provide a moment of focus or reflection with the slides being set to music.

At a recent funeral that I was to conduct, the partner of the person who had died was very keen to use some of the many hundreds of photos that the couple had taken throughout their life together. They were great travellers and these pictures chronicled their many adventures. But we were unsure whether to loop them throughout the service or find a piece of music to set them to. Looping them means that they do form the backdrop of the ceremony. But it can detract from the spoken eulogy and at the same time, people don’t really focus on the pictures or the story that they tell.

Making them a point of focus seemed a better solution but what music would be appropriate and not distracting? Or would it be possible to show them in silence?

In the end, I suggested that I speak to the slides. This would be quite normal in other situations. But I’d never done anything like it in a funeral. And my worry was that it would seem too like a powerpoint presentation. I was also concerned about the logistics. Would I be able to see the photos and stay close enough to the microphone? Would I have long enough for each slide?

Helpfully, the photos illustrated milestones and themes in the person’s life. So I was able to note these themes in the spoken eulogy in advance of the photos. That meant I felt I could make more general comments as the slides rolled by, rather than it feeling like spoken captions. The ceremony was at Brewsterwells Crematorium where SICA had held a series of staged funerals and I was able to look at the visuals to check if I could see screen easily while staying close to the mic. I also called Obitus who were very helpful and double-checked that the pictures were in the right order. They explained just how long each slide would display and how long the transitions would be.

Overall, and having now watched a recording of the service, I feel it went well. It brought focus to a life of travel and adventure. It complemented the spoken eulogy. And it provided variety and a a change of tone.

I’m sure other celebrants have done similar things with images but this was a first for me. Definitely something I can suggest in future.

(Photo courtesy of SICA and PhotoJenniK)

Michael Hannah, Dundee, 16 July 2024