Today I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and colleague, Cate Reid. Cate and I met at a talk I’d organized on the History of the Scottish Funeral. That was just a short time before the pandemic put a stop to meetings. But we kept in touch through regular zoom meetings and what started just as a way of sharing information, grew into a really valuable source of mutual support. And in the process we’ve become friends.
Cate conducts all sorts of ceremonies – funerals, weddings, namings, vow renewals. She is now based in the East Neuk of Fife, not far from St Andrews, and works across the Tayside area. But Cate is originally from Glasgow and still often conducts funerals in Glasgow and Clydebank. She is also part of the Open Sanctuary faith community, and it’s through this that, as an ordained minister, she is able to perform weddings in full.
Celebrants are sometimes asked what their “unique selling point” is. When Cate and I talked about this before we agreed that it was quite hard to put a finger on exactly what ours were! But as you can see in the video, Cate has come to realize that her USP is …. Cate herself. An enormously caring and kind person, Cate is a skilled listener and she very much aims to co-create a service with the family.
Thank you Cate, for your time today and for all your help, support and friendship over the past couple of years.
Michael Hannah, Dundee, 23 February 2022