Pathfinders Dublin

I’m just home after a couple of days in Dublin. I went over for the opening of a photographic exhibition by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Paul Connell.

Pathfinders photographic portrait exhibition of older LGBT people in Ireland by Paul Connell

The exhibition is called Pathfinders and it’s a series of portraits of older men and women who were involved in the struggle for equality and rights of LGBT people in Ireland. Some of these were activists with a high public profile. Most were simply people who lived their lives quietly but openly and with integrity. Brave rebel hearts!

A key element of the portraits is that all are shot in exactly the same way: same backdrop, same stepladder, same camera, same lighting. It’s a democratic approach that places all the focus on the person and their character. And taken together, the collection becomes a nationally important archive.

Paul and I have been close friends for many years and there’s always been a sense of our lives running in parallel. As I approach my 60th birthday I feel that, by becoming a funeral celebrant, I am finally doing something truly fulfilling. Paul’s been a photographer for years but the Pathfinders exhibition, held in historic Dublin Castle and opened by the Irish Minister of Culture, Josepha Madigan, marks national recognition for his skill, artistry and vision.

And in our different ways, both our work seeks to celebrate the essence of a person’s life.

Thank you, Paul, for your friendship and support through more than thirty years.

Meeting funeral directors

It’s nearly five months now since I visited my first funeral director as a new celebrant. That was very scary. It’s hard to walk in off the street and introduce yourself “cold”. Especially if you’re not great at selling yourself.

But when I met Andrea Baker at Gibson of Tayport today, I had the advantage of a body of experience behind me. I was able to speak about my style and approach knowing that I had real examples and wasn’t just speaking in the abstract.

But in fact I needn’t have worried. Andrea was welcoming and genuinely interested in what I had to say. She’s now the owner of Gibsons having taken over from David Gibson, whose father William started the business back in 1972. (Though I understand that David still contributes with his experience and wisdom.)

We chatted over a cup of tea and spoke a lot about how we try to tailor our services as closely as possible to the family’s needs. A bespoke service.

And we discussed how we like to be able to offer different sorts of venues and ceremonies. And even to work with people who are looking ahead and wanting to plan their own funerals.

A really good conversation and I hope we can work together to realize some of these ideas.

An occasional blog

This is just a place where I can write down my thoughts of becoming a funeral celebrant, independent celebrant, civil celebrant…. whatever.

It’s been quite a process since I left the Clinical Trials Unit at Dundee University back in February this year. I’ve learned so much and met so many people. And overwhelmingly it’s been a positive process.

So hopefully this will be a place where I can record some thoughts and observations of this new career.