There are many ways in which a funeral service can be personalised and many reasons for wanting to do so. If people have spent their lives supporting a particular football team, or played in a band or group, it can be nice to include a reference to this during the day. The country of someone’s birth or membership of a club or society can also be represented at the funeral. A horse drawn hearse may help to reflect on a life spent around horses, a motorcycle sidecar hearse might be perfect for an avid bike rider, even things like milk floats and lorries have been used to add a personal touch in the past. Other services are available and the list below will give you access to a more comprehensive guide. Horse Drawn Hearse. This service is provided for us by a, professional, family owned company with the highest standards of presentation who compliment, perfectly, our own fleet and levels of service. Their Black Dutch Friesian pair pull a well restored and superbly maintained Victorian hearse. Vintage Motorised Hearse. A choice of two immaculately presented Austin hearses are available. Either a 1933 or 1936 model can be supplied for us by one of the countries longest established family funeral directors. Motorcycle Sidecar Hearse. We can provide a sidecar hearse from Motorcycle Funerals. Either based on a Triumph or Suzuki the sidecar hearses are totally enclosed and are perfect for motorcyclists, sidecar enthusiasts and bikers. To see what the motorcycle hearse looks like, visit, www.motorcyclefunerals.com Balloons. Dependant on the age of a deceased it can be a nice alternative to have balloons instead of flowers. They can be tied to the coffin, used as displays at the service, or released at the graveside. Doves. We can arrange for a release of white doves at a service or graveside. There can be as many or as few birds as you wish and members of the family can release them personally. Pipers & Bands. To add a very special element to the day we are able to arrange for a Scottish piper to play at the service, a jazz band, a saxophonist or even a soloist. Given enough time most requests can be catered for, even having the service recorded and put onto CD is possible. Special coffins. To compliment our standard range of coffins we can offer more unusual designs. Given time coffins can be made to resemble almost anything. Canal boats, skateboards and skips have all been built in the past. The coffin could also be painted to match a football club strip, a formula one racing team or to show a hobby or pastime. Cardboard, wicker and bamboo coffins can also be supplied. For more unusual coffins visit www.crazycoffins.co.uk We can help you to plan for the future by arranging and paying for your funeral in advance. You get to decide what you want and also move the responsibility and pressure away from your family so that they do not have to make all the important decisions about the funeral service. The cost is worked out at today’s prices and is protected from any increases in the future. The plan can be amended at anytime offering total flexibility. The idea of being buried somewhere quiet, and closer to nature, is very attractive and can have some distinct advantages over traditional cemeteries. We are lucky in Leicestershire to have two superb natural burial grounds at Scraptoft and Prestwold, which provide a peaceful and relaxing environment for families to visit the resting places of their loved ones. We are able to arrange funerals at either burial site. If you would like any further information, or to pre-purchase a space at one of the burial grounds, visit www.naturalburial.co.uk