Poppy's
blog

We believe it’s time for a more open conversation about death, dying and funerals.

In this blog, we give practical advice and ideas to help you if you are arranging a funeral or experiencing bereavement; answer your frequently asked questions/FAQs; and share stories, interviews and opinions.

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Opinion

Grieving people often get pushed to embalm ‘for their own good’ by funeral directors. This is especially true when someone who has died has a lot of physical changes. Here’s why death shouldn’t be censored, even in the hardest circumstances.

Opinion

What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘mortuary’? Probably somewhere grim, mysterious, and cold. There’s no denying that mortuary spaces often leave a lot to be desired. But it doesn’t have to be that way — in fact, it shouldn’t be the norm at all.

Opinion

The Telegraph has published an article exposing abuses by Co-op Funeralcare staff. Our founder Poppy Mardall argues that mistreatment of grieving people and the dead is all too common. Here’s how we can work together to transform death care.

Opinion

At Poppy’s, we’re proud of being modern funeral directors, but it’s not always clear what that actually means. Here's why we believe that being modern is all about choices, transparency and trust, not swapping one set of expectations for another.

Opinion

Would you choose to be embalmed? There’s no right or wrong answer, but it’s certainly worth considering. That’s because roughly half of us will be embalmed, even though there’s no legal or hygienic reason why we should be. Here’s what embalming really involves and why we prefer a natural approach.

Opinion

During a pandemic it can be easy to feel like we need less awareness of dying, not more. While it’s completely understandable to need a break from the news, Covid-19 has shown why it’s so important to talk openly about death. Being able to share what we think and feel has an effect on everything from our collective mental health to how we care for people who have died.