“So, we had to arrange a funeral. Hearts sinking, we picked up the necessary forms from the hospital. It was a bland and blunt experience.
“Then we registered Dave’s death, in an uninspiring room with a photocopier and a very photocopied-looking man. The possibility of making a mistake hung so heavy that we were triple-checking his birth date. Simple questions seemed so difficult.
“When we came to Poppy's, calm and normality were restored. Nothing felt like trouble or was difficult. We started to feel reassured.
“At our meeting, Victoria was helpful, supportive, perceptive, and didn’t encourage us to buy stuff we didn’t need.
“We felt we got what we wanted and what we were trying to achieve. Victoria reassured us about how Dave was going to be wrapped in calico. We thought this sounded just right.
“The music was arranged, sent and confirmed. On the day, the lovely Poppy's van containing our dear muso friend felt warm and nice. It was reassuring that Victoria was sitting at the back during the service.
“Chairs were arranged informally as we had requested. We were pleased with what we did in the space to honour Dave. No pomp, no fuss, just kindness.”