Busy Week

• Friday I ran around most of the day with funeral arrangements. I started off at the hospital, stopped in at the ward to collect Robin's personal items, the nurse gave me a bag and I took the long trek back to my car. My bloody knee is killing me at the moment so everything I do is a bit of a drag. Got to my car put the bag in the boot and had a 'blink moment' that I should check the contents. Lots of very neatly folded nighties, an old radio and lots of ladies toiletries - not Robin's stuff! Put more money in the parking meter and took the trek back to the ward again. Had a laugh (love that Brit expression) with the staff that the bag couldn't possibly belong to Robin unless there was a side to him I didn't know about.
• Drove around to the other side of the hospital to the 'registration office' for the bereaved. Signed for and received all the official documents and then headed off to Ipswich to my appointment with the 'Registrar of Deaths'. Got there early so I couldn't resist taking a walk down to the shops - bloody knee was killing me by the time I got back to the registrar (Kirsty - HELP). Spent a hour getting all that done, took a little longer than necessary as the registrar was ex South African so we had a good natter.
• I am - for purposes of the records Robins step-daughter LOL I hope that applies to the will!
• Then took the walk over to the Undertakers to give them their official documentation and to go over the final cremation date and time. I decided to have his ashes divided amongst two containers so that his son can take some back to SA.
• Head over to the other side of Ipswich to drop off a death cert with the Attorneys (Solicitors here darhling).
• Today I have driven up to Preston near Manchester (where I was born) to attend the training course for DH's business. I swear when I checked in I could have been checking in at Fawlty Towers - if I have the guts I may take a pic or two - so funny.

The Undertakers

My Mum is one of the most disorganised people I have ever known so it went without saying that I would organise the funeral. It went like this..

• On Sunday night I informed my Mum that we had a meeting with the undertakers on Monday at her house. Shock and disbelief that I had organised it so quickly? My Mum couldn't believe that these people are on call 24 hrs a day. My Mum is the type of person that if she needs an appointment for something she goes to the relevant place and books it.
• A very nice lady/girl came to see us - she had no make-up on and I swear she looked about 16 but she knew her stuff.
• Within minutes my Mum had asked a stupid question ie. 'Oh I wont be able to go and register his death - what if there is no parking outside.' I reminded her that I was doing the organising and that she would be doing nothing!
• I chose a dark wood coffin - my Mum looked at it and wailed noooo he wanted a basket/woven one. Sorted that, supposedly more eco friendly and of course came with the eco friendly price tag of 500 pounds, btw he is being cremated.
• We then got to what he would wear. I set her off when she started waffling on about how non of his clothes fitted him anymore by saying 'not to worry Mum they will pin all the excess cloth to the back' (she is having an open coffin at the service because his son who flies out tonight from SA didn't get to see him).
• Scott thinks the open coffin is a really cool idea because he has never seen a dead person!
• We chose a spray for the coffin - took forever because my Mum couldn't choose the colour of the flowers.
• The poor undertaker made a 'he had a good life then' type comment due to him being 80 and that set my Mum off again because she didn't think 80 was a good innings?
• This is my Mums 3rd partner to die so we got to hear the interesting differences between these nearly 3 ceremonies. Her first husband was a Iranian Muslim and died 6 months after they married of typhoid.
• Special requests - Robin wanted a stake driven through his heart to ensure that he is dead! There were no takers on that one.

I called the attorneys handling his estate (considerable) yesterday to inform them and ask them to arrange the reading of the will before Robin's son goes back to SA - he told me I have been watching too many Hollywood movies and that there was no such thing, each person would be informed individually.