My Mum died in March - two weeks following my Dad's diagnosis of lung cancer, and three days after their 50th wedding anniversary

Anyhow, we had a humanist funeral. It was a small 'do' and the bloke presiding was a retired school teacher. He was wonderful - he made sure people knew what to do (we were all in a bit of a state), but other than that he kept out of it. We had Mum's favourite TV show theme tune playing as we went in and some jolly number from the Pirates of Penzance when we came out. We took spring flowers from her garden and kept the whole thing low key and as environmentally friendly as we could.

We then went for a scrummy lunch and spent the afternoon sitting in the garden watching the clouds race across the sky (it was bright and warm ).

We don't have long left with my Dad, and he's trying to decide where to have their joint ashes put when he goes.

I remember Mum's funeral as something the whole family decided on together, and we agreed to try to keep it as she would want - "no fuss thank you!" - that brought us a lot of comfort...and some smiles!

My father has said he wants his ashes scattered over Striding Edge on Helvellen...it will be just my luck to do that in January

About 8 years ago now, a friend of mine killed himself without leaving a note. He was a bit of a poet/artist/musician. He loved music and we often went to gigs and festivals together. So at his funeral his parents had to make the arrangements and did the best they could. But the wake/party after played the usual medley of banal pop classics. I remember thinking what a terrible send off. For somebody who loved music, to not have a decent sound track at your own funeral is just tragic.

So for me I want to play the music that was the sound track to my life. My desert island discs if you like.

I intend to make sure I die broke and penniless having spent all my cash while I'm alive. What happens to me after that I really couldn't care less as I'll be dead.

That's definitely what I'd want.

I really don't like the modern trend to get more and more soppy and over-the-top with weddings and funerals.

It's all money, money, money...spend, spend, spend.

That's so true.

when the undertaker came to talk to me about mums funeral I asked him what price for a cardboard box - they had some and it was a stupid price.

It was cheaper to go with the standard box. Although I was glad my Aunt was with me because I would have had the most expensive because that's what I thought my mother deserved.................... you know if I hadn't known the undertaker would another guy have taken advantage of me. There's money in death you know.

I hate to think of people making money out of someone's death. In the UK a few large companies now own most of the smaller companies...so the market is more or less sewn up.

As are the bodies, hopefully!

Is the Co-op funeral service still going?

I think so.

Don't know why I asked, really

I assume they're good value because my family always used them.

Yep the Coop are a very big concern. That's who cremated my mother (can't say buried because we are doing that in October.)

They bought out all the independent undertakers in the Rhondda and surrounding area.

Personally I'm torn between not dying or coming back as a zombie.

I did kind of like the idea someone posted on another forum recently, of setting up a program that would post messages 'from beyond the grave' on their facebook page if it didn't hear from them for a few months .