Lindsay Shaw Celebrant

03/09/2024

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Olive 💔

She came into my mum’s life through a friend when she was 6 and was a wonderful, loyal companion. She brought a lot of joy to anyone and everyone who crossed her path. She just had a really special quality and made everyone fall in love with her effortlessly. She just made people smile.

When my mum passed away, I was lucky enough to have her with me for the last 15 months and she has brought me so much happiness, comfort, unconditional love and friendship. I am so blessed to have had her in my life.

Yesterday we set her spirit free.

I want to thank Holme Valley Veterinary for their kindness and compassion and also my dear friends Andrew and Dianne who have looked after and cared for Olive when I’ve been away. We all gave her a beautiful send off yesterday.

She is now at peace in their garden with their other little four legged souls.

Thank you to Helena and Stephen and Sadie who also looked after Olive for me and gave her so much love

I don’t think you can explain the pain of losing a pet, especially one as special as Olive. 💔🙏

22/08/2024

19/08/2024

Today one of my services was celebrating the life of a well loved dad, brother, friend and grandad.

When I visited his lovely daughter and her family, her two sons were very much part of the family meeting and it was clear that they wanted to contribute to the service and tell me lots of really great things about their grandad.

When I was putting together the tribute and service, it struck me that they might both like to contribute in some way and be part of his farewell.

They were both eager to be a part of the funeral service and with a little bit of collaboration with their parents, they came up with a little personalised tribute and a framed picture representing one of their favourite memories.

The eldest boy stood at the lectern and gave a beautiful tribute whilst his little brother held up the picture. Everyone clapped afterwards which was just lovely and touching Their grandad would be very proud I’m sure.

We often forget that children may want to express their feelings and have the opportunity to be part of a final farewell.

Obviously there needs to be sensitivity and an understanding by parents as to what is suitable for their children but sometimes they might want the opportunity to express their emotions and feelings independently.

I’m sure those two little boys today will feel so proud of themselves and i know for a fact their grandad would be even more proud.

Thank you S and B for making the service so precious today

Thank you to Andrew Gledhill and his team from Highfield Funeral Directors for their professionalism, compassion and support.

# celebrant

14/08/2024

These are the unexpected and humbling moments 🙏

I received this card in the post after I carried out a service for a lovely, inspirational lady who had reached 93 before passing last month.

D had been born in the mid 1900s, had never married or had children, unusual for those times. She did, however have a good education and gained a Bsc and a teaching diploma and went on to have a successful career. She travelled a lot and remained totally independent right up until she passed away last month.

I loved her story. She lived life on her own terms and beat a path for those women who didn’t fit in to society
‘norms’ and expectations and showed it could be done.

B was her friend and neighbour and we sat together whilst she told me all about her life and all that she had achieved, including tracing her family tree right back to her French roots in Normandy.

Thanks to B we were able to create a beautiful tribute which celebrated the life of this remarkable and independent lady.

So it was all the more special that B took the time to send this card with these beautiful words 💝

12/08/2024

08/08/2024

A shout out to the wonderful Sam Smith who is managing Fleetwood Heights Care Home in Halifax. The team are creating such a wonderful environment for residents. Head over to their page to see what they are offering. The team is really wanting to include the wider community in all kinds of ways and I look forward to exploring ways in which I can be of support in my role as a celebrant.

02/08/2024

A really professional, lovely team of Funeral Directors and staff.

Our funeral home is closed on Saturday and Sunday but our amazing team are still here to help with anything you may need. Please call our usual number 01484 819686

17/07/2024

It is always so lovely to receive a review or kind words from a family. I was very touched by J&Ds words

It was for a beautiful service for a man who was a Freemason, a lovely man. He was a fantastic dad and devoted family man. He had bags of charisma was fun and was known for his kindness and generosity of spirit. The room was full which reflects how respected and loved he was. One of his dearest friends read out a personal tribute honouring his contribution to the Masonic community and also talked about his personal friendship, which was very moving.

He also shared some words around grief which I will take forward as they resonated so much

‘Grief never ends, but it changes
It is a passage not a place to stay
Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor is it a lack of faith
It is the price we pay for love ‘ … Beautiful

I would also like to thank the Nicola and the team at W Lever Ltd for their professionalism, kindness and support. They really are a lovely team.







#

02/06/2024

As I’m just taking a moment in this beautiful sunshine and relaxing and reflecting, I was thinking about two very pivotal moments in the last two years.

The first was the loss of my mum in May 2022 and the second moment was when I completed my course with ICPC to become a Celebrant.

My mum’s passing has had a very profound effect on me. We were very close and she was my best friend.

I think when we experience any kind of loss it can be debilitating and devastating but what it also does is make us reevaluate what is important in our lives.

When my mum was quite poorly, in a moment of clarity she asked me why I was still doing a job that didn’t fulfill me and why, when I had the skills, I wasn’t using them and doing a job that made me happy. My mum was incredibly insightful and intuitive. That hit a nerve!

These words would resonate later when I was grieving and what it did do was give me the resolution and strength to make some changes.

So, the second picture is me having completed my training to become.a Celebrant. That week was amazing in so many ways. I met some brilliant people on my course and had two wonderful tutors, who are themselves amazing celebrants, Mike Warren and Rebecca Waldron.
Two years ago I never would have thought I would have taken that step and achieved what I have.

I am now working as a Funeral Celebrant and I have my own holistic practice which I run alongside. I have carried out 35 services since November and I feel very privileged to have worked alongside some lovely families.

I wanted to share this post because in the turmoil of grief and loss we can feel so helpless and feel we will never move forward. We can and we do. We just have trust in our innate ability to survive and from that survival and resilience comes hope.

It’s not been an easy journey and there are still difficult moments but I’m getting there.

Thank you to some great Funeral Directors who have helped support me on my journey too.

13/05/2024

Just love this ..🤍⭐️💫🤍

08/05/2024

I don’t think anything sums up losing both parents as well as this …. 💔
The wonderful Donna Ashworth

23/04/2024

I’m sure this will be interesting …

A date for your diaries….

19/04/2024

I absolutely love this 🌈 🌈 !!

18/04/2024

G was a very good crown green bowler and won quite a lot of tournaments for Linthwaite Bowling Club in Huddersfield.

He loved to go walking for miles and miles and enjoyed being outside and in nature.

He enjoyed a pint on a Saturday and would meet up with his friends at his local, the Cask in Kirkheaton.

History was his passion and he loved to read. He would travel to places of historical interest and immerse himself in the culture and enjoy exploring.

He was kind and gentle and will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

‘There are special people in our lives who never leave us after they have gone’

G was one of those special people

Thank you to Andrew Gledhill at Highfield Funeral Services for his compassion, and kindness.

04/04/2024

Today was tough.

I officiated two funerals and they couldn’t have been more different. My first service this morning was commemorating a lovely 80 year old lady who had passed away peacefully at home. She loved daffodils and had planted hundreds around her garden so it was fitting that as she passed the daffodils were in full bloom trumpeting their bold yellow out to the world.
Daffodils adorned her casket and her husband wore the flower for her funeral. Beautiful and fitting.

My second service was a tiny soul who both entered and left this world like a beautiful butterfly, briefly lighting like a sunbeam for a precious moment in time before fluttering away gently…

I don’t think we can really begin to analyse how or why things happen as they do but one message from today is life is precious.

Thank you to Andrew and Louise at Highfield Funeral Services for their grace, compassion and professionalism.

14/03/2024

This is just beautiful 🙏

This got me 🙏🏼❤️

07/03/2024

Yesterday I carried out a funeral for a lovely 82 year old lady. I met the family a couple of weeks ago and what struck me most was how warm and kind they were.

This lady had been very much loved by her four children and her husband of 62 years. She had been a fantastic mum, wife, gran and great gran and will be so missed by all of them.

Today I received this short but lovely message.
Such a kind gesture. Thank you 🙏

06/03/2024

I just wanted to share a few thoughts about Dave Myers who has just sadly passed away. It filled me with a real sadness. It is interesting how we can feel an emotion and a sense of loss even though we didn’t actually know a person on a personal level.

Grief is such a human condition and can be expressed and felt in so many ways. I felt sad because I related to this man’s spirit, humour and sense of fun. He and Simon King unashamedly thought outside the box and created a great concept - they were ‘hairy bikers’ who could cook and bloody good cooks at that. They were Northern and championed new talent and embraced diversity in all its forms. They were fun and you could imagine having a really great time with them both.
Si King and Dave’s family must be feeling this loss acutely.

Dave had some specific requests for his funeral - another way of flouting a traditional send off and doing things in the true hairy biker spirit ;

He requested that the service should start with everyone enjoying a stiff drink ‘I’d like vodka martinis served before a church service to get everyone loosened up ‘

For the service he imagined a reading of ‘Blake’s Innocence’ and requested his coffin was carried to the song’ The Best is Yet to Come’ by the Scorpions saying ‘it is a good rock anthem to cheer everyone up’

For the wake he wanted a ‘feast of meat and potato pies and chips with some decent wines’

A true hairy biker send off for a brilliant bloke 🙏

27/01/2024

A Second World War veteran, a Huddersfield Giants fan and a lover of Shakespeare. This was a man who was quite a character, had fought in the First World War and was a complex and intelligent man. He made it to the grand old age of 95 and certainly had some tales to tell.

Although there is a lot of sadness around a loved one’s passing, there is also the opportunity to talk about them, celebrate their life and reflect their personality and achievements.

There are stories, anecdotes, funny memories and quirks. It can be a time to celebrate all that made that person special.

24/12/2023

For all of you missing someone during this time ❤️

For those of you missing someone special during
this festive season ..

When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to live with my love,
in a different way.
And if you need to see me,
close your eyes,
or look in your shadow,
when the sun shines,
I’m there.
Sit with me in the quiet and you will know,
that I did not leave.
There is no leaving when a soul is blended with another.
When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to look for me in the moments.
I will be there ..

~ Donna Ashworth ~

Artist Credit : Frank Koebsch

19/12/2023

✨It’s that time of year when everything is meant to be merry and bright✨

This time of year can evoke complicated and conflicting emotions, especially for those grieving.
It can highlight more than ever the absence of a person or loved one and emphasise the loss more acutely.

So amongst the merriment and fun, remember to show those around you some love ✨❤️

And if you are grieving, show yourself some love
❤️

11/12/2023

Just love this picture. I met these lovely ladies on my course last May when we were training to become celebrants. It is so great to have a group of celebrant friends. We have been there for each other throughout the ups and downs of starting a new business
It was lovely to spend an afternoon celebrating the run up to Christmas and enjoying time.

Celebrants Celebrating themselves - Who would have thought it?

✨🥂✨🍾✨🎄

07/12/2023

🌹🌹🌹💄💄💄 ❤️❤️❤️

Red was requested as part of this beautiful lady’s celebration of life today. She was smart and stylish and loved red. A warm, kind and loving lady ❤️

It was the family and friends’ tribute to wear something red and the funeral directors all wore red ties as a special nod to this lady’s favourite colour.

Thank you to Charleswood Funeral Home and Lawrence Funeral Directors and also ‘Titch’ for being really kind showing me the ropes at my first funeral at Parkwood Crematorium.

Thanks for your generosity and support over the last couple of weeks.

06/12/2023

If you are approaching venues regarding wedding ceremonies, check out this article and make sure you are getting all the information you need. There are so many different ways you can enjoy your special day -‘check out all the options 🙏

At yesterday's amazing UK Weddings Conference with Guides for Brides we were astonished to discover that so many venues did not know the ceremony options available to couples...

But all were keen to find out!

Did you know?...

✨️ Getting married at a licensed venue does NOT mean you are compelled to have a registrar-led civil ceremony.

✨️Many couples now choose to complete their legal marriage before the 'big day', allowing them to have a fully personalised and flexible ceremony with an independent celebrant at a venue of their choice, whether licensed or not.

✨️In the Guides for Brides panel of brides and grooms, when asked whether their ceremony options were explained by their venue, ALL said no (registrars were presented as the only option)... and ALL said if they knew, they definitely would have considered a celebrant.

✨️So couples... the choice is yours!

✨️And venues... when showing couples around, please do explain their ceremony options. More choice and personalisation = a happier couple and an even more wonderful wedding day 💖

Find out more at independentcelebrants.com 👉


Perfect Words Ceremonies by Nikki Wood

06/12/2023

Safety outdoor dip and swim talk

Want to know more about the kit you need?

Great time to get it on your 🎅 Christmas list!

want to know
More about about swimming and dipping outdoors?

Come along and find out all about what you need and need to know to get yourself started on the journey!

With Claudia and Swimtopia £10

Book now on [email protected]

01/12/2023

This is a really helpful guide for people who may be grieving this Christmas and finding this time of year difficult. ❤️🙏

21/11/2023

This is such a wonderful way of describing how we feel sometimes 🙏 I definitely felt the ‘big sad’ quite recently when I felt the pang of my mum not being around. It highlights perfectly the different ways we express our sadness. Please share with other friends. It might just help them 💝

I saw this the other day but not sure who created it. It had the title ‘Describe your sad’

What a brilliant way to explain how we feel, it makes so much sense 🙏🏼 Today I don’t feel sad, but the other day was a definitely a sad on toast kind of day. And I have also felt the confusingly beautiful sad very recently, and the big sad too ❤️ Keep hold of this and share it with your friends if you need help to describe your sad 💙

15/11/2023

Today I carried out a funeral service at St John’s Chapel of Rest in Brighouse. The family had decided on a direct cremation and wanted to celebrate their loved one in their own special and unique way.
There were readings, lots of classical music, poetry and contributions from family and friends.
It was really very special

There are so many ways you can celebrate the life of your loved one and it doesn’t have to follow a traditional process. This is why I love doing what I do ❤️

Many thanks to Highfield Funeral Services for their professionalism and wonderful service and support. 🙏