Final journey can be very interesting ride

The trend of "themed" funerals has seen the traditional order of service ditched in favour of embracing the extraordinary.

From Wild West themes to a convoy of cranes leading the cortège, the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) said people are increasingly making bizarre final requests.

Last month the coffin of Shropshire steam enthusiast Joe Lawley – known as Landy – arrived at the Church of St Nicholas in Churchstoke on a wagon pulled by the traction engine he had worked on that same engine back in the 1930s and it had a special place in his heart.

Other uncommon requests include a Morris dancing-themed funeral, a farmer being asked to be buried at the highest point on his land and a company director being interred at the end of his garden next to his beloved golf course.

Instead of being buried with sentimental jewellery, people are increasingly opting to be laid to rest with unusual items including tea bags, conkers, cigarette packets and bottles of champagne, says NAFD.

Margaret Smith, the proprietor of Newport and District Funeral Service, in Upper Bar, said she had seen a rise in unusual requests in the last few years. Mrs Smith said: "Every funeral is different now. People want to be very individual.

"I think it's good because at last we are allowed to grieve for the people in the way that we want.

"We've had funerals where JCBs or tractors have taken the coffin into the church. We also had a funeral where the fire brigade was involved as it was a young boy who loved fire engines. It helps the families tremendously."

Mrs Smith said releasing doves or balloons has also become a popular trend.

Aubrey Kirkham who runs a funeral directors based in Four Crosses, near Oswestry, with an office in Shrewsbury, said every funeral had its own touches.

"We've done a number of horse-drawn funerals and motorcycle funerals for keen bikers," he said.

"There's a retired minister who is a keen motorcyclist who has built a hearse for a motorbike and it's stunning. We once used a vintage Rolls Royce hearse because the man's first job was with Rolls Royce – the family wanted a pre-war version, and we found one.

"Another gentleman desired to be taken to his funeral in a Morris Traveller, and because the passenger seat folds down, we put the coffin in that. "It hadn't been on the road for two years, so I insisted on following behind in the hearse just in case it broke down, but we got to Abermule in one piece.

"There's a company called Heavens Above that does fireworks and you put the ashes in the firework and it explodes and the wind takes the ashes.

"It's so important that people feel confident to talk about these things and we've introduced an expression of wish form for people to write down what they would like."

John Adams of Perry & Phillips Funeral Directors in Bridgnorth said: "We are seeing more and more people who are leaving quite specific requests for their funerals.

"Some people want to write the order of service themselves, or choose the music and the readings, and we have all sorts of requests for people to be buried with photographs and letters. Last week we used a motorbike hearse, with a pod attached to it for the coffin to go in. We've also used horse drawn carriages, lorries and Land Rover hearses."