The Curve at the Ideal Death Show 2014!!!

Experiences of a Coffineer Part 13

The Curve visits the Ideal Death Show 2014!!!

I've just realised that so much has happened in the last few months (years!) and I haven't even bothered to blog my ardent followers at the "Coffineer" and let them know the score.

Well Ive decided to play catch up and so there'll be a delight coming this way over the next few weeks - lucky things!

This story takes us back to 2014 when Holly and I took a coffin to our very first, proper show, the Ideal Death Show 2014. No, I don't think late night shopping in Tenterden High Street Counts!

So this was going to be our first proper meeting with the "Funeral Trade" and, as you might imagine, we were just a little bit concerned about what we'd let ourselves in for! I mean, a weekend talking about death with Funeral Directors and other death merchants isn't an everyday occurrence for most people, is it?

Not only that but in the evening we had the delight of the Good Funeral Awards - the funeral UK trade's version of the Oscars, so to speak - a black tie dinner with a whole host of awards and somehow (I think my mum must be involved somewhere!) we had been nominated for the Best Coffin Manufacturer category. Fancy!

Anyway, so we got ourselves a hand-painted Curve coffin together, lumped it on the roof bars and headed up the M4 (via the M20 / M25 etc) to Bournville, home of Chocolate and Death Shows.

Off to the Ideal Death Show with a Curve Coffin on top

Arriving quite late on Friday evening, and after some strange looks on route, it was a quick set up and then off to bed in preparation for the next day's exhibition.

And what an amazing day! What a lovely bunch of friendly, welcoming people we met. As well as other companies displaying their goods there were Funeral Directors, Celebrants, A delegation from the Church of England and a whole range of other people just there for the gig! And not a black suited, dour faced, melancholy undertaker in sight!

No, the Ideal death Show is all about celebrating the life of our loved ones and being in touch with the spirit of life, death and everything. It's about talking about death, getting rid of the taboo and making proper preparations for our deaths

We left our lovely hand-painted polka-dot design Curve coffin, proudly positioned in the middle of the exhibition room, along with a whole bunch of literature and headed off to sit in on some of the fascinating lectures taking place.

And then just when we thought it was all over, there was the Ideal Death Show Cake Competition - pure delight - and cake too!

Unfortunately we didn't win the cake competition and we didn't get Best Coffin Manufacturer but we did enjoy every minute of it!

And at the end of this week we do it all over again at the Ideal Death Show 2015 - but this time in Winchester. So if you're in the area and feel like finding out a bit more about death, why not come along?

Andy and Holly with the polka-dot Curve coffin at the Ideal Death Show

For more information about the Curve Coffin please visit www.wealdencoffins.co.uk