Thursday 25 October 2018

Wednesday.




Pretty pictures- all taken within the last day or  so,  and none  having any relevance to what I  wish  to talk about :

We went to a funeral yesterday. Not someone we knew well -   a father of a friend - he was a year or  so older than I am, and we knew him to nod to.  So attending his funeral service was, if  we're honest about the matter, something of a  social duty. I'm sure  you'll all know  what I mean. Funerals have rather altered their nature over the last few years, certainly in small town life. I'm  glad to say that real funerals, i.e. family or friend funerals, haven't really  altered,  although the  details have rather.   I should think most blokes keep a black tie, a dark grey  suit,  a darker grey  top coat, and  a pair of black shoes in readiness for family funerals.  This outfit is  known as the subfuscs or the funeral rig. I also keep (and wore yesterday) for 'social funerals'  a navy blazer, grey flannels, black shoes, and a suitable tie (regimental or old school does well  enough- these work largely because no one ever remembers someone else's old school tie). I remember the  first time I  wore a school tie at a funeral, and an old friend of mine (ex cavalry and Royal Flying  Corps) looked at it and said "I didn't know  you  were a Desert Rat, Mike.", giving his own age away, as well as grossly exaggerating mine.

I suppose we get to an age when we find there are far too many  funerals per annum.  It hasn't been too bad this year, but  we had a really bad year about seven or eight years ago, when we had to attend about ten funerals in the first half of the  year. As the proverbial  Irish man is supposed to have said "There were people dying that  year who never had before." 

 I  should have said whilst on the subject of  funerary clobber, that  most of the ladies I know keep the feminine equivalent of dark and gloomy garb in  reserve for funerals. I know Ann does, and  I think our daughters do, as well. I somehow shouldn't think  the grand daughters do, though.  (Blow! if my  lady readers will excuse the  expression -this ridiculous machine has, once again, put itself into italic mode!!!)

Looking round  the  church yesterday I had a strong impression that nowhere near ALL the blokes attending were wearing black ties.  In fact they  seemed to  be  reserved  to people  of a similar vintage to the dear departed.   Do my readers agree with me that funerals are becoming far less formal than of yore?





1 comment:

Z said...

I remember, many years ago, being slightly surprised when a girl friend of my age (20) wore informal trousers at the funeral of a mutual friend. Sometimes now, bright colours are requested, of course, but I tend still to go down the dark route.

My father's father died in 1952. My father wore a black tie ever after, in mourning, until he died himself in 1970.