I wanted to say of behalf of your family a big ‘thank you’ for your excellent service and professionalism. We had so many comments about your service and how you honoured our dad’s life in such a respectful and humorous way. You used our ‘memories’ well and everyone commented on your lovely voice. Once again,

Thank You. Sue Richards – Shrewsbury   

Dear Chris

You are amazing! Your service for Frank was so very moving; not mushy – but sincere, meaningful and memorable – in a decidedly ‘Frank’ sort of way. You really got his essence off to a ‘T’. You brought his world to life and made the service feel deeply personal.

Rosie Beswick – Wattlesborough

We are all very proud of the sympathetic service you gave for Leigh’s funeral. I have received numerous compliments from people saying that ‘what a fantastic funeral it was’. You have been a rock to our family and many people have commented what a different and illuminating service this was. Once again thank you for in some uncanny way getting to know Leigh through us, his family. We remain truly grateful.  

Ken Weston – Shrewsbury

I wanted to say a sincere and heart felt thank you for what you put together for Mike’s service last week. Bearing in mind the timescales involved and piecing together our notes and thoughts, you helped us achieve something that would have otherwise been impossible without you, which was to put on a bloody good last show for Mike. For this my mum, Charlotte and I will be forever grateful.

Adam Cook – Swindon Dear

Chris I just wanted to thank you for helping us celebrate our dear David’s life on Monday. You read his eulogy perfectly, you managed to get his wry sense of humour into the room, and you obviously understood how much we all loved him. I am a Psychiatric Nurse and I think that it is an amazing job that you do, helping people at the saddest moments in their lives. You were kind, respectful understanding and intelligent, and you made the experience that I was most dreading into something at moments joyous and comforting and uniting of us all.

Caroline Hanneghan – Cambridge

Dear Chris

Many thanks for your draft service. You have conveyed my facts, thoughts and feelings with extreme understanding and affection. I feel Roy’s voice is speaking in a strong and independent way – as he would have desired. I confirm everything is present and correct and, yes, I wish Noel Coward’s poem to be included. I see you have included the sound of Lancaster planes. This I had thought about myself!

Lynne Davies – Shrewsbury

Dear Chris,

I would like to thank you particularly for the absolutely splendid service on Tuesday. All present commented on how pitch-perfect the service was and how it reflected Mary’s personality. This was due, in no small way, to your sensitivity and guidance, and your skill in crafting disparate notes into a highly effective whole. Giving Mary the right ‘send-off’ was extremely important to us all, and we count ourselves fortunate indeed to have had you as celebrant for her long life. Best wishes,

Helen Baxter – Winnington

I would like to thank you for conducting the celebration so sensitively and for dealing with all sides of the family so skilfully. You made us feel that you were speaking for us all personally. My brother was particularly moved by the day and I have had so much positive feedback from everyone about how you managed to embrace Brian’s spirit. Many quote parts of the celebration and share their own personal memories. This gives me so much comfort. Thank you

Pam Robinson – Market Drayton

Dear Chris
May I take this opportunity on behalf of myself and all our family to thank you for making a very difficult time for us a little easier to bear. On behalf of my entire family and myself I would like to thank you for the superb job you did on both days of Pat’s funeral. The entire service at Goldstone Hall Hotel was a beautifully conducted affair and I can tell you now that Pat would have given it ten out of ten for style, content and delivery. Your words at the green burial at Rushbury were just right. I have had only positive comments from everyone who attended both services. I think we may have started a trend here! You conducted Pat’s funeral with dignity and style. I think if you can handle what was, let’s face it, a rather big none standard event like Pat’s funeral then you will be able to handle anything. I know that my parents and Pat’s parents were particularly impressed. They had their eyes opened to the alternatives to the conventional Church and crematorium services. I hope that more people will make the choice of having an independent funeral in the future. I know that when I eventually shuffle off this mortal coil I will stipulate just that.

Stephen Hampton – Pipe Gate 

Dear Chris,

On behalf of Phil’s children, siblings and myself, I wanted to thank you for conducting the “Service of Remembrance” yesterday. Without exception, everyone who was there commented that it was the loveliest, most compassionate and personal service that they had ever attended and that the content and delivery of the eulogy was both touching and captivating. Indeed many assumed that you had known Phil personally for some years and expressed great surprise when I explained that in fact the two of you had never met! As is the way, family and friends must now quite rightly move on with their lives and they will be able to do this with the lovely memories of my husband’s life you recounted stored safely in their hearts. Personally, your kindness, compassion and understanding over the past couple of weeks and yesterday helped to give me the strength I needed to get me through the most difficult day of my life and for that I can only say thank you.

Claire Ramsey – Shrewsbury

We are all very grateful for the care you took over your preparation, and the detailed way you scripted and delivered the service. You managed to capture the true essence of Dad; his sense of humour and personality, and the love and devotion he had for Mum and the whole family. It was lovely to be reminded of the life he lived and the life we shared with him. I would like to thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness at this very sad time by conducting a very special service for a wonderfully loving husband, father, granddad, great granddad and great, great granddad.

Angela Davis – Petton

Dear Chris I cannot thank you enough for conducting my brother’s service today. My cousin commented how the room seemed to light up when you started talking – and it really did. I came home feeling my brother could not have had a better funeral service. Thank you so much.

Kath Bennett – Waters Upton

Dear Chris,

Thank you so much for the great job you did at John’s funeral. Everyone is still talking about it 🙂 We would highly recommend you to anyone, who in this day and age, for whatever reason, would find a traditional religious service inappropriate; or who, like ourselves, would prefer certain traditional aspects to be still included – like The Lord’s Prayer and tried and tested hymns. The time you put into it gave us a truly unique service that was befitting for John 🙂 My mum was very impressed with the service you provide and has instructed me that I’m to call on your services when the time comes!

Sharon Thomas – Uppington

Dear Chris Thank you for such a lovely service for Dad. Everything you said about him was him down to a ‘Tee’. All credit to you, you made one eleven year old girl feel very special in her granddad’s eyes.

Karen Allmark – Wem

Dear Chris Our daughter Emily has just said the service was ‘awesome’ – and she took the words right out of my mouth. It was a wonderful, personal service, which you brought together beautifully. I didn’t feel sad, just at peace for Nana. So thank you once again for making it possible for us to give her such a special farewell.

Annette Carter – Tenbury Wells

The service you created was a perfect celebration of Dads life; enjoyed by all who attended and certainly one he himself would been proud of. Many knew of his love of bikes, but few realized he had actually raced in the Manx GP, which has really upped his street cred with some of the young bikers in the pub!. Once again I would like to thank you and all the staff at Frank Painters for guiding us safely through some very troubled waters.

Chris Bannister – Shrewsbury

Dear Chris

I just wanted to say a big thank you for such an excellent job you made of my dad’s service yesterday. So many people commented on how great the content was, and how clear and effective its delivery. Sincere thanks for doing such a fantastic job.

Martin Smith – Kent

Thank you so much for the wonderful service you did for Ted. Everybody said it was absolutely perfect, and Ted would have appreciated it, I know. Your address had just the right tone, and said all I wanted it to. And the standing ovation brought a tear to everyone’s eye! THANK YOU so much.

Barbara Smith – Bayston Hill

Many heartfelt thanks, Chris, from my family and myself. I am grateful for your kindness, compassion, and professionalism in conducting Dad’s service. Throughout a mixture of sadness, fond memories and humour, it all went very well on the day we thought, thanks in no small part to your good self; with even a few unplanned comic moments that my Dad would have absolutely loved. In my humble opinion, you have a very professional flair for the role, which combined with a relaxed, compassionate yet methodical approach, goes a long way to putting people at ease at a very difficult time.

Kim Craig – Merseyside

Dear Chris. I can’t thank you enough for the lovely service for Russ. Everyone was full of praise for the way you presented it. I’m sure your ears must have been burning with all the compliments paid to you at the reception. Thank you so very much for making a difficult day so much easier. I do feel now that Russ is at peace.

Judith Morris and family, Shrewsbury.