Can I beg of some of the people here who have stated that they want no words or formal funeral to please think again. I can honestly speak from personal experience, some years ago my wife and I, along with other members of her family attended the funeral of my wifes aunt who had requested no funeral service, no prayers, nothing at all! She simply wanted her body thrown in the ground, no fuss, no ceremony. For those of us who attended, whether through desire or 'duty' it was awful - nobody knew what to do or say, the undertakers were totally gobsmacked and didn't have a clue as to what to do and we were all just left looking at each other feeling very, very awkward and unsure of what to do and when to wander off. Even now thinking back I can almost re-live the cringeing feeling - it was probably the most embarrassed I have ever felt in my life and I couldn't sympathise with the poor undertakers enough. Please, please have some bequest even if it is for everyone to simply go down the pub and raise a glass or just to say goodbye in their own way but please don't leave friends and family staring into a hole or at the curtains closing and not knowing what the hell to do next. For myself I have taken some fantastic ideas from this topic and hope that it will be many, many years before my family have to act on them. Good health to you all and long may your demise be distant!!