SPIKE Milligan famously requested the line “I told you I was ill” for his tombstone - but people in Suffolk have some equally amusing epitaphs, a survey has found.
Jonathan Barnes
SPIKE Milligan famously requested the line “I told you I was ill” for his tombstone - but people in Suffolk have some equally amusing epitaphs, a survey has found.
Although the charity Age Concern found most people had not thought about an epitaph, the Suffolk sense of humour shone through when people were asked to write their own.
Some of the funniest lines included:
n “At last, a decent night's sleep”
n “Who turned out the lights?”
n “Move along please, there's nothing to see”
n “I'll do it tomorrow”
n “Don't stand so close”
n “How much did you pay for this funeral?”
n “I wish I'd gone to Specsavers”
Those who took part in the survey said comic Milligan's epitaph was their favourite, and people also enjoyed Frank Sinatra's tombstone message - “The best is yet to come” - and Winston Churchill's epitaph “I'm ready to meet my Maker - whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
Age Concern Suffolk said a third of people had never thought about their epitaph and the vast majority (92%) did not have a funeral plan in place.
Trish Potter, from the charity, said: “This means that people's final wishes - from epitaph wording to the flowers or hymns they want - are at risk of being ignored.
“Having a funeral plan in place means people can let loved ones know their personal wishes in advance.”
Age Concern has introduced a funeral plan service, which is available to anyone over 50 years old. Those who apply before the end of November will be able to take advantage of discounted rates and guarantees to cover the full cost of funeral services covered in the plan.
The leading charity said the plan made “good financial sense” as latest figures showed the average cremation funeral costs to be £2,390 - and they are expected to rise to £3,350 in 2012.
n To find out more about Age Concern Funeral Plans call 0800 022 3245 visit Age Concern Suffolk at 8 Northgate Street, Ipswich IP1 2BZ or log on to www.ageconcern.org.uk/funeralplans
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