A Christmas Memorial Carol Service takes place at West Berkshire Crematorium this evening (Friday 14th December 2012) from 7pm until 7.45pm, the service is to be followed by light refreshments until 8.15pm.
On Sunday 16th December St Mary's Church in Thatcham will be holding their annual Civic Carol Service, the service starts at 4.00pm and everyone is welcome.
A first for A B Walker and Son Limited this week when we had a funeral cortege leave in a VW Hearse,
A B Walker and Son want to wish their Thatcham Branch a very happy birthday - we opened for business one year ago today! We would particularly like to say a big thank you to the people of Thatcham for welcoming us so warmly into their beautiful town and we hope to be there for many more years to come!
For the first time ever, A B Walker and Son Limited are to have a Christmas Tree in all their branches. To be known as a Memory Tree, all clients over the Christmas period will be invited to hang a tag on the tree with a message to their loved one who has passed away.
The tree in our Thatcham Branch (pictured right) was donated by Acorn Ridge.
Whilst on exeat from school, the oldest member of the 6th generation, Oliver Walker (aged 13) helps the A B Walker valet team prepare the fleet for the days funerals!
Our Pride of Reading Award in the Business in Action (under 50 employees) category for the support we have given to Olympic Diver, Chris Mears, made it into the local newspaper this week.
Julian and Matthew Walker (pictured with host Chris Tarrant and Chris Mears) are absolutely delighted with this achievement!
A B Walker and Son Limited are delighted to announce that we have won the Pride of Reading Award for our support of local diver, Chris Mears.
Who wants to be a Millionnaire? Host, Christ Tarrant, one of Reading's proudest sons, made the presentations, He told the audience, which included the all important sponsors of the award categories: "You will come away feeling very proud of the human race" - and he was right!
A B Walker and Son Limited are deilghted to welcome Clare Curtis to our team of Funeral Administrators. Clare comes to us from Reading Crematorium where she has been working as a Bereavement Services Administrator.
A B Walker and Son Limited are proud to be sponsoring the Mayor of Thatcham Charity Calendar 2013.
Thatcham Mayor, John Boyd (pictured), is hoping to have a 1,000 calendars printed, the aim being to raise around £3,000, which would help make up for the loss of funds from this year’s cancelled Thatcham Family Fun Day.
The theme is Thatcham scenes and events, and money raised will go to his charities of the year – The Meningitis Trust and Cole’s Diner ‘Happy Days Autistic Club’.
The calendars are for sale at Council Offices, Thatcham and The Family Bookshop in Thatcham as well as on ebay.
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2012/get-snappy-to-help-thatcham-mayor-create-calendar
AB Walker were visited at short notice by a film crew making an episode of The Fixer with Alex Polizzi to be aired in January 2013 – members of our team including receptionists, managers and some of the Walker family were interviewed as two brothers from another funeral company were shown how we operate.
This Sunday (18th November) All Saints Church in Wokingham will be holding their annual bereavement service at 3.00pm.
The service is for famiies and friends of those who are no longer with us, an opportunity to remember and celebrate their lives, and the memories we have.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Duran Duran Star Simon Le Bon lent his support to the Children's Air Ambulance to launch the lifesaving service at the Barclay's London Heliport in Battersea.
The Children's Air Ambuance (TCAA) will transfer critically ill children from general hospitals to Paediatric Intensive Care Units across England and Wales, or help move specialist paediatric teams to enable children to receive lifesaving, specialist treatment and care that they need as soon as posisble, cutting transfer times.
Please join TCAA at a special gala performance of the West End musical, The Bodyguard, on Thursday 6th December 2012, to celebrate the launch of The Children’s Air Ambulance. For reservations and further information visit www.thechildrensairambulancegala.org.uk
Members of the A B Walker team and their partners (pictured below) attended the Duchess of Kent House Gala Ball on Saturday night. The evening was to celebrate the 20th anniversity of Duchess of Kent House, and raised many thousands of pounds for this very highly thought of local hospice.
Revellers partied until the early hours, enjoying a three course meal prepared by a Michelin Star Chef, live entertainment and a DJ together with a silent auction and a raffle.
Julian Walker is attending the National Association of Funeral Directors Annual General Meeting next week where there is sure to be a robust discussion regarding the failures demonstrated in recent television investigations into the funeral industry.
Furthermore, there will be a presentation by the Ministry of Defence on the repatriation of service personnel and some in depth analysis on recent funeral trends regarding employment within the funeral industry.
The Directors and staff of A B Walker and Son Limited are delighted to welcome our newest member of staff, Vawn Koch. Vawn started work on Monday as the Personal Assistant to the Directors and the General Manager.
Although Vawn was born in the UK, she grew up in The United States of America, living in many different parts of that country, however, she has now decided to settle permanently in the UK.
Chris Mears, our very own Olympic diver (pictured above with Julian and Matt Walker and below with two of our Funeral Adminstrators Alison Leach and Elizabeth Browne), popped in to see us all today – he is back in training for competition at the Southampton Diving Academy, and despite a small injury to his ankle, his training is going well. He and the coaching team have already been discussing the Olympic games of 2016!
Chris recently won an award from G-Shock Watches, has been featured in articles in Heat magazine as well as numerous newspaper articles and reviews of his performance – he has also become a pin up for his thousands of fans.
A B Walker and Son Limited will continue to proudly sponsor Chris – he has mentioned that he is looking for a new car to replace his run-around - sorry Chris, I can’t see you turning up to training in a limo!
We are convinced that even greater success is to come - Chris will continue to inspire us all at AB Walker and he is intending to support us by doing a reading at our family memorial service in February. It was great to see Chris in such fine form and still wearing his Olympic kit!!
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As All Souls' day approaches, there will be a special service to commemorate the dead at the Parish Church of Waltham St Lawrence at which members of the congregation are offered the opportunity to remember those who were special to them.
A list of names may be handed for the celebrant Rev Colin Bass to read out during the service at which parts of Durufle's Requiem will be performed by the Waltham St Lawrence Singers.
The service takes place on Friday 2nd November at 8.00pm, there is no charge for entry but a collection plate will be passed around to defray expenses.
St Mary's Church in Thatcham are holding their annual Family Bereavement Service on Sunday 28th October.
This service is specifically for those who have lost a family member or close friend in the last year, but anyone who wants to come along will be made very welcome.
A B Walker and Son Limited have been short listed in the Pride of Reading Awards for their community service. We have been anonymously nominated for this award due to our support for local Olympic diver, Chris Mears.
The Award ceremony is being held on Friday 23rd November at the Berkshire Conference Centre – fingers crossed!
In light of the recent television documentaries broadcast in September that were particularly scathing about the practices within the funeral industry, the National Association of Funeral Directors has decided to review its Code of Conduct to ensure that these guidelines are” both robust and effective”.
St Michael's Church in Tilehurst are holding their annual Family Bereavement Service on Sunday 21st October at 6.30pm.
This service is specifically for those who have lost a family member or close friend in the last year, but anyone who wants to come along will be made very welcome.
A B Walker and Son Limited Director Matthew Walker (pictured in the front of the boat) was out on the water again, along with fellow Reading Canoe Club members, competing in a local K4 canoe race on Sunday. The photo shows the crew taking first place in the 7.5KM race.
James Hall (pictured), one of our funeral directors, recently organised a Quiz Night which took place at Palmer Park Bowling Club. Members of A B Walker Staff plus friends and families, fought it out in a close run contest, with two teams coming joint first. In a nail biting decider, the team led by Mrs Hall (James's Mother) finally pipped Sue Little's team to the post! A total of £475.00 was raised which was donated to the Berkshire M S Therapy Centre, A B Walker's charity of the year. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and to James for all his hard work in organising the event.
A B Walker and Sons Limited are delighted to welcome a new member of our team. Catherine Pavier (pictured) joins us as a Funeral Administrator from Monday 8th October, and after training in our Reading Office will move to our Thatcham Office to work alongside Carolyn Tuttle.
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=1172847
A B Walker and Son Limited extend a warm welcome to the newest addition to the Team at St Mary's Church, Station Road, Wargrave, Jon Drake says being a curate in Wargrave is the kind of job he had been praying for. The 31 year old hopes to get involved in local schools as well as visiting residential homes.
The directors and staff at A B Walker and Son Limited extend a warm welcome to our latest Funeral Administrator, Janice Parker, Janice used to work as an Administrator/PA at St James' Church, Woodley, and we feel sure she will be a very valuable asset to the A B Walker Team.
A B Walker and Son Director Matthew Walker and fellow canoe partner Lee Atkins left the ABW canoe in the boat rack and elected to race the Hasler National Finals held yesterday on the Thames in Reading in a faster /more unstable craft. Despite strong winds and choppy conditions the pair competed well amongst the Division 4 K2 finalists and even avoided a swim.
Portaging – No time for refreshments!
Our Memorial Manager Yvonne Parks (pictured) recently attended a Health and Safety Course, and pased both the exam and assessment. Yvonne has now received her Managing Safely Certificate from IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health). All of us at A B Walker and Son Limited offer Yvonne our warmest congratulations on her achievement.
Caroline Cassells (pictured) who runs our Henley Office at A B Walker and Son Limited is one of the "100 Faces of Henley".
Caroline attended the launch of the exhibition last night at the Old Fire Station Gallery in Market Place, Henley where her picture is on display, along with the other "faces" which include several celebrities as well as ordinary residents of the town.
The charity is celebrating it's 10th anniversary and since 2002 has raised over £70,00 for good causes in and around the Henley Area. A book, featuring the selected 100 Faces is on sale at the Exhibition for £20.00 with all proceeds going to the charity.
If anyone wishes to attend the exhibition, and vote for their favourite face, it is open from 10am to 5pm every day from Saturday 29th September until Tuesday 2nd October.
A B Walker and Sons Limited held a staff Meal at Cerise in Reading last Friday night. Members of staff wrote their names on a £5.00 note, whoever's note was picked from the hat won a Fortnum and Mason Wine Box, with proceeds of £300.00 being donated to the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre, A B Walker's charity of the year. The winner of the Wine Box was our very own funeral operative Paul Starmer, pictured below with his lovely wife, Giustina.
A. B. Walker & Son were delighed to receive a letter from Olympian Chris Mears (pictured), who has recently returned from a well-deserved break after his excellent diving performances at London 2012. To read the full letter, please visit our sponsorship page.
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=1165791
A FUNERAL photographer will be featured in a TV documentary series this week.
Rachel Wallace, 49, from Frieth, near Henley-on-Thames runs Farewell Photography, which creates albums of photographs called memory books that allow grieving relatives to see who attended the funeral of their loved one.
She also works with bereavement counsellors who are keen to encourage their clients to think about having photographs taken at the funeral to aid the grieving process and leave them with a lasting and positive memory of the day.
The documentary is called A Dead Good Job and focuses on different aspects of the funeral industry. Mrs Wallace was followed by cameras for two days. The programme airs at 9pm on Wednesday evening on BBC2.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mqvq0/Dead_Good_Job_Episode_1/
A new programme starts tonight on BBC2 at 9.00pm following the work of Funeral Directors.
The first episode (of three) follows a Muslim Funeral Company who attempt to bury the dead as quickly as possible in accordance with Islamic tradition, a terminally ill mother of two who chooses to plan and arrange her own funeral and a high speed send off for a biker who gets his wish of a final ride in a motorcycle hearse.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/queens-olympic-opening-ceremony-corgi-dies-235415161.html
All of us at A B Walker and Son Limited are sad to learn that a royal corgi that starred in the Olympics opening ceremony with the Queen and James Bond has died.
Buckingham Place confirmed the death of 13-year-old Monty, previously owned by the Queen Mother and the oldest of the Queen's corgis.
Monty and two other corgis greeted secret agent Bond, played by Daniel Craig, as he arrived at the palace to accept a mission from the Queen in a scene filmed for the curtain-raiser to the London 2012 Games.
On Friday A B Walker and Sons Limited said a sad farewell to Jacqui Longhurst (pictured), one of our funeral administrators, who left us for pastures new. However, today (Monday) we say a warm welcome to Caroline Lewis who joins us as an Accounts Assistant.
Father and Son Team, Kevin and Peter Smith, of Binz UK, who supply A B Walker and Son Limited with their removal vehicles popped into our Reading Branch at the beginning of September to dicuss future fleet needs, they are pictured here with Julian and Matthew Walker.
Everyone at A B Walker and Son Limited offers their warmest congratulations to our Funeral Operative, Alan Dudman, and his wife Louise, who had a baby girl yesterday (5th September 2012), Welcome to Evie Lou who weighed in at 6lbs 14oz, both Mother and Baby are doing well!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/aug/31/neil-armstrong-funeral-piers-sellers?newsfeed=true
To coincide with the funeral of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, who died at the weekend, Piers Sellers, the British-born Nasa astronaut now deputy director of the sciences and exploration directorate at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre, pays tribute.
This year's Sue Ryder Halloween Display will take place at the charity's Nettlebed Hospice on Saturday 27th October 2012.
Organised by the Henley Bridge Rotary Club, the event will include a huge bonfire and a professional fireworks display.There will be numerous family food stalls selling sausages, burgers, soup and drinks as well as a bar and a pig roast. Other attractions include tombolas, raffles, novelty stalls and fancy cakes and a steel band will perform. There will also be a children's fancy dress competition, judged by Henley Mayor Elizabeth Hodgkin, and the Rotary Club's President, Annie Lathaen.
More than 4000 people attend the event each year and last year more than £18,000 was raised for Sue Ryder. Gates will open at 5pm with the bonfire at 6.30pm, the fancy dress parade at 6.45pm and the fireworks at 7.15pm. Entrance is £15.00 per car including all occupants. For people on foot it costs £5.00 per adult and £2.00 per child aged five to sixteen.
From Monday 3rd September 2012, A B Walker and Son Limited office opening hours will be 9am until 5pm Monday to Friday. These opening hours will apply to our Reading Office (pictured below) as well as our Branch Offices in Bracknell, Henley, Thatcham and Wokingham. We do of course continue to operate our out-of-hours service, offering 24 hour assistance 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Annual Memorial Service at Easthampstead Park Crematorium takes place this Sunday, 2nd September 2012, at 3.00pm. The service is to remember those who we have lost in the last twelve months and everyone is welcome.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Henley on Saturday to celebrate the home-town heroes of the Olympic rowing team.
Some of Great Britain’s most successful oarsmen and women took to the river in two mixed eights for a row-past before an open-top bus parade around the town.
It was a special day for the mainly Leander athletes and an even bigger occasion for the many children who met the rowers face-to-face.
Mayor Elizabeth Hodgkin, dressed in full robes of office, paid tribute to the town’s returning heroes.
“You are going to be taking part in many events like this,” she said. “But this is the home of rowing and we wanted to show our appreciation for your achievements.”
A concert in aid of the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre, which is A B Walker & Son's Charity of the Year, is being held at St Mary's Church in Henley next month.
Opera Singer Adriano Graziani and the Port Talbot Cymric Male Choir will be performing on Saturday September 22nd from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15.00 and are available by calling 0118 901 6000 (ask for Jackie or Pippa) or email pippa@bmstc.org.
We are delighted to announce that John Little, son of Sue Little in our Memorials Department, has recently become engaged to Laura. John proposed while on holiday in Corfu with both his own and Laura's family. John was one of our Stonemasons at A B Walker and Son Limited, leaving in Feb 2011 to move to Liverpool where he and Laura now live. Their wedding will be held in Liverpool – date & venue to be advised!
Congratulations to John and Laura (and to Sue - proud Mother-in-Law To Be) everybody at A B Walker and Son Limited wishes them all the happiness in the world.
Yvonne Parks, pictured fourth from left, who works in our Memorial Department at A B Walker and Son Limited, is taking part in "Walking for MileS" on Sunday 9th Setpember 2012. This is a charity walk in aid of the MS Therapy Centre in Berkshire which is A B Walker's Charity of the Year.
There are three walks to choose from, The Marsh Lock Walk (approx 1.5 miles) the Six Mile Stroll and the Half Marathon Walk and all the walks depart from the River and Rowing Museum in Henley, so whether you are super fit or wanting to make a start on becoming fitter, there is no excuse not to join in, it is all for a good cause!
Congratulations to Carolyn Tuttle(pictured below), who runs our Thatcham Office, as she has passed her Part 1 Exam in Sign Language. Carolyn is is doing this course in her own time at home, and plans to embark on Part 2 in approximately one week's time so we wish her luck with that.
http://www.memorygiving.com/
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/MemoryGiving
https://twitter.com/i/connect
Memory Giving is a new on line donations web site, an easy an effective way of making donations in memory of a loved one. Created by A B Walker and Sons Limited, Memory Giving is now on Twitter and Facebook (see links above). Memory Giving is being launched to other Funeral Directors in September, with a series of trade advertisements to make Funeral Directors aware of this new donations service.
Cynthia Townley and Heidi Nightingale of A B Walker and Sons Limited judged the business catergory of the Wokingham In Bloom Competition yesterday afternoon.
In the Garden category first prize went to Clifton Ingram Solicitors and second prize was awarded to the Hope and Anchor Public House.
In the Containers Category first prize was awarded to The Dukes Head Public House and second prize to The Doll's House Boutique.
The overall winner was The Duke’s Head Public House, run by Julie and Adrian Taylor (pictured) and we send our warmest congratulations to them and to everyone who took part. There will be a Presentation Evening on 19th September at 7.00pm.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/mears-completes-remarkable-london-2012-campaign-051729260.html
Chris Mears, sponsored by A B Walker and Son Limited, put in a remarkable performance in the final of the Individual 3m Springboard last night, finishing 9th in a field of 12, and far exceeding expectations. Chris posted the second highest individual score of the night, also Britain’s best result in a 3m springboard diving final since 1984.
Well done Chris, I am sure we can expect great things from this young man in years to come, and we now look forward to Rio 2016!
http://london2012.bbc.co.uk/diving/event/men-3m/phase=dvm001200/index.html
Chris Mears, sponsored by A B Walker & Son Limited, is through to the final of the Individual 3m Springboard. Chris put in one of his best performances to qualify for the final in 9th posiiton out a field of 18 - with a fantastic score of 461. The final is tonight at 7pm, and as always we wish Chris the very best of luck along with the rest of the nation!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18908948
Well done Chris Mears who last night qualified for the semi-final in the Individual 3m Springboard. In a nail biting finish Chris finished 18th out of a field of 29 in the Preliminary Round, securing a place in today's Semi-Final which is at 10.00am. Good luck Chris from all of us at A B Walker and Son and the rest of the nation!
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2118045_ab_walker__sons_backs_berkshire_ms_therapy_centre
AB Walker & Son Limited has adopted the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre as this year’s chosen charity. Staff who visited the centre last week (picutred below with staff from the Therapy Centre) saw the gymnasium and hyperbaric oxygen room and were told about the therapies available.
The company has pledged to raise funds for the centre over the next 12 months and will also be taking part in events including the forthcoming Walking for Miles event in Henley on 9th September.
Managing director, Julian Walker, will take part in the Centre Reading Half Marathon running team in 2013.
http://www.london2012.com/diving/event/men-synchronised-3m/index.html
Congratulations to Chris Mears, who is sponsored by A B Walker & Son Limited, and his Diving Partner Nicholas Robinson-Baker, who finished fifth in the Men's springboard synchro yesterday. Their impressive score of 432.60 was not enough to secure a medal on this occasion but Chris will be competing again on Monday 6th August in the Men's 3m springboard so we wish him lots of luck with that event.
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Palmer Park Bowling Club held their Gala Day on Sunday 22nd July which A B Walker & Son Limited was very proud to sponsor for the 11th year.
With 22 teams of 4 competing in glorious sunshine, PPBC President John Hall with Julian Walker was there to present the trophies to:
Winners: Woodley (A)
Runners-up: Three Mile Cross (A)
Semi-Finalist: Goring (C)
Semi-Finalist: Hurst
Winner of the £100 Raffle: Graham Gould
Second: John Waterfall
Third: Edward Taylor
Winner of the ‘Spider’: Keith Langley
Second: John Waterfall
Third: Edward Taylor
Well done to all those who attended and a special thank you to all the Palmer Park Bowling Club members.
Last Friday was indeed a sad day for A B Walker and Son Limited when we said Goodbye to one of our most experienced Administrators, Debbie Friel, who had worked for A B Walker for more than sixteen years. Debbie is leaving us to work at the new Circle Hospital which has recently opened in Kennet Island, Reading. We wish Debbie all the very best with her new career and future adventures.
Julian Walker was fortunate enough to attend the Olympic opening Ceremony on Friday – and who should he see just behind Chris Hoy but Chris Mears our very own Olympic hopeful. Chris starts his competition on Wednesday at 3pm.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2117792_reading_diver_set_to_make_a_splash_at_london_2012_olympics
Reading diver Chris Mears, who is being sponsored by A B Walker and Son Limited, is hoping to make a splash on the world stage as he goes for gold on Wednesday 1st August 2012. Chris (picutred below) visiited his old Primary School, Garland, in Burghfield Common where he was warmly welcomed by members of the school council. All of us at A B Walker, along with the whole of Reading, wish him the very best of luck.
Chris Mears, one of Team GB's diving squad, and sponsored by A B Walker and Son Limited (picutred above with the A B Walker team), begins his Olympic Bid on 1st August - all of us at A B Walker and Son Limited wish him the very best of luck
Are you aware of The Bereavement Register? this is is a FREE service which may be of invaluable help to the recently bereaved.
By registering deceased friends and relatives with The Bereavement Register companies are able to remove their names and addresses from mailing lists stopping the majority of direct mail.
Contact Details as follows:
www.thebereavementregister.org.uk
Email: help@thebereavementregister.org.uk
T: 01732 467 940
Our Staff Focus Day took place on Monday 3rd July at The Great House Sonning. The event was attended by all ABW Staff and Directors and focused on the vision and future of A B Walker. We were delighted to be joined by Chris Mears who we are currently sponsoring and supporting, and as you can see from the photos he was a hit with the ladies!
The Focus Day also gave staff the opportunity to vote for the ABW charity of the year for 2012/13 and, after presentations from members of the team, the majority voted for Berkshire MS Therapy Centre and we look forward to raising funds for such a worthy charity.
What an experience to see the torch passing our Reading office on Tuesday evening – the atmosphere was amazing and the entertainment provided by St. Andrews United Reformed Church kept the crowd going through the on and off showers.
Anthony Eastaway must have been overwhelmed by the welcome he received as he jogged along London Road.
This Friday we’ll be saying goodbye to one of our Stone Masons, Steve Mackenzie, who will be leaving us to work for Thames Trains. We wish Steve all the very best with his new career and future adventures.
A family always near to our hearts at this time of year is that of Cyrus Thatcher, a local lad from Reading, who was killed in Afghanistan in June 2009 aged 19.
Helena, Cyrus’s mother has written a book about her loss and journey of coming to terms with his death, we wish her well with this endeavour.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chin-Up-Head-Down-Mothers/dp/1908487275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340796549&sr=1-1
A wonderful time was had by all at Henley Bowls Club Gala Day on Sunday 24th June, Julian Walker was there to present the winner's trophy to Wallingford Bowls Club - well done to all who took part!
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/home
Tonight (Monday 25th June 2012) at 8.00pm Channel 4 are showing a programme called "Undercover Undertaker".
Using undercover filming Jackie Long discovers what really happens to our loved ones when they die. Should make for interesting watching.
A B Walker & Son Limited are proud to be sponsoring Henley Bowls Club Gala Day which takes place this Sunday 24th June. Julian Walker (pictured below with some of last year's winners) will attend to present the prize to the winning team - good luck to everyone who is taking part!
http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/olympics/articles/2012/06/15/60318-olympic-reward-for-miracle-man-mears/
Diver Chris Mears, sponsored by A B Walker Funeral Director, and whose selection for the Olympic Diving Team has recently been confirmed, speaks candidly about his near death experience when, aged just 16, he ruptured his spleen during a dive in Sydney. Chris is pictured below with his Father Paul at their Burghfield home.
Our very own Funeral Administrator Debbie Friel (pictured), and her husband, ex-Reading Footballer, George, have been invited to a Garden Party at Henley Business School on Monday 25th June. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh will be in attendance, and will travel from Hambledon Lock on the 130-year old steam boat Alaska to be greeted by Mary Bayliss, The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. George was nominated to attend the prestigious event by members of Reading Borough council in recognition of his good work within the Town and his charity work
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018905
The Government has just announced that if you are on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits, you may be able to get help with certain important costs, such as funeral expenses, with an interest-free Budgeting Loan from the Social Fund that you pay back.
We are delighted to announce that Chris Mears has had his place confirmed for the London 2012 Olympics for both the 3m individual and 3m synchronized diving. The synchronized will take place on 1st August, with the individual diving preliminary taking place on 6th August. Keep your eyes peeled to the TV!
Congratulations Chris from all of us at A B Walker & Son Limited - we’ll be cheering you on!
The Golden Charter Team, with Julian Walker, retained the honours at the recent Gordon Kee Cup Competition against a team from SAIF Insure - for the second year running!
http://www.peppardrevels.org.uk/
A B Walker and Son Limited are proud to be the Peppard Revel's dinner at Peppard on Monday 3rd June.
Julian Walker attended the County of Berkshire Jubilee Church Service on Sunday 27th May which was held at St Mary Butts in Reading. The church was completely full, with all faiths represented. Mary Bayliss (Lord Lieutenant) read a lesson and the Bishop of Reading gave the address.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9278906/Bee-Gees-star-Robin-Gibb-dies-aged-62-after-cancer-battle.html
Such sad news about the death of the very talented Robin Gibb, at 62 he was far too young.
Thatcham Town football sponsorship has attracted some attention from the visiting youth teams!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18141647
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted of the Lockerbie Bombing in 1988 was buried in the Libyan Capital, Tripoli yesterday, he was freed from a Scottish prison three years ago on Humanitarian grounds as he was suffering from Prostrate Cancer and only expected to live for 3 months.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/generalsport/9709036.Mears_sets_sights_on_Euro_title/
Southampton Diving Club star Chris Mears, who is being sponsored by A B Walker and Son Funeral Directors, hopes to boost his Olympic hopes at the European Diving Championships this week.
With the London 2012 Olympics just weeks away now, we wish Chris the very best of luck!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9268988/London-2012-Olympics-David-Beckham-and-Princess-Anne-to-help-bring-Olympic-flame-from-Athens-to-UK.html
London 2012’s own Posh and Becks received the Olympic flame yesterday to bring it back to the UK, David Beckham joined the Princess Royal at the official handover ceremony in Athens
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/victims-funerals-held-cathedral/story-16096583-detail/story.html
The six young victims of a tragic house fire in Allerton, Derbyshire are to have their funeral held in Derby Catherdral with six horse-drawn hearses.
A B Walker and Son Limited are at the Broad Street Mall today (Tuesday 15th May) for advice on prepaid funeral plans. Our friendly conductor James Hall will be there. If you cant make it today, we will be at Newbury Council Chambers 2-4pm on Wednesday (16th May) and on Friday (18th May) at Wokingham Town Council 2-4pm Plan for the future!!
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?tabp=y&id=37467
After a decade of campaigning the New Townlands Hospital in Henley has been unveiled, the £8.7 million project is due for completion in 2014.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/torch-relay/9256484/London-2012-Olympics-torch-begins-its-journey-to-London-following-lighting-ceremony-in-Olympia.html
The Olympic Torch begins it epic journey to London today, and is due to be in and around Reading and Henley in July. @walkerfunerals are proud sponsors of @chrismears93, Team GB diving hopeful.
Reading Football Club (Legends) are playing Luther Blissett’s Celebrities United at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday 3rd June 2012 raising money for the Duchess of Kent House charity.
Celebrities include:
Graeme Murty • Michael Gilkes • Mick Gooding
Chris Allen• Neville Roach • Martyn Williams
Ady Williams • Jeff Brazier • Jamie Lawrence
Iwan Thomas • Spoony • Ralf Little • Micah Hyde
George Friel, an ex-Royal, and married to our very own Funeral Administrator, Debbie Friel, is managing the team and helping with the organisation of these charity games. Advance tickets are £7.00 for Adults and £3.00 for Under 16s. See link below to buy tickets.
http://www.readingarts.com/othervenues/whatson/event.asp?id=SX145D-A7820077
http://www.wokinghambikeathon.co.uk/
The Wokingham Bikeathon takes place on Sunday 24th June 2012, starting at 9.45am from the Car Park of Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN, signing in opens at 8.45am and closes at 10.45am.
There are two events, one 35 mile cycle ride and another 15 mile cycle ride.
Over 200 people have signed up so far!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/london-marathon/9241238/Claire-Squires-funeral-London-Marathon-runner-was-extraordinary.html
Hundreds of people attended a funeral on Wednesday to pay their respects to Claire Squires, the deceased runner who was described as having "left a legacy" after her supporters raised more than £1 million for charity following her death during the London Marathon. A B Walker send their deepest sympathies to all her family and friends.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/duran-duran-and-snow-patrol-to-play-olympic-games-opening-concert-7703467.html
All at A B Walker are delighted to hear that Duran Duran are to play at the opening ceremony for the Olympics this summer. We are sponsoring Chris Mears in his bid for an Olympic Gold for Diving. Wishing Chris, and all the athletes in Team GB, the very best of luck.
It is so very sad to see the following article in the Financial Times about army funerals bringing home the reality of war
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21a2c238-92df-11e1-aa60-00144feab49a.html#axzz1thZhLq3b
Super-modern solar panels are reducing the carbon footprint and raising money for St Mary the Virgin Church in Henley-on-Thames.
The 38 panels will deliver up to 9.5kw of electricity for lighting up the church, which is used by about 3,000 people each year. Because the church is close to the bridge in Henley, which is known as a landmark historic feature, the panels have been carefully placed so that they do not spoil the view. The panels will reduce the carbon footprint of the church by some 20%, whilst the revenue from the surplus energy will contribute to the maintenance of the building.
The Rector, Canon Martyn Griffiths said: "This really is a win-win-win situation; the carbon footprint of the church will be reduced and this will contribute to our care for creation. The surplus energy produced will help to fund the continuing maintenance and development of this 800-year-old church and the local historical heritage".
Chris Mears and his partner Nick finished the World Series in Mexico with a silver medal in the 3m syncro event. This is Chris’s first ever World Series medal and it was a Personal Best score for the boys.
On Friday 20th April Julian joined friends, supporters of donors of the Sue Ryder Hospice in Nettlebed for the first planting of the memorial woodland in Henley. The planting was celebrated by a release of balloons after which the Henley mayor, Pamela Phillips read a poem.
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A B Walker and Son Limited are sponsoring Chris Mears in his bid for Olympic Gold this summer. Chris recently took a"tour" of the A B Walker Branches in (see below clockwise starting top left) Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham where he was warmly welcomed by our team. We all wish you the very best of luck for London 2012 Chris!
A massive congratulations from all the staff at A B walker to our Funeral Director, Tony Grimshaw, who has now passed his National Association of Funeral Director's Diploma. Well done Tony!
A B Walker & Son Limited celebrate Reading FCs deserved promotion to Premier football next season!
In recognition of The Royals fantastic achievement, one of Reading’s oldest family business hoisted their own RFC flag at the Head Office in Eldon Road Reading to mark the occasion.
All at A B Walker wish The Royals all the very best for next season!
A B Walker and Son Limited offer their warmest congratulations to Reading Football Club who have gained automatic promotion to the Premiership for next season. Well done Mr McDermott and Sir John!
The Lord Lieutenant of Royal Berkshire, The Hon Mrs Mary Bayliss JP formally opened the offices in Thatcham followed by a blessing from The Revd. Mark Bennet.
Mr and Mrs Kent, who lost their son Jonny in January, aged just 18 years old, were in attendance to release some doves in his memory alongside Nicola Walker who released some doves in memory of her Aunt, who died the day before the formal opening.
Over 40 guests attended the occasion and it gave the A B Walker team a chance to meet such people as the cemetery managers, crematorium staff, council and local bank staff as well as several members of the clergy. away from the pressures of funeral bookings
Julian Walker gave a short speech and Cynthia Townley, The A B Walker General Manager,and her team worked hard to make the day a success.
Melissa Walker (pictured) led A B Walker's first prayer group meeting today, which was well attended by a quarter of the staff. The group has been set up to provide a spiritual dimension for employees particularly in light of the nature of our work. This morning's meeting produced some lively discussion on the theme of facing up to life's difficult issues followed by prayers for the A B Walker team, their families and the bereaved.
A B Walker and Son Limited are delighted to welcome two new members to our Team. Our new "afternoon" receptionist is Penny Hajinicolas, and Andrew Weston has joined us as a bearer.
Welcome Penny and Andrew to the AB Walker Team!!
Jack Laugher and Chris Mears impressed for the British Gas GBR Diving Team as they reached the 3m Springboard semi-final on the second day of the FINA Diving World Cup at London Aquatics Centre. Please see link below for more details about our Olympic hopeful.
Wokingham Registrars Office are holding an Open Day this Saturday 3rd March 2012. A B Walker will be hosting a stall there between 10am and 1pm, please feel free to drop by and say hello to us.
Chris Mears, our olympic hopeful for 2012, and his partner Nick had a good day at the office yesterday. They qualified for the final of the 3M Synchro, although they dropped a few points in the early two rounds of required dives, they managed to claw their way back from 12th to 8th with one round to go. This last round was the big tariff dive but last night it didn’t come off so they finished 10th in the end. Still, they will look at this and be comforted by the fact that had they landed it they would have been in the mix for 3rd to 6th spot.
Fees for Church of England Weddings are to increase by 40% and the cost of a funeral service by more than 50%. Church members have voted to raise the cost of a wedding from £296 to £415 and for a funeral service the cost will go up from £102 to £160 from January next year.
For the second year in a row A B Walker & Son Limited have been awarded “Golden Charter Funeral Planner of the Year in the South West and South of England Region.” Our thanks go to the whole of the A B Walker Team for all their hard work
This year we are the proud sponsors of Chris Mears, a young British athlete who is hoping to dive at the London 2012 Olympic Games. We're delighted to hear that Chris is making excellent progress and his training is going well. In a recent letter to us Chris wrote:
"Firstly a quick update on the national cup that took place in January; I placed 2nd qualifying for the world cup. The score I posted was 35 points above my personal best. It would also have placed me 8th at the world championships in shanghai last year, so all is looking good for the world cup!"
To read the full letter and learn more about Chirs Mears and how you can help us to support him, please visit our current sponsorship page.
The formal opening of our Thatcham Branch will take place on Thursday 22nd March 2012, more details to follow so watch this space!
Chris Mears, who A B Walker & Son Limited are currently supporting for 2012, has recently recorded a TV interview with Meridian News which is due to go out on the 16th February during the early evening news programme. The Meridian News website can be found here.
The snowy weather that has prevailed so far in February has failed to disrupt any funeral services. The significant snowfalls fo the past two yars have prompted a review of our business continuity planning. Thankfully this last snowfall was nowhere near as long loasting but our winter vehicle measures and snow clearing equipment has been moved ready for action!
Starting on BBC1 tonight (Tuesday 7th February 2012) is a new three part series called "Death Unexplained". This series explores the work of the coroner and the part played by all those investigating sudden death. Sounds very interesting and definitely worth tuning in to!
