Langmead Memorials News

Langmead Sales and Marketing Director Keith Marsh has joined forces with former Bereavement Services Manager John O’Callaghan to form South West Cemetery Services.  John has many years experience in cemetery mangement and holds the relevant professsional diploma.

The company’s mission is to provide support for small and medium sized burial authorities.  Currently Keith and John are working with two town councils on cemetery extensions and new builds and with a network of associates with the right knowledge and skills to draw on, they can offer a wide range of help.

Langmead has now opened a new office and showroom in Bridgwater, Somerset.

‘We are working alongside Bridgwater Funeral Services at 15 Bristol Road which means that we are able to offer clients a complete service all under one roof’, says Keith Marsh of Langmead. ‘We already work extensively in the Somerset area so when Nigel of Bridgwater Funeral Services suggested the idea we jumped at it’.

‘Clients can either come to 15 Bristol Road or we can visit them in the comfort of their own home’ says Keith, ‘and whether you need a new memorial, an additional inscription, or a grave renovated, please give us a call on 01278 444200′.

In order to expand production Langmead has moved all their workshop facilities to new and larger premises in Whimple, Devon. The new workshops (Address:  Unit C, Country House Estate, London Road, Whimple, EX5 2NL) will also feature an additional showroom where clients in the area can view a selection of memorials in both local stone and granite whilst seeing how the memorials are actually produced.

The telephone number for the workshops and new showroom is 01404- 823555

For the last 18 months, Langmead had been adding specialist products to its extensive range of memorials to enhance their client’s choice when remembering their loved ones.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the most popular of these products has been the very first Ceramic Photograph tile called ‘Immortile’.  This is a radically new product which recreates a photograph three dimensionally in ceramic.  Classical elegant and very tactile it will last forever without fading.

Langmead’s Andy Brooker says: “Clients who wished to adorn their memorials with an everlasting image of their loved one have been absolutely delighted with their choice of an Immortile plaque  We set the plaques into the headstones and they look very good indeed.”

Immortile’s inventor, Julian Dakowski, has recently perfected another exciting product which Langmead has in their showroom in Pinhoe Road.  Another ‘world first’, the Wooden Photograph again recreates any photograph three-dimensionally.  Wonderfully warm and tactile, the Wooden Photograph may be cut into any timber product and Langmead are using the technique to allow clients to have their loved one’s photographs on wooden cross memorials.

“It has taken a very long time to perfect these processes” says Julian, “but to be able to two world firsts is very exciting”.

Both products fit well into Langmead’s business but they have a much wider appeal in all areas where being able to keep memories is important.  Whether it is a memory box with a Wooden Photograph of the new baby cut into the top for keeping a lifetime of memories, or a beautiful Immortile set in a silver frame to celebrate a wedding or an anniversary, the everlasting, tactile and non-fading properties will appeal universally.

“Watch out for our new website, ‘The Memory Button’, it will be on line very soon”, says Julian.

Admission Free - Refreshments available.

Exeter City Council Bereavement Services is hosting an open day in Higher Cemetery on Saturday 5th of September from 11am - 4pm.
The day will feature displays of unusual hearses, memorials, hand letter cutting etc as well as fascinating talks and presentations.  Langmead Memorials’ Keith Marsh will give a talk on the history of memorials at 2:00pm in the cemetery chapel and Andy Brooker, Langmead’s letter cutter will be demonstrating his art outside.

Groups exhibiting include…

• Stonemasons
• Funeral directors
• Estate planners
• Coffin providers
• Hearses and limousines
• Probate researchers
• Charities offering bereavement advice
• Local history specialists
• Florists

The Exeter Higher Cemetery at Heavitree was opened in 1866 and has been expanded on at least three occasions since then. Over 70,000 people are buried in the cemetery and there are currently over 12,000 memorials. The cemetery chapels were designed in the 19th century by the architect Edward Ashworth who is also buried here. The grounds were landscaped by Robert Veitch and Son, and today it is home to many fine trees, shrubs and varied wildlife. The cemetery has a number of historic monuments including the 1887 Theatre Royal Fire memorial and a World War 2 memorial.

For futher information please contact: Bereavement Services, Exeter City Council, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter, EX1 1RQ

Telephone: 01392 265370 Fax: 01392 265795
Email: bereavement.services@exeter.gov.uk
Website: www.exeter.gov.uk/bereavement

The Garden of Remembrance in Exeter’s Higher Cemetery that was built by Langmead in partnership with the City Council is proving extremely popular.

Many people are choosing to inter their loved one’s ashes in this delightful spot in one of the country’s most beautiful cemeteries and, although the blue pearl granite desk tablet memorials and the green granite ‘leaf’ memorials with rose bushes are very popular, more people are taking the opportunity to purchase an individual garden plot which gives them more scope for personalizing their memorial.

For more details of the packages available  either contact Langmead or Exeter City Council Bereavement Services on Exeter (01392)265707 or email:bereavement.services@exeter.gov.uk the website is www.exeter.gov.uk

Announcing substantial reductions on selected headstones, cremation tablets and vases.  For example, a Dark Grey Lawn Memorial, 30″x 24″ overall, including…

• Erection within 30 miles of Exeter,
• 80 letter inscription,
• Fully guaranteed,
• VAT.

Now only £460-00

January 2009 only.
Cemetery and church fees not included

For more information please email us, or call our showrooms.
(Please quote offer WJ09).