Online carols at crematorium
WEST Berkshire Crematorium will be holding its Christmas service online this year.
The crematorium, in Bath Road, Thatcham, will be webcasting a one-hour Christmas Carol and Remembrance Service on Tuesday, December 22, at 6pm.
The crematorium is run by The Westerleigh Group which usually hosts Christmas carol and remembrance services at all its 34 sites.
Covid-19 restrictions mean that this is not going to be possible this year, so the group has come up with an alternative.
Earlier this year, it announced it had invested in new webcasting services because of restrictions on the number of people allowed to attend funeral services.
The technology is going to be used to ensure everyone can view a virtual service, which will feature a mixture of traditional carols and readings.
West Berkshire site manager Brandon Herselman said: “We wanted to make sure we could provide something this year that could to take place, regardless of whatever lockdown restrictions may, or may not, be in place.
“We know that it won’t be quite the same as our popular live services, which we very much hope to be able to return to hosting again next year.
“But Christmas is likely to be different for most people this year.
“And with so many other seasonal events being cancelled, such as live concerts and Christmas markets, we wanted to ensure we could still offer a way for people to join in a festive activity and to remember their loved ones at this time of year.
“In some ways, the fact that it is going to be so different this year may make these webcast services even more memorable.”
A link to the service will be on the West Berkshire Crematorium website so people will be able to view on December 22.
It will then be available on demand.
There is no need to register in advance in order to view the services and no tickets are required.
People just need to visit www.westberkshirecrematorium. co.uk and click on the link.