Funeral director Neal Buckley (far left) is proud of his independence – and the service he offers in times of bereavement. “We are a service,” he emphasises, “not a business. We are small enough to care – that’s what it is all about. If you ring us, any time of day or night, you speak to me, not a call centre.”
Neal provides “beautiful funeral homes at the heart of the community.” He stresses he is the only fully qualified independent funeral director in the area, with over 30 years’ experience, providing anything from simple direct funerals to grand affairs with horses and carriage. “There is no sales pressure or pushing the most expensive prices. We live in the area and are a family firm – that is reflected in our fair prices and personal service.”
Neal, who will shortly open a new branch in the old Lostock Hall Medical Centre, aims to do things properly, as his immaculate premises show. “You only get one chance at doing a funeral. Everything has to be right first time,” says the ex-Hutton Grammar School pupil. “Later, I always ask if everything has been all right and inevitably it has – only then can I properly relax.” With a calm manner, Neal has learned the best help is practical. “You guide people through decisions because often they are not thinking clearly,” he says.
He set up 24 years ago after the family firm he worked for was bought by a big corporation. Neal, with deputy Roger Bradshaw, does hundreds of funerals a year and is on call 24 hours a day.
