Hello, I'm Gill Briscoe, an independent funeral celebrant supporting families across Southport, Liverpool, the wider Merseyside area and beyond.
Over the years, I've met and worked with so many families, and heard the stories of the people who have been such an important part of their lives. For me, getting to know the person I am being asked to speak about is one of the most important parts of what I do. I want to know more than dates and facts. I want to hear about their personality, their sense of humour, the things they loved, the things that drove everyone mad, the people who mattered to them and the stories their family and friends still tell.
Families often say to me at our first meeting, “I don't know how you're going to put all of that together.” That's my job. I listen, ask questions and gradually bring those memories together to tell their story in a way that sounds like them.
One of the things I never expected when I became a celebrant was just how much I would learn. Through the families I meet, I've heard so much about the history of Liverpool and the lives of the people who have called it home. I've heard stories about the places people worked, the communities they grew up in, wartime and national service, and how life in Liverpool has changed over the years – things I would probably never have discovered otherwise.
Often, it's the smaller stories that stay with me – the memories passed down through families, the things someone did that few people knew about, or a story that might otherwise have been lost. I love hearing those memories and being able to bring them together so they can be shared again.
Away from my work, I'm a wife and mum. I enjoy travelling, the theatre, concerts and ballroom dancing – although convincing my husband to join me on the dance floor remains something of a work in progress!
When a family asks me to lead a funeral, I know they are trusting me with something that really matters. That is something I never take for granted.