Tenth-generation funeral directors keep up a dignified tradition

Almost a century after his great grandfather was burying victims of the Spanish Flu, Charlie Field had to contend with an even greater spike in demand for the family funeral firm CPJ Field’s services.

Fortunately, the tenth-generation, 300-year-old business was prepared. Bulk-buying coffins, when Covid-19 was still confined to China, avoided the supply shortage that meant burials being delayed and the use of chip-board caskets, even as its 37 funeral homes across southern England reached full capacity.

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“Actually, there’s still a lot of coffins left, which is a good thing by the way,” added Field, 40, who leads the business with his siblings Emily and Jeremy. “We exist in an industry where we have to be equipped to deal with busier times and as soon