Saturday May 28 to Saturday June 4, 2016
The aim of the Horsham Circle of Life Festival is to enrich the heart of our community and bring people together to celebrate life. There is a strong focus on honouring and respecting our planet, leading to a more connected life-style. This series of highly creative events is not for profit and is designed to include families and people of all ages within our multi-cultural society.
I was testing children in my Sunday school class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.
I asked them: ‘If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale
and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?’
‘NO!’ the children answered.
‘If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the garden, and kept
everything tidy, would that get me into heaven?’
Again, the answer was ‘NO!’ Continue reading
Recently, at Horsham Death Café we discovered 47 words or phrases that people use rather than say that someone has ‘died’ or there has been a ‘death’. Yes 45! How many can you think of before checking the list that follows?
Passed over
He popped his clogs
Kicked the bucket
She went to sleep
Passed away Transition
Pushing up the daisies
Gone to heaven
Shuffled off the mortal coil Continue reading
TALK – PLAN – LIVE – – –
The last Tuesday in every month
Please arrive promptly: 6.15 pm. – 8pm.
At: Pretty Things, 4 Park Place, Horsham, RH12 1DG
Choose from the delicious selection of cakes, teas
and coffees available during the evening
There is no charge to attend a Death Café but donations are welcomed to help cover Continue reading
Horsham Festival – Celebrating the Wheel of Life: Sat. May 23rd 11.00am – 12.00pm. Starting at the Human Nature Garden in Horsham Park, this unique event features a walk and ceremony led by Mindfulness Coach, Dorothy Larios, & ceremony by Trish Norman. Those with unwell or distantly located friends or relatives may find this earth based ceremony particularly comforting.
Dorothy Larios Says: ‘If you have someone dear to you who is ill or suffering, a friend that lives far from you on the other side of the country or Continue reading
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PAST EVENTS 2015
May 16th – 24th 2015
Sunday 17th May, 10.30am – approx. 12.30pm
Celebrating the Animals in Our Lives – The exact duration of this walk depends on the number of people taking part but walkers can leave or extend their walk at any time. An easy family and dog friendly walk through lovely woodland on firm surfaces. Those who wish to are invited to bring their pet’s cremated remains, which will be scattered as we walk, or simply just bring your memories. Ceremonial pauses will punctuate our amble as we remember our loyal friends. Special bags will be provided so if you would like help transferring the ashes, please arrive 30 minutes before the walk is due to begin. During the walk we will collect a treasure from nature; such as a special leaf, a feather, a flower… with which we will create a sacred space as we honour and remember our beloved friends. The walk will take place whatever the weather, so please dress accordingly.
Ceremonies will be led by Jean Francis and Trish Norman
Meet at Roosthole Car Park, Hammerpond Road, Horsham, RH13 6PG, directions are available on request: lifeandmemorialcelebrations@gmail.com
This walk is wheelchair, pushchair and dog friendly – all welcome
Monday May 18th 2.30 – 4.00 pm
A Water Ceremony – Celebrating the importance of water in our lives….
We will stroll for half hour around Chesworth, making our way to a viewing platform that overlooks the river. On this walk, we will use water as an opportunity to connect to ourselves, nature and to let go of unfinished business, giving it to the waters to enable ourselves to freely move on. Join us to celebrate and reflect on how water nourishes us and is a vital part of the natural process of dying, birth and life. The walk will be led by Horsham’s Healthy walk Co-ordinator Jill Shuker with Paula Altar leading the ceremony. Walkers will then make their way to Pretty Things, 4 Park Place where they will be assured of a warm welcome and a delicious afternoon tea can be purchased. This is also the perfect opportunity to chat with Jill and Paula about the work they do.
Meet at in Queensway at the junction with Chesworth Lane, Horsham, RH13 0AA. Free parking is available after mid-day.
This walk is wheelchair, pushchair and dog friendly – all welcome.
This walk will take place regardless of weather, so please dress accordingly.
Tuesday May 19th 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Celebrating the Abundance of Nature – We will gather newly sprouted oak leaves as we walk through beautiful woodland surroundings, concluding with a ceremony led by Lyn Baylis and Sadie Turner who will greet us in a woodland glade where they will bless the leaves in an earth based ceremony and offer a tasting of last year’s brew. Much of the walk will be on easy, firm paths but there will be an opportunity to walk to the river but paths could be slippery in parts. The walk will be led by Horsham’s Healthy Walk Co-ordinator Jill Shuker and will take place whatever the weather so please dress accordingly. The exact length of the walk can be decided on the day.
Meet at Leechpool car park, RH13 6SG
This walk is wheelchair, pushchair and dog friendly – all welcome.
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Friday May 22nd 10.00 – 11.00am
Walk for Wellbeing – This is a short, easy and thoughtful walk using the Downs Link path, led by Horsham’s Healthy Walk co-ordinator Jill Shuker. The walk will be followed by an optional invitation to discuss the similarities between the circle of life and the varying seasons, in the Lakeside Café where coffee or lunch can be purchased.
With the understanding that birth, life’s journey, death and beyond are all interwoven and that we can’t have one without the other, this is an ideal opportunity for people to come together to discuss such issues. Talking openly about our hopes, our fears and realisations can enrich our daily lives and help us to recognise and acknowledge the wonderment that surrounds us.
Meet in the Car Park of Country Park Southwater, off Cripplegate Lane, RH13 7UN
All welcome, wheelchair, pushchair and dog friendly.
This walk will take place regardless of weather, so please dress accordingly
Sunday May 24th 11.00am – 2.30 pm
A Celebratory Walk, Picnic and Closing Peace Ceremony – This occasion has been organised to mark the 15th Anniversary of Healthy Walks in Horsham with Jill Shuker. Led by Jill and drummers, a noisy procession will move around the park, finally gathering in the Human Nature Garden for a picnic. The pace will then quieten with music and circle dancing; the theme being Peace. A short time of reflection will take place, followed by a ceremony that celebrates the continuation of Horsham’s Healthy Walks and marks the end of Horsham Festival Week.
Meet at the Conservatory Café at 11.00 am or join at any time. Please bring your own picnic, drums, whistles and saucepan lids. Should the weather be wet, the walk will still take place so please dress accordingly. The picnic and proceedings that follow will take place in Park Barn.
Wheelchair and pushchair friendly, all welcome, sorry, no dogs allowed inside the Human Nature Garden or Park Barn.
Doug Smith is on his deathbed and knows the end is near.His nurse, his wife, his daughter and 2 sons, are with him.
He asks for 2 witnesses to be present and a camcorder be in place to record his last wishes, and when all is ready he begins to speak:
My son, “Bernie, I want you to take the Mayfair houses.”
My daughter “Sybil, you take the apartments over in the east end.”My son, “Jamie, I want you to take the offices over in the City Centre.”
“Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings on the banks of the river.”
The nurse and witnesses are blown away as they did not realize his extensive holdings, and as Doug slips away, the nurse says,
“Mrs. Smith, your husband must have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property”.
Sarah replies, “Property? …. He’s talking about a paper round!”
A man and woman were married for many years. Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night.
The old man would shout, “When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave and
come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!”
Neighbors feared him. The old man liked the fact that he was feared.
Then one evening, he died when he was 98. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, “Aren’t you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of your life?”
(HERE IT COMES!!!)
The wife said, ” Let him dig.
I had him buried upside down…and
I know he won’t ask for directions.”
A friend who knows that I help people plan celebratory funerals prior to need said: “When it is my turn, put me in a black sack and take me to the dump.” Today I spotted the perfect vehicle to transport him to his resting place – courtesy of Horsham Council.
One day a rich man went away on a course. He rented a room in a five star hotel. As there was a computer in his room , he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However he accidentally typed in the wrong address and sent the e-mail to a widdow who had just returned from her husband’s funeral. Continue reading