Pennod 5 Traed Lan

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-Death is the final act for us all.

-But for some,

-death is a way of life.

-A means of upholding a tradition,

-supporting a family...

-..and forging a business.

-Dealing with

-and handling uncomfortable issues...

-..with sympathy and a smile.

-Helping us

-depart this world with dignity.

-Let us escort you

-to the world beyond the curtain...

-..and the closed door.

-The world of the living

-among the dead.

-The world of Traed Lan.

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-A family of undertakers

-in the Lampeter area...

-..has been serving the community

-for more than 60 years.

-Gwilym Price, his son, Cerdin,

-and his son, Rhys.

-"The world goes on around me

-but my focus is the task at hand."

-What does Cerdin Price do

-in his spare time?

-He restores old tractors...

-..with the help of his sons,

-Rhodri and Rhys.

-Hold this, Rhys.

-I'm having some difficulty here.

-This is tricky, lads.

-Then again, perhaps the boys

-aren't much help after all.

-This is an old one, lads.

-No, it's not.

-It's cracked.

-It's been painted and given

-new tyres, so we're pleased with it.

-It has character

-and things rarely go wrong with it.

-I painted it myself with this spray.

-You have to go

-back and forth evenly.

-It's therapeutic.

-It focuses the mind.

-The world goes on around me

-but my focus is this.

-It's just me and the task at hand.

-I'm pleased with it.

-But Cerdin's attention

-will be diverted for a while.

-Rhys is about to leave for

-a month's work experience in London.

-OK, ta-ta, bach. Enjoy yourself.

-Look after yourself.

-"The body's shown

-in a bed rather than a coffin."

-Undertaker Garry Lloyd Jones

-has offices in Colwyn Bay...

-..Blaenau Ffestiniog

-and here in Llanrwst.

-The premises, which are in a prime

-location, went on sale 15 years ago.

-I wanted somewhere comfortable...

-..for people

-to visit their loved ones.

-The bodies are shown in a bed

-rather than a coffin.

-We like to alter the room...

-..and tailor it for the deceased.

-One of the departed raced pigeons...

-..so we hung

-pictures of pigeons on the wall.

-Next week is the funeral

-of Mr Griffiths, a Llanrwst local.

-It's fitting to hang a painting

-of Llanrwst bridge on the wall.

-It was painted by Finchett,

-a Llanrwst artist...

-..whose work

-Mr Griffiths used to collect.

-A stone's throw

-from the chapel of rest...

-..is a restaurant,

-also owned by Garry.

-Take a booking

-for a funeral tea next Wednesday.

-For a dozen people.

-Just sandwiches and bara brith.

-Joe is a full-time undertaker and

-he also works as a handyman here.

-Janyl sometimes does funeral work.

-Both their wives

-work here in the evenings.

-We're all one big family.

-Garry is hoping to open an antiques

-shop above the restaurant...

-..selling a variety of old clocks.

-Understandably, the passing of time

-is a central theme for undertakers.

-I collect these clocks.

-They're very special to me.

-They're company, aren't they?

-Having one at home provides company.

-I could sit

-and watch the clock for hours.

-"I'll have lost the accent

-by the time I get home."

-Rhys is on work experience

-in London with Cribb's...

-..one of the city's largest and

-oldest independent undertakers...

-..founded more than 130 years ago.

-Today, the family business

-arranges up to 10 funerals a day.

-Rhys is used to arranging funerals

-but perhaps not on this scale.

-There are around 15 vehicles here.

-At 8.00am, they're all washed

-and ready for the day.

-Everybody gets stuck in and we have

-a laugh while we're washing them.

-Time flies.

-The windows? Yes.

-I've already been here a week.

-Their daily work is varied.

-Muslim funerals, Jewish funerals.

-You might get a hearse and nine

-limos full to the brim with flowers.

-Being part of it

-is great experience.

-Do you play golf on the weekend?

-I'm starting to pick up the accent.

-I'll have lost my accent

-by the time I get home!

-Now dressed in his suit,

-Rhys is at the mortuary...

-..to tend to the first two bodies.

-More await him as the day goes on.

-Six-four?

-With room for more than

-50 bodies in the fridge...

-..all these doors are confusing.

-It's not there.

-With as many

-as 10 bodies arriving daily...

-..the company has devised

-its own system to abide by.

-We have a measuring stick

-to measure the body...

-..so that the coffin makers

-can build the correct-sized coffin.

-The measurements are recorded.

-We operate a similar system at home.

-If there are rings and so on...

-..everything is logged in a book

-to prevent any comebacks on us.

-It's important.

-The second body

-is dealt with in the same way.

-The van is called out urgently

-to pick up the next body.

-Cribb's behind-the-scenes team

-must respond immediately.

-The family wants to

-view the body in five minutes.

-We're getting things ready.

-There are stretchers

-in all the other viewing rooms.

-We need to get

-this man ready to be viewed.

-Aided by the trainees...

-..the staff works quickly to get the

-body to the viewing room on time.

-The family's unexpected visit

-has created a stir.

-But, as is plain to see,

-Rhys' maturity comes to the fore.

-I deal with things like this every

-day. We're here to help the family.

-It's not a problem. It only took us

-10 minutes to get everything ready.

-"I want to be remembered

-as a happy person."

-Kay Bailey works at the National

-Botanic Gardens in Carmarthenshire.

-She's a mother of three

-and a grandmother of five.

-This garden is a wonderful place

-in which to work.

-We're able to wander around freely.

-It's a special place

-for all who work here.

-When my mother died

-nine years ago...

-..the way she wished to be buried

-wasn't carried through.

-I feel very guilty about that.

-That's when I decided...

-..to arrange my own funeral and

-make my own coffin out of wicker.

-In Ogmore-by-Sea

-in the Vale of Glamorgan...

-..it's possible

-not only to buy wicker produce...

-..but to be taught how to weave too.

-I love natural products.

-When I die, I want to be buried.

-OK?

-Twice backwards, twice forwards.

-I have to concentrate

-to remember which way I'm going.

-I want people to remember me for me.

-An independent person

-who does everything for herself...

-..and in charge.

-This can be very dangerous.

-I have three sons...

-..and I want to make things

-easy for them when the time comes.

-That's why

-I decided to make my own coffin.

-To tell you the truth,

-it's very therapeutic.

-I regard it

-as making my bed for the last time.

-We all have to die some day.

-Personally, I think being able

-to organize it yourself is great.

-I want them to remember me...

-..on that sad day as a happy person.

-That's all, really.

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-Lampeter local Rhys Price

-is on work experience in London...

-..with two firms of undertakers.

-"You have to do the little things

-as well as the big things."

-Levertons may be a smaller company

-than Cribb's but it's much older.

-It was founded by Clive Leverton's

-great-great-great-great-grandfather.

-This is a bill

-which dates back to 1862...

-..70 years before Tad-cu was born.

-This busy company has the kudos...

-..of being the

-Royal Family's official undertakers.

-But a young trainee

-has a lowly status.

-I do all the cleaning at home,

-as you know.

-Now I'm in London,

-I have to do it here too!

-There are lots of jobs

-that need doing.

-You do the small things

-as well as the big things.

-But while undertaking

-the cleaning work and serving tea...

-..Rhys also has a chance to chat.

-How long have you been in Levertons?

-How long have you been in Levertons?

-

-Just over 10 years now.

-Carmel Clinton's family has

-a long association with Levertons.

-She has a close connection.

-I've lived above the shop in

-Camden Town for just over 20 years.

-Some people find it quite daunting

-but I don't, certainly.

-It's nice seeing another

-young person in the profession...

-..and unusually, a woman.

-We're more traditional

-in rural areas.

-But it's nice seeing some

-traditions change for the better.

-It's a traditional hearse which

-follows Carmel's dignified lead.

-But at the

-National Funeral Exhibition...

-..Clive Leverton exhibited his

-own invention, an electric hearse.

-Rhys will drive it

-for the first time today.

-It uses new technology.

-It doesn't make any noise...

-..so I'll have to be

-vigilant of pedestrians...

-..because they won't hear the car.

-It's strange driving a car

-that doesn't make any noise.

-People are unaware

-that it's a hearse.

-Seeing the coffin is a strange

-sight. Some people take photographs.

-Its range is limited.

-It does about 100 miles.

-It's a good invention for London

-but not so much for us.

-I'd prefer

-a nice little Bentley like that one.

-"There are two in the grave already

-and hopefully room for four."

-In the Conwy Valley, as well

-as his three funeral services...

-..Garry Lloyd Jones owns a handful

-of other companies besides.

-He's also the mayor of Llanrwst

-and helps lay the headstones.

-When I started the business

-in Llanrwst almost 15 years ago...

-..I dug graves every day.

-I put in a lot of effort

-to get the business off the ground.

-I like laying headstones.

-I've always had a hands-on approach.

-Garry has grown accustomed

-to death in his life.

-I had lots of pets as a child.

-Each time one of them died, I held

-a funeral in the back garden.

-My family

-had to attend the funeral...

-..no matter if it was a slow-worm,

-a bird or whatever.

-A burial's taking place

-on Tuesday...

-..so we're removing the stone...

-..to reopen the grave.

-We're also reopening another grave

-in which two are already buried.

-Hopefully there's room for four.

-I'm a perfectionist

-when it comes to funerals.

-When the family tells me

-it was beautiful and fantastic...

-..that's enough for me -

-that's all I want to hear.

-Many graves in this cemetery contain

-four members of the same family.

-The first one goes in

-at a depth of six feet...

-..and there's a five-inch gap

-between the first and second coffin.

-Then, 18 inches of earth

-on top of the last coffin.

-As a grave digger and the owner

-of three funeral businesses...

-..Garry Lloyd Jones

-is used to dealing with death.

-But how does death affect him?

-If someone dies at 90,

-he's had a good innings.

-But I hate having to bury a child.

-It's not right, is it?

-You never look forward to a child's

-funeral once it's been arranged.

-It's quite a day for Kay Bailey

-back in Ogmore-by-Sea.

-She's about to pick up her wicker

-coffin she has helped create...

-..for her own funeral.

-I haven't seen it completed,

-so I'm excited about that.

-I'll be able to take it home

-with me, so I'm very excited.

-"I don't know

-what people are going to say."

-Wow!

-Wow! I can't believe

-I've created something like this.

-It's brilliant.

-All that hard work.

-All that hard work.

-

-And sore thumbs!

-Really great.

-What a way to go, yeah?

-But is there room

-for a large coffin in a small car?

-I've measured it.

-With a bit of help,

-Kay's car turns into a hearse.

-It fits. Great.

-I can take it home now.

-I'm proud of myself but I

-don't know what people will say.

-It's not morbid. It's something

-more people should consider.

-I made it myself. There might be

-other things I have to arrange.

-But I hope

-there's plenty of time for that!

-"So many things are going on here,

-it's on a different level."

-Back at

-Cribb's headquarters in London...

-..Rhys is preparing a coffin

-for a long journey overseas.

-Hi, Jack. Fay's just asked me

-to come over and do a zinc liner.

-Cheers, mate.

-This is destined

-for the Caribbean today.

-I'm just marking

-where the screws are going to go.

-It is his colleagues' duty

-to prepare the coffins.

-It's not just wood, cardboard

-and wicker that are used...

-..but this American casket...

-..and this coffin.

-It's an oak coffin

-lined with zinc...

-..for transportation overseas.

-By law, no air should get in or out.

-You can see there are

-red markings on these fridge doors.

-They're all going overseas.

-They can be stored

-from a month up to a year.

-Rhys' help is needed

-behind the scenes once again.

-A couple of things.

-Louisa, washing and dressing.

-Could you give her a hand?

-Could you give her a hand?

-

-This morning?

-Now. She needs a hand.

-It's traditional Ghanaian.

-It'll be good for you.

-After a change of clothing...

-..he must prepare a body

-that will be viewed by the family...

-..before being transported

-in an oak and zinc coffin to Ghana.

-In Ghana,

-the first step is to wash the body.

-His colleague, Louisa, adds cleanser

-and perfume to the water.

-She's well accustomed

-to the tradition.

-A tradition

-that makes perfect sense to Rhys.

-As babies, their mothers

-wash them and care for them.

-They leave this world the same way

-they came into it. It's symbolic.

-With his month not yet over...

-..the experience

-has already widened his horizons.

-So many things go on here

-and so many people work here...

-..it's on a different level

-on account of the population.

-It has to be.

-Can you do a tie?

-I prefer a big knot.

-I don't know if I can do a big knot.

-I'll try.

-Like back home,

-you have one chance to do it right.

-They put in the effort here

-to do things right.

-It's nice being able to say

-you did one last thing for them.

-It feels good

-being able to help someone.

-It'll be nice for them to see him.

-He looks like he's asleep.

-In the next episode,

-back in Wales...

-..is Rhys ready to take the reins?

-Seeing my grandson

-do what I did many moons ago.

-Did you know that

-fingerprints can be immortalised?

-The departed's last touch.

-How does a van driver

-become a hearse driver?

-I've always wanted

-to drive a hearse.

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