I was interested to hear on the news this morning an article about The National Trust complaining of memorial benches cluttering up beauty spots and making them feel like cemeteries.

I can see both sides of this argument. Favourite holiday or walking places are very personal and feature strongly in family histories. Marking somebody’s life somewhere they had a strong connection wit,h is a very symbolic and significant act bringing great pleasure and comfort to a family. On the other hand, these are public spaces for everyone to enjoy and use and not for the individual to put their mark on.

When I first started Elysium this was just the sort of problem I had in mind to try and solve, along with the lack of space in cemeteries and people not knowing quite what to do with the ashes of their loved ones.

The answer I came up with was to have a specially made artwork made for the home or garden, that speaks of the person, looks beautiful and can contain the ashes if required. This can move house with the owner and be passed down through the family as an heirloom.

A good alternative indeed that is a poignant reminder of a loved one that can be enjoyed all the time and doesn’t impact on anybody else.