Our current focus on multigenerational funeral firms this week takes us to Douch Family Funeral Directors in Dorset, UK.

The family business was founded in 1910 by Frederick Charles Douch and grown by his eldest son, Jack. A talismanic figure not only for the company but in the wider Dorset area, Jack played a key role as a telegrapher on the wartime destroyer Bramham, before becoming a prominent batsman for Wimborne Cricket Club.

It's Jack’s grandson Nick – our guest this episode – who heads up the business today, maintaining its well-established reputation and strong relationships with other funeral directors.

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The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves. You can find many more conversations in the on the show page, with key industry figures from the NAFD and SAIF, along with the funeral directors behind The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

This week on The View we welcome Tim Purvis, owner, chairman and director of William Purvis Funeral Directors to the show. William Purves is a business that is family owned and goes back five generations, based in Edinburgh but extending into the North East of England.

William Purves prides itself on delivering a caring service for all families across its locations, but also has a strong connection to the Royal Family, and among other topics in this episode we hear what it was like to provide the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

As part of our current focus on industry leaders of multi-generational funeral firms, in this episode we welcome Jeremy Field of CPJ Field to the podcast. CPJ Field is a 300-year-old business founded in the 17th century. The board of directors features five family members, and ten generations of the family have been involved with the business, which is currently led by Jeremy alongside his siblings Charlie and Emily. We hear how they approach the management of such a large but ultimately family-owned business, and examine the changing trends of funerals over the many generations.

The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.