I am Mary Hudson-Harris and I am the fourth generation of the family business.
My parents sold our original premises in Caldewgate in 1975 and moved the business to the house and premises we now live at and so have I have grown up here.
I have always been involved with the business but after leaving school I went to college to train to be a Nursery Nurse. I spent 5 years working in a nursery.
My grandmother Ella Hudson worked in the business but left to look after my auntie who was diagnosed with cancer and it was at this time my dad asked me if I would come and work in the business full time, and have worked in the business ever since.
I have had the advantage of been able to carry on working while bringing up two children, Adam and Emily. They too are involved with the business with our son Adam now working full time alongside his dad and I. My role in the business is mainly office based but enjoy meeting families and helping them to arrange the individual funeral that they want for the the person they have lost. I believe it is very important to get a funeral service right, it should be personal and individual as its the last thing that a family can do for that person. I feel as a wife, mum and now a nana that it gives me experience to help families. I lost my dad Peter when I was only 30 and my children were only 2 and 4. I then lost my mum Freda 10 years later. It was very hard living and working here and this gave me an insight into how hard it is to lose a family member and to try and arrange a funeral when you are an emotional wreck. We want our families to give their family member a farewell completely tailed to their individual requirements.
Our family living on the premises means a lot to our clients as their loved ones are never alone. We don’t just close the door at the end of the day we are their all the time. This gives families a lot of comfort at a very emotional time.
