The Fabulous Funeral Parlour ended with possibly the least necessary caption in TV history: ‘Filmed in Liverpool’. Whenever I go back there (quite often these days for family reasons), I’m struck all over again by how the whole city seems engaged in the production, distribution and promotion of Scouseness. Yet, even by normal Liverpudlian standards, the people in this old-school, narrator-less documentary put in an impressive shift.

Leading the way was Hayley, the owner of both the parlour in question and, despite fierce competition, the most extravagant trout pout we saw. Hayley’s mother died five years ago aged 59, and it was then that she decided to set up Butterflies Rising Funeral Care. She told us why while sitting beside her mum’s spectacular grave, which had angel wings, the words ‘Our Queen’ and a novella-length inscription in the most purple of prose. As someone who’s always liked to look after people, Hayley explained, she wanted to ensure that deceased and bereaved alike are treated with bespoke warmth.

‘I’ll just top up your lippy,’ Hayley told one corpse before the horse-drawn carriage came to take her away

For that reason, families can select any phrase they particularly associate with the person who’s ‘asleep’ to go........

© The Spectator