South London Crematorium

I attended a funeral yesterday and apart from the sadness of the event, the sheer misery of the venue was just awful.
When we eventually found the chapel where the service was to be held (no staff to ask, and poor signposting) the waiting room was locked, but there were a handful of chairs crammed together in the hallway.
It was so grim - a broken picture on a chair, black buckets on the floor (why?) and the most miserable aquarium I've ever seen. Even the fish had given up.
The Celebrant told us the waiting room was locked as they didn't have the staff or time to clean between services... why didn't they? Never has the death rate been higher, nor unemployment so dire. They must be raking it in with all the funerals, yet they insult the mourner with shabby and inadequate facilities. So, our little group froze outside until it was time to say our goodbyes.
The toilet facilities were verging on unhygienic. There was no soap or toilet paper in the one I used, the floor was awash with ?? so the neglect continued throughout the whole site.
I know all the arguments about 'unprecedented times' but really, this was quite shocking. Mourners at least deserve to be able to shelter in the warmth whilst they wait, have decent toilet facilities and to be respected whilst going through a very sad event.
I hope I never ever have to visit this place again.

We paid over £2000 extra on top of the cost of the funeral last Saturday 30/1/21 for streatham cemetery Rowan road to open the cemetery. It would have been helpful at the very least if you had opened the toilets. It also would have been extremely helpful, given that you notified us prior to the funeral that the cemetery was flooded, if you had made some kind of preparation to enable the pallbearers to get my fatherinlaw from the hearse to the grave. Information you already possessed. Sawdust, planks of wood, sacks gravel etc would have made the journey from the hearse to the grave far less filled with anxiety for the pallbearers and the family. Your offices were not opened either from what I observed. In fact apart from the gravediggers on hand to fill in the grave, I cannot fathom why your charge was so extortionate for opening on a Saturday. I am sure that the gravediggers are not on a daily rate of pay in excess of £600 apiece! I personally feel that you are taking advantage of the situation grieving families find themselves during the pandemic. I would have appreciated a proper reply to my complaint on your website. But that did not materialize. Hence the publication of my dire review. One star is too generous.

Considering the price you pay to bury your loved one you would hope that the grounds we're kept in a decent condition.

The roads in the grounds are in poor conditions, the gates have now been closed on weekends without informing loved ones of the changes.

Nearby houses cats are always jumping over the wall and pooing over people's gravestones.

Disgusted

To be quite honest did not want to leave one star as it’s not deserved
My husband visiting his parents grave this week and was upset about how overgrown the cemetery was. Considering how much we pay for our love ones to be buried. This is so disrespectful

If I could post a negative star rating, I would.
My sister and I have had the onerous task of making funeral arrangements for our uncle who recently passed away in London. While ordinarily this would not be too difficult, it has been a nightmare for us, as we're in Australia and the only surviving relatives. Due to the global pandemic, we could not travel. Coordinating this from the other side of the world, in a completely different time zone, has been extremely difficult. Why not email and arrange things over the internet you may ask? Well unfortunately, this firm does NOT respond to emails and demands that you contact them by phone during business hours. No latitude is given for your situation, regardless of the circumstances.
Thankfully, I have a very close friend who resides in South London and I asked her if she wouldn't mind collecting the urn containing my uncle's ashes, after the cremation had taken place. My friend was more than happy to help, during this difficult time. Contact was made with the funeral director and the crematorium, details of my friend were provided (several times) with the request that my friend be called or a text message sent after the cremation and she be advised, when the urn was ready to collect.
4 weeks after the cremation took place and my friend in South London is still waiting for a phone call or text message. I have no doubt in my mind that the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing, and perhaps the urn and ashes have been 'disposed of', lost or worse (what could possibly be worse?).
To call this company unprofessional, would be the understatement of the century.
If you have any respect for your loved one, then take your business elsewhere. Had I known in advance what to anticipate, I would have made alternative arrangements and avoided this company like the 'plague' we've had to endure for the past two years!

Beautifully maintained facility, that is quiet but easily accessible by many local busses such as the 118 and the 60.

Thankyou to Natalie and the staff. You have been very kind when I have queried a problem and its been sorted asap.

Paul made the whole process less daunting, was accommodating and extremely patient. Thank you!