Not essentially a holy place...
...but it can be if requested. As a new employee of the local authority I was offered a 'corporate induction day'. I had already been in the job 3 months and as such it seemed and entirely useless excercise but as my boss said, "it's a day of not being sat at your desk and a free lunch". Need not have said more than free lunch...
After a morning off arse numbing tedious and redundant talks we had a minibus tour of the local authority. Starting at the depot, a nursing home, call centre, leisure centre and finishing off at the Crematorium.

Obviously the only bit we tired public servants were looking forward to was the crematorium and I have to say it was quite an interesting experience after the rest of the ball-achingly uninteresting day. The small staff that ran it took great pride in showing us around and their work. (Probably had something to do with the fact it was a semi-independant operation and the only service in the council that still turns a tidy profit). We had a look at the big ol' ovens and saw a bit (a bit too much for some) of the remains of the remains of the recently cremated (the cremation doesn't leave everything as ash, big bits of bones need to be ground up and hip replacements etc removed).

But the best moment was right at the beginning of the tour when we were being shown the service area (or chapel depending on if you wanted a religious ceremony or not)by the 4 old chaps that run it. They no longer keep an organist on staff as so few want organ music these days and have invested in a flashy sound system with access to an online, prepaid, database. So you can have any music you like (My way is apparently most popular, there are a few funny ones that escape me at the time of writing). The guy who operated it had a favourite request however which he piped through the system stifling a giggle. Frankie goes to Hollywood's Relax.
I quote "cos it's about...you know..." Wry smile.
Bless
(Monkeyofspong, Mon 5 Sep 2011, 18:07, Reply)