Clarkson’s Independent Funeral Directors (Bath)

Carol Spalding owns and runs the business jointly with her daughter Sophie May, and they have attracted the very best staff to work alongside them looking after families in Bath, Frome and Saltford.

When you meet them, it’s clear to see why Clarkson’s have such an excellent reputation – Carol’s warm personality, her friendly, caring manner and her devotion to her work is complemented by Sophie’s efficient organizational skills and attention to detail, and they share the same dedication and ethos that Carol started with when she bought the business in 2004 – ‘to help people say goodbye to people in the most personal and caring way that we can.’

Carol first came into the world of funerals when Sophie was just eleven years old, and was diagnosed with diabetes. “I needed to get a job to stop me fussing over her,” says Carol, “I knew I’d be too protective if I was just sitting at home worrying about her and I saw a vacancy advertised in the window of the local funeral director. I started the following week.” The company was part of a large corporate chain, and soon after starting work there, Carol was headhunted by local independent funeral directors. A year later, she bought the business from the owners, and since 2004 she has been at the heart of Clarkson’s (formerly Jolly’s of Bath).

Sophie grew up helping Carol, she has been involved with the business since the age of thirteen, and with the additional assistance of Ian Marsh, Carol’s husband, the company is a true family firm, exactly what Carol always wanted it to be.

“Mum’s always seen it as her ‘third baby’,” says Sophie, “she cares so much about all of our clients, we all do. As one of our staff says, ‘it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle choice’.” For years, this lifestyle choice meant that Carol did everything herself, she has only recently stopped being on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but she continues to take non-religious ceremonies for families if they want her to – and many do. It’s easy to see why, there’s nothing stuffy or pompous about Carol, she’s warm, friendly and kind, and completely normal, with a knack of putting you at ease the minute you meet her. It’s like being with friend you’ve known for years, she has a comfortable, reassuring presence and a genuinely caring nature that is exactly what you need when you’re plunged into the unfamiliar world of needing to arrange a funeral.

Clarkson’s are well known for their personal service and they are proud of their independent status and the ability this gives them to look after every family exactly as they need to be.

Their standards are exceptionally high – you could quite literally eat your food from the floor of the mortuary in Frome, in particular, and all of the premises are spick and span, even during the renovations taking place in Bath when we first visited in 2018 – this care about the detail runs throughout everything that the company does, and underpins the ethos of the business. There’s a thoughtfulness here which is tangible, backed up by a wholly professional attitude to getting everything right for you.

The success of their company  in Bath encouraged Carol and Sophie to expand the business to surrounding areas, and in 2012 they opened a second branch in Frome, followed by a third branch in Saltford in 2014.

The three branches are all quite different – the Bath premises are set in a terrace building, about a mile from the centre of town and just a mile from the RUH Hospital. Recently refurbished, it has a welcoming reception area with two comfortable arrangement rooms and a disabled access loo (with very nice wallpaper). The decor is fresh and modern, and the arrangement rooms are nicely furnished with lots of cushions – the rooms are airy, with lots with natural light, and the feeling is immediately familiar and welcoming.

The private chapel of rest is along the hallway, with the mortuary and preparation room at the back of the long narrow building. The big office is upstairs, along with the kitchen and other staff facilities. Carol and Sophie are based here, along with Martyn Hurst and  Annie Booker, who also arrange and conduct funerals. The funeral vehicles are parked in the driveway at the rear, while clients can park on the forecourt at the front of the building.

Clarkson’s in Frome is looked after by Mandy Lee, the funeral director and arranger here. The branch at Frome was formerly a huge warehouse that has been beautifully converted into a really lovely, modern funeral home, with a spacious reception area and a large arranging room and chapel of rest, with a fully accessible client loo. Beyond the public space, the impeccable mortuary and preparation area lead on to a large garage, where the funeral vehicles are carefully covered with specially made car covers when not in use, while upstairs there is a huge space where coffins are stored and the staff have a dressing room. Parking is available in the adjacent car park without charge for an hour, or there is off street parking nearby.

(Frome telephone no: 01373 463888)

The Saltford branch is looked after by Alana Hurst, the funeral director and arranger here. Alana took over from the previous funeral director Paul Lawrance, who is nominally retired but who continues to take some funerals for families and helps out at some funerals. The branch is a converted business property on the main high street, with a reception area opening onto a large comfortable arranging room. The chapel of rest is on the other side of the reception area, while the mortuary and preparation areas are behind that, with a garage where a limousine is stored. Parking is available outside.

(Saltford telephone no: 01225 873535 )

While each of the branches has a different feel to them, they all have beautifully decorated windows, a particular feature of Clarkson’s. On our first visit, we noticed passers by stopping to admire the displays to commemorate Remembrance Day, while plans were underway for the Christmas windows. Inside the branches there were lovely displays of flowers which are changed regularly by the local florists that Clarkson’s work closely with. The company only recommends other businesses that they have worked with and trust completely, and don’t add on any mark up or take commission from them. This principle also applies to any bespoke coffins that families might choose, for example an eco-coffin or a specially ordered ‘Last Supper’ style – clients pay only what the company is charged for them.

This fairness and transparency over costs is really important to Carol and Sophie and their team, their prices are on their website and clearly itemised so you can see what each element costs, and they will happily provide a personal quote for any family who might be in a difficult situation financially, or who request no ceremony and just a cremation. Payment plans are offered so that families can pay over twelve months for the funeral if they need to, and they don’t ask for a deposit prior to the funeral unless a family insists.

For baby funerals and those of children under the age of 18, the services of Clarkson’s are free, and all of the team offer their time free of charge to help organise these particularly challenging funerals. They do them exceptionally well, the humanity and kindness that typifies this business is especially relevant when parents have lost a child, and Carol instinctively knows how to help, in the tiniest yet most important of ways. “I never take a baby from the parents, I wait until they’re ready to hand their child to me,” she says, “then when they give me their child, I’ll hold it in my arms while someone else drives us. That’s how I’d want it to be if it were my child, so that’s what I do.”

Despite the deep level of detail and service that you receive from Clarkson’s, their prices are really reasonable. Sophie always explains to families asking for just a small element of assistance with funeral arrangements that there are other, cheaper companies in town and she’ll supply contact details for these, but she also explains that Clarkson’s are continually investing in their staff and their services to give families the best possible experience. Only once has a family decided to go elsewhere after this conversation.