Tim Matthews, Funeral Director

With a history of family funeral directing since 1959, my family and I continue to offer our family funeral service from our original funeral home in Lyndale Road, Park Gate. With its central location between Fareham and Southampton our services are available to all within the Southampton, Fareham and surrounding areas throughout Hampshire.

Personally, I have been involved in funeral service since 1985 with now over 38 years in funeral service, firstly under the expert eyes of my grandfather Bernard and then my father Glynne and Uncles Clive and Julian.

During that time I was chosen by my fellow professionals to become the Chairman of the Southampton and District Branch of the National Association of Funeral Directors, becoming the fourth member of my family to hold this office of which I was justly proud to hold.

We provide a very traditional funeral service from our Lyndale Road and now also from Shore Road in Warsash where we have a small office serving the village there. My wife and I live at Lyndale Road so clients old and new can be assured that when we say we bring someone into our care, we really do mean it.

Our Lyndale Road premises, being a quiet residential cul-de-sac we provide a very different and more personal level of care compared to the high street shop funeral directors where the funeral staff close up and leave the premises unattended at night. The fact that we live where we work provides great comfort to the bereaved, they realise that we actually do look after their loved one, 24 hours of the day until the day of the funeral. Compared to corporate funeral providers, there is no 9 to 5 in family funeral service!

I promise to listen to you, will be there for you and give you time to make your choices and provide you with exactly the services you need.

I am acutely aware that everyone is different, there is no one package funeral that will suit everyone which is why all funerals are arranged and conducted in the way the family wish and as such we arrange the funeral together.

I will guide you through the myriad of choices available or if you prefer we can offer you a simple ceremony at a fixed cost, and then we agree those costs. Families are often quite surprised that our fees are on average 20% lower than some of our local larger high street competitors.

You will only ever be charged for what you request, require or need. You will never be charged for something that is unnecessary or unwanted. And with no sales targets or share holders to satisfy or time restraints (as we only ever conduct one funeral a day) we tailor the funeral to suit you and your budget whether it’s a simple farewell within the local churchyard to a full Victorian horse drawn funeral procession and ceremony of which our family are famous for providing.

There is one thing that will never change between clients and that is the level of service that each and every client will receive and that will always be, without question, the most personal of services.

Whatever your family circumstances, religious beliefs or customs, I am confident of providing you with a funeral service for your loved one that you will be proud of, maintaining our renowned high standards of service and care to you.

In short, my commitment to you and your family is nothing short of absolute.

Tim Matthews