Silly stunt

Co-op Funeralcare are always on the lookout for little PR stunts to get a pic + 75 words into the local paper -- heart of the community stuff: a little sponsored run here, a coffee morning and open day there, and sixty quid raised for charity. Nothing wrong in that. No one ever got successful by hiding their light under a bushel.

But this blog has its doubts about Funeralcare, principally because its press officer promised to write to allay those doubts. The fact that he resolutely hasn't means, of course, that doubts persist.

From time to time, they flare up. They did this morning when Dan rang to tell me that, in the ancient kingdom of Fife, John Gilfillan, funeral director at F-care's Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath branch, has taken to giving local primary school children lessons in road safety. He gives them luminous badges for their uniforms and warns them to be on their guard. The enterprise is supported by Fife Constabulary.

It's a laudable and community-spirited thing to do -- except that Mr Gilfillan wears his undertaker's garb to school. "I don't want to frighten them with talk of funerals," he says.

So why the shuddermaking kit, John?

"I don't go too deeply into things, or the consequences of road accidents, because there are wee kiddies there," he says.

Hunh? Pshaw!