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BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

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We Need to Talk About Death podcast

We Need to Talk About Death

Documentaries

Factual

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying, exploring the choices open to us and confronting the questions we fear the most.

We Need to Talk About Death: Series 2

We Need to Talk About Death: Series 2: Episode 3: Bury Me at Sea

Episode 3

Episode 3: Bury Me at Sea

Series 2

Bury Me at Sea

BBC Radio 4 - We Need to Talk About Death, Series 2, Bury Me at Sea

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how you can opt for a watery grave.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss how to be buried at sea and where the idea came from.

Although many people who have been buried at sea were sailors or navy personnel, anyone can have their body committed to the deep.

Few people choose the sea as their final resting place but, for those that do, there is a small band of funeral directors, skippers and coffin makers around the country who know how it's done. 

A body can't be buried anywhere. There are designated sites around the country and a license is required to protect human health and the marine environment.

The Marine Maritime Organisation issues licences for burials in England. Applicants must supply a doctor's certificate to confirm that the body is free from infection and fever. It cannot be embalmed, must be lightly dressed in biodegradable clothing and tagged with durable ID.

The sea coffin itself looks a bit like a treasure chest. Built to withstand impact and to ensure it drops swiftly to the seabed, two hundred kilograms of iron, steel and concrete is strapped around the coffin and clamped to its base. To aid its sinking, dozens of holes are drilled into its softwood surface to let the seawater rush in. 

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss this little known mode of burial and explore how our naval history has shaped modern day practice. Joan also gets some tips on the best way to scatter ashes at sea.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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We Need to Talk About Death

Series 2

Episode 3: Bury Me at Sea

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