Floris was a first-generation Jamaican migrant; her daughter Diane was determined to send her mum off with a traditional Jamaican funeral, here in south London.
Jamaican funerals are very distinctive. The family men (of all ages, and wearing specially made suits and shirts) take responsibility for everything, ending by filling the grave with earth; the coffin is opened in the church to allow final farewells; by the grave rum is drunk and and mourners sing; a final (large!) tot of rum is poured over the coffin in the grave; and the grave is covered with flowers, laid by the family. It is a wonderful celebration of a life lived and very different to most funeral experiences.
