John Wilkinson

I worked as a veterinary surgeon in Thetford, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, for thirty-five years. During that time I got to know the area, and its people, very well. Working with farm animals and horses could take me anywhere in a fifty-mile radius, while small-animal work was centred around Thetford and neighbouring towns and villages. During my life as a vet I met and worked with people from all walks of life, under a variety of sometimes very stressful situations, such as the death of a much-loved pet. That experience has helped me a lot in my work as a celebrant. I still do a little veterinary work, and try to keep in touch with the friends I made among clients and colleagues.

I probably realised I was a Humanist as a teenager, but didn’t really think deeply about life at that time – I just got on with it! It’s only as we get older that most of us start to think about more serious things. I have found that working as a celebrant has crystallised my beliefs and philosophy of life, while giving me a hugely rewarding outlet for my wish to be involved with something worthwhile and meaningful. I enjoy the annual BHA Celebrants’ Conference, and local meetings, where celebrants can share experiences and learn from each other.

When I started work as a celebrant, I asked myself ‘Who has a Humanist funeral ceremony?’ I find I have carried out ceremonies for people from every walk of life, of every age and from every background. The wish for a non-religious farewell cuts across all boundaries.

I live in a little village between Thetford and Diss, with my wife Sue and two dogs. Now I’ve retired, as well as being a celebrant I can enjoy the countryside of East Anglia, and walking in the hills of England and mountains further afield. Sue and I take every opportunity to travel, and we have walked and trekked in many places around the world. Travel gives me the chance to discuss what I do with people from other backgrounds, which can be interesting, to say the least! I plan to keep walking (and skiing) until my knees tell me to stop, in 15 – 20 years time.

I also read more, keep meeting interesting people, and listen to more music. My tastes in music are wide and sometimes weird – classical, blues, heavy rock, jazz and folk (traditional and contemporary), and ‘undefined’ (e.g. Tom Waits!) – so I can often help with music choices for ceremonies.

My wife, also a vet, still works full-time, which gives me the opportunity – and incentive! – to enjoy the simple pleasures of gardening and cooking. However, I have to say that the garden does not yet look as though a retired-person lives here, and the shed is not yet tidy.