Belinda Foster
Belinda Foster was born in Paisley and grew up in Peterborough. After graduating from King's College London in 1979, she joined the Royal Navy. She left when she was expecting her first child. When her children were eight and six, she started working in a local primary school. In 2008 she had the bright idea to train as a funeral celebrant. She retired in 2024 after leading more than 1800 funerals. When her dog Molly died a few months later, she realised she needed a hobby. In October 2025, she started writing a book that she had first thought about in 2012 when she wrote more than thirty blog posts, under the pseudonym Lyra Mollington, for the Good Funeral Guide. The Funeral-Goers was published in July 2026 as a Kindle ebook.
Excerpt from The Funeral-Goers: Burial
Lyra was intrigued and asked for more details. Anna explained that burials could be a challenge, especially if it was raining. The bearers have to navigate the edge of a vertical drop on wobbly planks of wood, while trying to make lowering the coffin look effortless.
Daisy was imagining the anxiety. Lyra was imagining the drama. Should she have opted to bury Edward? Add some jeopardy to the proceedings? But, on the other hand, there was the long-term obligation to visit the grave and keep it tidy. Or, heaven forbid, buying fresh flowers on his birthday.
Excerpt from The Funeral-Goers: Cremation
Jim also explained how everything is tightly controlled.
‘Some people have this idea that we randomly divide all the ashes up at the end of the day.’
I could feel Lyra looking at me. I shook my head at Jim as if in despair at the ignorance of some people.
I’m glad I told Lyra not to mention me when she was writing about our visit because I too had a go at closing the curtains in front of the catafalque. I pressed the button on the lectern exactly like she did. And nothing happened! Apparently, I was pressing too hard, or for too long. Or both. I never did get the wretched things to close.
Lyra said the curtains could tell I was anxious. She didn’t help by declaring, ‘Oh my giddy aunt!’ at least twice.
Jim was lovely. I had rudely assumed that anyone who works at a crematorium must be slightly odd. But not at all! Even Stephen – who’s in charge of the trolley and the cremators – was friendly! Despite what he does all day.
A song popped into my head! Now I know that Burning Love would be a strange song to have at a crematorium funeral service, but I had to ask Jim if anyone had ever chosen it.
Lyra said, ‘That’s a really good question, Daisy.’
Slightly patronising, but she was right – it was a really good question. A man had chosen it for his funeral a couple of months ago and he asked for it to be played as the curtains were closing! I checked the lyrics later, and Elvis sings as though he’s literally going up in flames. He mentions smoke and everything. I’m still processing that.
Excerpt from The Funeral-Goers: Scattering
Lyra explained, ‘No one likes scattering ashes regardless of the time of day. The dust goes everywhere. You’re almost bound to get some up your nose or in your mouth.’
‘Bloody hell! Really?!’
‘That’s not all. You start off with this romantic idea of scattering and strewing in a gentle cloud and then the scattering goes on for so long, you end up dropping them in piles, like dusty grey mole hills. Even skinny people produce a healthy quantity of ashes. That’s why it’s probably sensible to bury them. The ashes. Not the skinny people.’
‘Well, you’ve put me off scattering.’
‘You’re definitely my woman on the Clapham Omnibus – Joanna Public.’
‘Oh?’
‘Easily shocked. It’s helpful to know when I take things too far. You’re a spoilsport but I need to be kept in check.’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever kept you in check!’
‘Believe me, Daisy, if you weren’t around, I’d be a lot worse.’
‘That’s a scary thought.’
About The Funeral-Goers
When Lyra Mollington has to organise a funeral, she discovers that it’s like being a theatrical producer for a mid-week matinée – there’s music, performers, tears, laughter, curtains, and an audience of mainly older people. Daisy Smith discovers that this is her opportunity to be needed.
This is a story of friendship between two retired women who have an unusual hobby – they gatecrash the funerals of strangers. Lyra Mollington prefers the term mystery mourners. Daisy Smith prefers crocheting. But she’s along for the ride as usual. Although, technically, it’s Lyra who’s along for the ride because she no longer has a driving licence. Lyra’s dog, Colin, is oblivious to his human’s struggles. Daisy’s cat, Bree, doesn’t give two hoots about her human’s struggles.
Lyra says going to the funerals of strangers has given her a new lease of life. Daisy says she would rather stay outside with Milly the crematorium cat, also known as Cremilly. However, she decides to go along with Lyra, and she records her own version of events.
Jim showed me how the rollers make it easy for the coffin to be pulled through the hatch at the back and onto a trolley. ‘Not straight into the flames like some people imagine.’
I pretended I already knew about the trolley.The idea for The Funeral-Goers began in 2012 with the blog posts Belinda wrote for the Good Funeral Guide: ‘Thoughts of a Funeral-Goer’ under the pseudonym Lyra Mollington.
This is the author's first book. Following positive reviews, she's writing a sequel...