WITH regards to Geoff Gregg’s letter (HAS, Nov 29) about the cost of funerals.

I remember in 1995 when my mam died, my dad and some of the family decided on a particular coffin for mam’s funeral at a cost of £260.

At that time a friend of mine worked for one of the large funeral directors. One aspect of his job was to collect consignments of coffins from a supplier in Leeds.

With the collection came paperwork in the form of multiple carbon copies. As it turned out the copy which showed the purchase price was still attached instead of being sent as an invoice.

The cost of the coffins, which were the same as mam’s, was £29 each.

Alan Barrass, Shildon