News that there are fewer funerals these days sadly isn’t a sign that the nation’s health has been radically reversed – but that our desire for post-mortem sendoffs is on the way out. Research commissioned by Theos, a Christian think tank, shows that only 47 per cent of people plan on having one once they are gone; 24 per cent said they did not want a funeral, while a further 28 per cent were “unsure”.