The only way that I can describe Russell is perfect. It sounds incredibly cheesy but at the hardest time of our entire lives, losing my dad, me and my mom knew that we needed someone who would be modern but still add in some traditional elements as my dad was more religious than we are. From the moment he walked into our house he made us feel at ease, every single thing was about dad, Russell was engaging, kind and gentle when asking questions, he very much made us feel that although he’d never met my dad he wanted to know everything about him so he could get to know him through us. He laughed with us, comforted us when we got upset and even coo-ed over pictures of our cats!Russell took all that we had said on board, listened to all of the stories that we asked him to read out on the day and kept in contact all the way through from the first meeting until the day of the funeral. My dad was an avid Aston Villa supporter, something which Russell listened to closely because on the day he was wearing a colour coded tie! That is the attention to detail that you wouldn’t even dream of, but it’s something that Russell prides himself on.On the day we really could not have wished for anything more from Russell, he took everyone on an emotional journey, there were bits where everyone was laughing, then crying, but ultimately he ensured that everyone present left with a smile on their face and a fond memory in their heart.For an event like a funeral that no-one ever wants to plan you need someone who is going to make the experience as easy and kind as possible. I said from the moment we started planning that I wanted someone to come in, sweep us up in a kind of “It’ll be ok” bubble and make what will be one of the worst days, that little bit better. Russell is undoubtedly that man. I could not recommend him highly enough and to this day I extend my thanks for all that he did for us.