Another hurdle

[hughnique]

As said in another post, we are in the very initial stages of moving back, advertising to the correct sector of society seems to be a disaster, with time wasters already making a RDV to come and view items, then don't turn up, everybody wants pictures, which I seem not to be able to send for some reason, and the latest is.
Father in law cremated in 2019, most expensive urn at the parlour, and he has stayed here since, OH wants to take him back to UK, but now we learn that it is illegal to keep ashes for longer than 2 weeks so something else to worry about, nothing is simple.

[MAD87]

As far as I know, you can apply to the authorities to take ashes somewhere else. I can't remember which body, but if you're planning a trip by public transport (air/sea/land) ask the carrier concerned.

[L Austin France]

Father in law cremated in 2019, most expensive urn at the parlour, and he has stayed here since, OH wants to take him back to UK, but now we learn that it is illegal to keep ashes for longer than 2 weeks so something else to worry about, nothing is simple.

If you've had the ashes at home since 2019 I doubt the Ash Police are bothered.
If it was me I'd take them to a place he liked & scatter them when nobody is looking.
Illegal? Probably, but what the eye doesn't see ......

[hughnique]

If only life was that simple LAF, you would not believe the stuff that has surfaced from the depths of cupboards, shipped over here 20 years ago, never to see the light of day again. Now she is like a great white shark on a feeding frenzy, I am loathe to stand still as I might end up in the charity shop or the local tip. Really nowhere he was particularly fond of over here, he wasn't with us that long to favour anywhere, plus it appears it would be sacrilege to spread him around the field.

[Quiksilver]

Don't stress about it, hughnique. We had my mother's ashes at home for a couple of years and my father's for 10 years before we went back over to UK to distribute them together on my grandparents' grave. It was the right thing to do and no-one challenged us. They didn't even know and as we didn't find out until some time later about the 'new' rules, it simply wasn't an issue. Keep movin'

[MAD87]

My mother kept my father in the cupboard under the stairs for 5 years until she died. I don't think it's likely to be a problem unless you spill the beans.

[tagh]

When I asked the croque morts about ashes I was told that as ever in France there is an official procedure which requires paperwork and permissions and a simplified one whereby if you are taking the ashes abroad they will simply be handed to you.

[hughnique]

Call me insensitive but I just can't see the point in hanging on to them, phrases such as " I want to keep dad with me" just don't see it, it is a plastic bag with ashes in it, hardly going to be reincarnated, perhaps I am a non believer or something.

[L Austin France]

Don't stress about it, hughnique. We had my mother's ashes at home for a couple of years and my father's for 10 years before we went back over to UK to distribute them together on my grandparents' grave. It was the right thing to do and no-one challenged us. They didn't even know and as we didn't find out until some time later about the 'new' rules, it simply wasn't an issue. Keep movin'

My MIL in the UK kept her husbands ashes in the garden for years.
When she died we went back to the UK to attend her funeral & sort out her estate.
Whilst there, what to do with her ashes came up & Mme LAF & her bro. decided that as her dad was in the navy & mum liked the sea, that was the place for 'em so early one morning Mme set off for the local beach with a bag containing the mixed Mum & Dad.
It was low tide so she meandered along the water line slowly tipping the ashes into the sea until she realised Dad had clumped having been in the garden for so long so back & forth she slowly walked tipping & stamping on Dad to ensure he was well integrated with Mum & the sea before anyone noticed.
This story is always recounted with much hilarity whenever Mme & her Bro get together to raise a glass to their departed parents.

[Quiksilver]

My dear friend and neighbour in UK had expressed the wish to be scattered in his beloved garden, which he duly was. Fond as I was of him, I wasn't ecstatic about the wind being in the direction of my garden when it happened. Potash for the roses, fine, but I didn't feel comfortable weeding for quite a while, until it had rained a bit