Is it just me or is this quite bizarre??

It is interesting and as death is part of life I don't see why it should be seen as san me thing terrible. I used to take groups of student nurses around a large city one years ago. A few felt uncomfortable but many said that it helped - allayed fears and they were impressed with the compassion of the staff.

Yes, two issues here.Babies born prematurely, or stillborn babies were always either buried or cremated with unknown ( to the baby's family) deceased people.It Was the case when we lost a baby ( hospital said they would take care of things) we didn't find out until later what happened, but were told it was always the case.Had I known, I would have wished to make our own arrangements.
I would be quite interested to look around a crematorium, particularly if it was a local one.We have a brand spanking new one just opened this last year, looks so much nicer than all the depressing old ones, and after all, although one day I will be there, I won't actually be in any position to look around with interest!

I think it sounds interesting, I like to know how things work. Death is a fact of life.
As christinef says, the cremation of babies is a separate issue.

Yes I think it could be interesting to actually see how it all works. We do tend to shy away from all things death related.
The issue around the cremation of babies is a whole different matter.

My sister went to an open day at our crematorium. She said it was fascinating . I'm afraid it would not be something I would want to do. I remember in the sixties travelling on the Pullman service from London and getting into conversation with a very nice (youngish) man who had designed a new crematorium for Grantham and he was on his way to look it over prior to the official opening. He said if I was willing to break my journey, he would like to give me a guided tour and then perhaps take me for a meal afterwards. I politely declined. If it could be classed as a chat up line, it had to be a cut above "come up and see my etchings". I rather regretted that I hadn't afterwards.

Cremation

Around here the problem with creation of babies is that their families have not been able to even have their ashes returned and this was not made clear before they agreed to cremation. Therefore the parents had nothing of their dead child.

The problem 'appears' to be that the design of some crematoria was very poor. Not architecturally, but with the actual burning and capture of small amounts of remains as in babies and small children

Irina I went on a tour of the Paris sewers years ago. It was fascinating! Amazing to think all this was going on under the streets of Paris!

People like looking round graveyards and the churches associated with them, both for the human stories and the architecture. Why not crematoriums (crematoria?) too? Could be interesting.

I don't think there's anything intrinsically immoral about cremating the bodies of dead babies. Why would there be? We cremate dead adult bodies. What's the difference? Especially if hospitals have just been left to "deal with" the dead babies' bodies, which I presume is what has happened because if parents wanted to have a funeral for their dead child, presumably they would.

Speculation isn't going to help though, so why don't we wait for the results of the investigation?

But the fact remains that it is no more wrong to cremate a dead baby than it is to cremate a dead adult, so why the sensationalism in the press?

I would find it interesting, I think. Just wish we had one in Malta. 2016 and still no option to be cremated.

I think it might be comforting. A couple round here have open days too.

Nope, enough depressing things in life without visiting a crematorium unless one has to.

Having said that I would like a trip around the Paris sewers, wonder if you can still do that, and out of interest has anyone here done it?

My husband designed his about 25 years ago. They are necessary buildings. Perhaps people should visit them before it's necessary to go there for someone's cremation.

A fellow N'easter!! No, the picture didn't exactly mske you rush out to join the queue(!) did it?

I've just read about that in the EE. The accompanying photo didn't make it look very enticing. I won't be going.

Nothing at all, but this was built in 1975-a decade not renowned for the quality of its architecture. It's not like visiting Roslyn Chapel.

My husband once designed a crematorium. Nothing wrong with seeing them as architecture.

It was discovered that babies had been cremated alongside unrelated adults and parents told there were no remains to bury/otherwise dispose of. Meanwhile other families had unknowingly been given the final remains of these infants along with those of their deceased relatives. There has been a major inquiry into infant cremation practices across Scotland led by Dame Elish Angiolini.

Why not. What was the bad press re premature infants btw?

Nope, not something I would want to visit. You go to such places when you have no choice, in my view.

Hmmm nope wouldn't Float my boat either