"I'll be buried with my Jaws DVD!" says ancient Eygpt enthusiast

A mother, inspired by her daughter's love of history, plans to be buried with a series of personal keepsakes, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian customs. Rebecca Brody, a 48-year-old wedding photographer, has chosen an unconventional selection of burial items, including her handbag, a Jaws DVD, her cat's ashes, and paracetamol.

Rebecca's decision stems from a desire to enter the afterlife with her most cherished possessions, ensuring she doesn't go 'unprepared.' She began contemplating her mortality after a near-death experience during childbirth and drew inspiration from ancient Egyptian rituals, influenced by her daughter's historical interests.

FINAL WISHES: Rebecca (right) first thought about writing a will after the birth of her daughter (left) in 2000 (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

Rebecca said she thinks a funeral is 'really nice' when it's made personal, as 'that's what your funeral should be', a 'representation of them'. She said when you do something different, people think, 'Oh, that funeral was brilliant', and 'I loved it'. Rebecca said she loves throwing a 'great party', and this would be her 'final party'.

While recalling the complications with her labour and how they nearly became fatal, she said: "It was a very long, complicated labour where many, many things went wrong, but basically, I had massive internal haemorrhaging. I ended up having an operation after giving birth and was given seven pints of blood – hence the reason why I only have one child."

"I think a funeral, especially if someone's very old, it should be a joyous thing. I feel it should be a representation of who they are as a person, and I just wanted to make sure mine would be more personal to me and who I am. Aside from the practical stuff, I have a playlist already on my Spotify of songs to play at my wake. There's a bit of heavy metal, a bit of Kylie and some songs from The Muppets.

"I want people to hear them and say, 'Oh my god; that's so Becky'. It's a bit like a Desert Island Disc of my favourite songs. Music is such a huge part of my life, so it should be a huge part of my funeral. The food served has got to be cream tea. I've also got to have sausage rolls and lots of cake."

Creator of The Daily Jaws Ross Williams with a few of his physical copies of ‘JAWS’

Rebecca, an art enthusiast, plans to distribute her prints and ceramics to attendees at her funeral, with each item carefully selected for individual family members. Although she won't be mummified or entombed, she intends to take a collection of trinkets with her, including the ashes of her cat, Peggy. She hopes her requests will bring some laughter to her loved ones.

Living in Brighton with her husband, Andrew, 48, and their daughter, Harriet, 24, Rebecca explains: "You don't want to go to the afterlife unprepared, so I want my handbag with me, full of things like paracetamol and tissues. I'll have a DVD copy of my favorite movie, Jaws. Jewellery-wise, I'd like to take some pieces with me. I have a signet ring with my initials from before I was married that I've had since I was a teenager."

"I'd like to make a little embroidery of my life at some point and that might be nice to include along with some pictures of my family. Basically, just all the things that are important to me and make up my life." She also emphasised the importance of having a will, saying it's 'peace of mind' for her to know that 'there's things sorted' that her husband and daughter don't have to worry about.

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