About Us
Oak Funeral Services created Southwest Cremations after receiving a growing number of enquiries for a simple but dignified “cremation only” service. A service that was fairly priced that treated everyone with the dignity, care and respect that we all deserve.
In response, Southwest Cremations came into being to provide a simple but dignified and caring, cremation only alternative. We’ve now developed and grown our service to offer something a little bit different and we feel, a little more special than the plethora of low cost direct cremation services flooding across the internet.
We now offer a Simple or “Direct” Cremation but with the opportunity for family or loved ones to join us at the crematorium, so that you can be there if you wish to “see them off” and say your last goodbye properly.
So it seemed only sensible to offer an enhanced service as well, and after some discussions with the crematoria we found that we could offer a full funeral service but at a fraction of the cost that many Undertakers were charging.
As we are a bona fide Funeral Director business (Oak Funeral Services Ltd) and we already have the staff, premises and vehicles, we decided to extend the Simple or Direct Cremation service to include a 20 minute chapel service officiated by our own civil celebrant. By keeping to the early morning timing and conducting the funeral before 10am, we are able to pass on the cost savings to our clients.
We are often asked how we can afford to provide a service like this for such a low cost in comparison to many other Funeral Directors.
The simple answer is that we are structured and set up to meet the needs of our local community. We do not believe in charging ever higher costs and we will always aim to be completely transparent in all our work. By holding the cremation services between 9 and 10am, we are able to take advantage of the lower charges fixed by the Crematorium, which enables us to keep the price to a minimum.
“I’d rather conduct 10 funerals at affordable cost, than 2 at the prices some of the larger companies charge. That way, those who than can least afford the ever rising cost of a funeral can have a service with the dignity and respect they deserve, plus I get to sleep at night with a clear conscience.” – Jonathan Mees
We are NOT an ‘internet only’ cheap cremation service. We are an Award Winning Traditional Funeral Directors with over 55 years of experience, with our own premises and facilities.
Please visit our main website at www.oakfunerals.co.uk for much more detailed information. Our offices and Chapel of Rest are always open to visitors and we will always be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Mark Robson Adv DipFD
Funeral Director
From an early age, Mark spent many Saturday’s washing hearses and limousines and at the age of 15, he carried his first coffin. In 1986 Mark started working for a large Funeral Directors and whilst studying Canon law at Loughborough. In 2000 Mark gained his Diploma as a Funeral Director. In 2009 Mark was awarded a Privilege Award as a Funeral Director which was presented at the Pride of Britain Awards. Mark has arranged funerals from non-fetus stillborns, children, teenagers right up to people past the age of 100, even double funerals and also has experience in International with repatriation into and out of this country, Military and traveller funerals. So with over 30 year’s experience, people are in safe hands.

Orlando Levy DipFD F.A. CAA
Funeral Director
From the age of 15, Orlando experienced the heartbreaking loss of his father to cancer. During this difficult time, Robson Funeral Service supported his family with care, compassion and dignity. It was through this experience that Orlando realised his calling to become a Funeral Director and provide the same care and empathy to others facing the loss of a loved one. Orlando is known for his genuine empathy, deep understanding, and unwavering support for the families he works with. His personal journey has shaped him into someone who truly knows how to walk beside others during their most difficult moments in their life. At the age of 19, Orlando achieved a Diploma in Funeral Arranging, recognised by being awarded Apprentice Of The Year in the funeral sector for 2023. Now, at just 20 years old, he has proudly earned his Funeral Director Diploma — a testament to his dedication, passion, and commitment to helping others.

Nick Rayfield FD
Funeral Director
Nick began his career in the funeral industry 25 years ago, initially working with horse-drawn funerals. This unique and traditional service gave Nick a deep appreciation for the respect and dignity needing to be shown. After gaining valuable experience, Nick transitioned to working for a funeral company as a Funeral Operative. Through dedication and hard work, Nick progressed to the role of a Funeral Director, managing and overseeing funeral arrangements to provide compassionate support to grieving families. In addition to his formal roles, Nick spent several years freelancing as a bearer, funeral director, and carriage driver. This versatile experience also opened doors for him in the film and television industry, where Nick had the opportunity to work with horses on notable productions such as Bridgerton, The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Eastenders (specifically Dot Cotton’s funeral), and Victoria. These projects allowed Nick to combine his professional skills with his passion for horses and period drama. Now at Robson Funeral Services Nick continue to provide compassionate and professional funeral services to family in the Minehead and surrounding area.

Julie Langdon
Funeral Arranger
Julie was born and raised in Watchet, local to the area we serve. Since leaving school, Julie had had a variety of jobs. But it was in 2014 she was introduced to the funeral industry. Since then she hasn’t looked back. Julie advanced her career when she took a gap year in 2023 to work at Taunton Crematorium so she could learn about the cremation process, enhancing her knowledge within the Industry. Julie came back to continue doing what she loves most! Supporting bereaved families with their loved ones funeral arrangements along with being here to help guide and support families at an extremely difficult time. Julie has always considered it a privilege to look after peoples loved ones.