Funeral Services from a name you can trust - Hickling's.
Established in 1959 by Norman Hickling, Hickling’s Funeral Service ‘Hickling’s’, Doncaster remains a family run business to this day.
Hickling’s, Doncaster is situated within the quiet village of Adwick-le-Street, on the outskirts of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Today the business is run by Roger Hickling (Norman’s son), Peter Hickling (Roger’s son), Paula Molyneaux (Roger’s Neice) along with Andrew Wilcox a dedicated established employee based at our Doncaster Funeral Home.
Norman Hickling, the founder of Hickling’s Funeral Service was born in 1918, the son of William Ernest (a Miner at Brodsworth Colliery) and Ann May Hickling. He was schooled and brought up in Highfields and Woodlands, a close knit mining community of Doncaster. Trained as a Joiner/Carpenter he worked for Sheard Binnington’s in Doncaster and then later Brewitt’s shop fitters.
In 1939 like many other young men Norman was sent off to war, first in Europe and then joining the Eighth Army in North Africa serving with REME, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Following his return from Africa in 1945 he returned to work for Sheared Binnington’s furniture company and then Brewitt’s shop fitters who were also Funeral Furnishers.
The effect of the war years and the demands of a changing society, led Norman to look at life differently, and following the death of a family member, he set up his own business as a joiner and undertaker (as they were known in those days). The business grew steadily and in 1959 moved to Hickling’s current premises 4-12. Church Lane, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, from which the business has been run, now for over 58 years.
A lot of hard work and many years later the business turned away from the joinery work and concentrated on the Funeral Services. Norman studied and in 1964 attained his Diploma in Funeral Directing as prescribed by the National Association of Funeral Directors. This opened up a greater network of contacts and skills which enabled him to extend his care to the wider community in which he worked.
Following the death of Norman’s wife Claire in 1975, Norman’s son, Roger, joined the business and working side by side with his father, they kept the business going through what was “their grieving years”. Roger studied and in 1980 he attaining his Diploma in Funeral Directing as prescribed by the National Association of Funeral Directors. This gave the business a better foundation with two qualified Funeral Directors.
The 1980’s brought the miners strikes, which brought hardship to the whole community. Funerals still had to be carried out and both Norman and Roger continued to work as funeral directors even when their clients had little money to pay day to day bills not to mention a funeral bill. The business helped to keep costs affordable and accounts were held over, eventually the strikes came to an end and bit by bit, little by little, people made the required payments and things got back to normal.
During this same period, following the miners strikes, a great deal of multi group take-overs were happening within the funeral profession. These were resisted and Hickling’s Funeral Service remained under the control of the Hickling Family and continues to this day, an Independent Funeral Directors, Doncaster.
In 1990 Roger, as a NAFD Diploma holder, joined the British Institute of Funeral Directors (BIFD) this gave the business greater networking with like minded Funeral Directors around the county, again enabling extended services of care to the community.
Sadly in October 1992 Norman passed away following a short illness. This was the passing of the founder of the business and the end of an era. The Ethos instilled in him be Norman, Roger saw this as the start of a new chapter for the business. As always the business must go on. It was around this time that Sylvia, Norman’s daughter joined Roger in the business.
Rather than expanding by opening another office in another area of Doncaster, Roger concentrated on enhancing the service they offered through their Adwick-le-Street office.
Roger and Sylvia continued to achieve, and maintained the standards that has become associated with the Family name, “Hickling’s”
In mid 1993 the business became members of the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) which was formed as an association of independent Funeral Directors, which again gave more scope and a greater network of independent funeral services to the business.
The year 2000 Roger’s son, Peter, joined the business. He quickly settled into the day to day running of the profession. Many years of working side by side, Peter and Roger, have maintained the standard that the public have come to expect from Hickling’s Funeral Services.
July 2007 saw our greatest test, when the business was flooded by the overflowing of the Ea Beck River, which ran between Adwick-le-Street and Carcroft. Many local residents were affected by the flood, some left homeless. The Funeral Service and Post Office on Church Lane were engulfed. Having little notice and late at night, we were able to move the deceased into the Parish Church of St. Laurence’s across the road (which was on higher ground). The following morning with 36” of water throughout the building, our resolve was to continue to do the best we could for those families that had put their trust in us. This meant that despite our own emotional turmoil we continued our work and carried out two funerals that same day. Many people were affected by the floods and whilst the water eventually subsided, the buildings were repaired and restored but some 10 years later the memory lingers on.
Within today’s economically depressed environment, the business again is finding that people cannot always afford what their hearts may desire and we continue to work to make funeral arrangements affordable and manageable, whilst still trying to meet the expectations of our customers.
The business itself continues, nestled within the heart of the village of Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, opposite the Parish Church of St. Laurence’s. We continue to strive to extend the caring service that become expected at what is the most difficult emotional time of many people’s lives.
We are here to be of service to the local community, for further assistance in Funeral Planning Services, Doncaster - please contact Hickling’s on 01302 723229
