Corrie's Hayley

[Altfish]

I've heard through the grapevine that the funeral of Hayley Cropper on Coronation Street will be Humanist.

My source also tells me that the BHA are pretty excited about this and are/have been actively helping with script, etc.

All you celebrants had better get ready for a boost in numbers.

[Dave B]

No TV so all this sort of stuff misses me (wouldn't watch Corrie anyway! ) but be interesting to keep watch on the reaction to such an event.

Added: just had a look to see if there is owt on this. What I did find just confirmed me (as if I needed it) why I don't miss TV and, especially, soaps!

Hayley’s news that she’s only got weeks to live filters around the Street after she and Roy agree that friends should be told. Roy takes his shopping bag and goes to break the news to Carla in the flat. Carla demands to see Hayley, barges into her bedroom and gets into bed with her for a cosy little chat. Meanwhile, back at Carla’s flat, Tina turns up, barge into the bedroom and gets into bed with Peter for a cosy little chat, and that. But Roy’s left his bag at Carla’s flat! He heads back and gives Peter palpitations when he hears the door go and thinks Carla’s returned. So it was a close shave for Peter and Tina. After they’ve done the sub-duvet shenanigans, Tina tells Liz who threatens Peter in the men’s loo at the Rovers to stay away from Tina. Tina’s all over the place, not knowing where is with Peter who declares undying love for Carla. As neither Tina nor Carla have known Peter Barlow for as long as some of us Corrie fans have, neither of them know better, but we all know he’s a lying, cheating, bigamist who should be left well alone, even if he is gorgeous to look at.

Roy asks Hayley when she intends to take her own life. “It won’t be today, it probably won’t be tomorrow,” she replies, unwilling to give Roy the answer he needs to know but dreads to hear. “When, then?” he asks her. “Soon,” she replies. Susie the humanist funeral celebrant pays Hayley a visit to discuss arrangements for the funeral and up in the flat the Croppers talk through Hayley’s wishes for her final send-off. They talk about Hayley’s character and she reveals she’s not the goody-two-shoes that everyone thinks she is, saying she once dropped a bacon slice on the floor in the café but kept it specially to serve up to the person who deserved it the most. “Tracy Barlow?” asks Roy. Hayley nods. “Good work,” he responds.

http://www.corrie.net/updates/weekly/latest.html

[Altfish]

No TV so all this sort of stuff misses me (wouldn't watch Corrie anyway! ) but be interesting to keep watch on the reaction to such an event.

I can't say I watch it myself, my good lady wife does though and I do realise that this character is dying of terminal cancer.

[Cam]

I can't say I watch it myself, my good lady wife does though and I do realise that this character is dying of terminal cancer.

Same here!

Also, I'm not too happy with the wording of that 'report':

Susie the humanist funeral celebrant pays Hayley a visit to discuss arrangements for the funeral and up in the flat the Croppers talk through Hayley’s wishes for her final send-off.

send-off seems to imply that she's going somewhere else. I'm not sure that's appropriate to Humanists.

[jaywhat]

Another point of interest is that Haley would be dying of terminal cancer if she left it to itself, but her plan is to take her own life before she becomes much iller.
This may be of more interest to the public at large than the humanist ceremony - and this would not be the first such funeral on Coronation Street.

[Altfish]

Yes, this is my worry. She is a transgender character and assisted suicide; the humanist ceremony will become 'the choice of a crackpot'

[jaywhat]

How dare you. Haley is no crackpot.

[Nick]

How dare you. Haley is no crackpot.

... she's a comet...

[Dave B]

How dare you. Haley is no crackpot.

... she's a comet...

That's Halley.

And "crackpot" is a POV

[jaywhat]

Whatever - I think it is goodbye Haley tonight.

[Alan H]

You might like to vote in this Dignity in Dying poll: http://www.hayleyschoice.co.uk/

On Coronation Street next week, terminally ill Hayley chooses to control the manner and timing of her death.

Assisting people to die at the end of their life is illegal.

Does the law need to change to allow safeguarded assisted dying?

[jaywhat]

Thanks for that. Alan. Nearly 96% voted for assisted dying.

[jaywhat]

Well. Haley died last night in Roy's arms after telling him this was the end. She had a glass of something bedside the bed which she had prepared when Roy was doing something else in another room. She told him quite strongly not to touch it and not to interfere - so the 'Corrie' writers cannot be accused of producing a scene showing 'assisted suicide'. I guess it was a concoction of strong pane killers.

We shall miss you Haley.

[Altfish]

I hope the Humanist funeral is done equally as well.

[Tetenterre]

Poll is now closed. Missed it.

[Alan H]

Unfortunately, with not final numbers...but, given it's a Dignity in Dying website, it may not be a representative poll...

[getreal]

I think it has been handled sensitively. The fact that Roy was not in agreement with her wishes and only acquiesced under Haley's constant reasoning, made the situation much more believable.

But it was not assisted dying. It was suicide.

[jaywhat]

I think it has been handled sensitively. The fact that Roy was not in agreement with her wishes and only acquiesced under Haley's constant reasoning, made the situation much more believable.

But it was not assisted dying. It was suicide.

yes but it does show how narrow the line is between the two

[Ninny]

Yes, it was suicide. And the fact that the press and many others who feel like commenting is confusing it with assisted dying just shows how muddled people are about the difference.

[Dave B]

Yes, it was suicide. And the fact that the press and many others who feel like commenting is confusing it with assisted dying just shows how muddled people are about the difference.

Understanding that the media will get it wrong if it makes a "better" story . . .

If a person knows that another is going to commit suicide and takes no action to prevent it are they not an accessory to the act and could, possibly, be accused of "assistance" in broad terms? Not sure about the legal definition here.

Later: since suicide is no longer a criminal act I suspect the "accessory before the fact" and "aiding and abetting" probably do not apply here.