Thanks, chaps. I didn't say yesterday, but when I went to measure him up, I was met by his son. Stuart was asleep, so we sat and had a cup of coffee for 10 minutes. He told me that Stuart was "over the moon" that I had agreed to do this. I'll take that.
Today I rang the Superintendent's office (apparently it's an E. AttendAnt. SuperintendEnt. A pedant's nightmare). There is no-one in post at the mo, but the lady who answered the phone was very helpful.
If it is obviously pine, I don't have to worry about proving FSC status.
I don't have to worry about lining the coffin (the body bag will do the necessary).
Rope handles are OK, but they would prefer natural jute to polypropylene. That is not a problem (eBay is my friend) but I am quite surprised, given the other references to flammability.
We have decided to get Stuart to sign his name with a Sharpie, and then transfer that to the coffin and burn it in with a pyro iron.
I'm not sure I've measured him up right, I've asked his wife to check. The last thing I want is for him to be squeezed into place, nor should he be free to move around (for reasons of balance). I'm not actually certain I've bought enough wood.
One thing that this episode has brought home to me is how fast things can go pear-shaped. Within one week he went from apparently tickety-boo, to being ill, to have a paliative care package in place.
One. Week.
So when this is done, I'm going to crack on with my dining chairs, which have taken a bit of a back seat (ha-ha) whilst I've been having fun with
a little birthday project for the first lady with whom I ever fell in love, and then I'm going to build my own. If been thinking about for many years (if I get enough notice, etc, etc), but I now realise it may be too late by then. So if I do it now it will be ready whether I need it in 20 weeks or 20 years. I hope it's not just 20 weeks, but who knows? I rather hope it's not going to be another 20 years, to be honest. Enough is enough.