Registrars across the country will be celebrated on July 1 as National Registrars’ Day 2022 takes place for the second time.
The registration service is not necessarily a department that we often think about, but when we need them they are vital, and are with all of us at the best and worst of times.
They register all births and deaths for Wrexham as well as officiating and registering at weddings. As you can imagine, Wrexham’s registrars have many stories to tell! While dealing with the legalities of a wedding ceremony, there is regularly a wardrobe malfunction, including the loss of buttons, flowers, veils, removing lipstick from the groom’s suit before they are even married – now that would be a difficult conversation to have with the bride!
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But registrars are also there to help us through some very difficult times. Speaking about registering deaths, Susan Lloyd, superintendent registrar/registration services team leader, said: “We are constantly amazed at the strength that parents show when they register the loss of a child, whether this is a still-birth, neo-natal death or later in life (regardless of age), it is this part of the service that keeps us humble and makes us proud of what we do. Albeit a small part of their journey, these stories are precious, stay with us and impact us in ways some may not realise or understand.”
But there can be some amusement found in these difficult moments, like the families who come in and tell funny stories about the loved ones they have lost – one family confided that they were taking their relative’s false leg along to the funeral knowing it would have made them laugh.
Speaking about the service generally, Susan said: “Everyone at some time in their life will require the services of the registration team, whether it is to register a birth, death, still-birth, give notice of marriage, take part in their wedding or citizenship ceremony or even if they just require a copy of a certificate. Myself and the 5 other members of the team, Lois, Paul, Amelia, Joanne and Victoria support our district of Wrexham. Our service is small but mighty and is often forgotten in the day to day lives of our communities and colleagues but as registrars, we are there to guide you, listen to you, laugh and empathise with you at your happiest and, sometimes, worst times. Covid was hard for everyone, but we continued to provide a face to face service, adapting quickly to ensure the community still had us to guide them. It is great that we are able to take the time to reflect on what we actually do for others: it is our job, but we are proud of what we do and how we make a contribution to the community of Wrexham. Hopefully the National Registrars Day will provide a snapshot into this.”
Now an annual event, National Registrars’ Day 2022 will fill social media, introducing Wrexham residents to the registrars and also giving an insight into what the job is like.
Keep an eye on Facebook @wrexhamcouncil and Twitter @wrexhamcbc on July 1, to find out more.
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