Behind the curtain: crematorium holds open day – in pictures

The memorial gardens at the crematorium Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Inside Stafford crematorium Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

The Morris Minor company's hearse Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Visitors admire the Suzuki 1400cc trike and matching diamond black hearse Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

A VW campervan hearse, seen from the cabin of a matching family limo car Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Members of the public are taken round the crematorium
Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

A visitor peers into one of the (switched off) cremators Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Opening the doors to one of the two cremators, which operate at 800 degrees Celsius Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Pipes and gauges to the mercury abatement unit, which extracts 100% of the poisonous metal contained in tooth fillings Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

One of the identity tags that ensures cremation staff are handling the correct coffin Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

On the other side of the curtain. The committal room where coffins are loaded into the cremators Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Hip joints, knee joints, plates and staples recovered from the cremators. If families agree, the items are sold to a metal recycling company and the profits are donated to a bereavement charity Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

A balloon in the children's memorial garden Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

The Greenacre eternal family burial system. The system is dug up to 3 metres into the ground, and can take up to four coffins and more than 20 urns. A dedicated shelf or concrete slab can be placed between each interment, allowing access to future interments with a lid that can be removed mechanically or manually Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Examples of different colour text for headstones Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian