Meet the Team - Allen & Son Funeral Directors

JAMES DRURY

Company Director & Funeral Director

CERT. FP MIFDC

I entered the funeral industry in 2017, gaining valuable experience with long-established, family-run independent funeral directors. I had previously spent 15 years in the ambulance service and have always worked in people-focused roles. With a father in the forces, I lived in various places worldwide during my childhood, including Hong Kong and Northern Ireland, before settling on the Isle of Wight. I moved to Oxfordshire in 1997 and now live in Moreton-in-Marsh. I enjoy a wide range of hobbies, when time allows, such as watching Formula 1, exploring archaeological and historical sites, and reading crime thrillers. I hold several professional and vocational qualifications from past roles, including a Diploma in the Principles of End-of-Life Care. I am, and always have been, committed to maintaining high standards, pursuing continuous professional development, and staying current with new, better practices and guidance, and currently hold a Cert FP qualification in the funeral profession. With a background in aeronautical engineering, I am good at solving practical problems, fixing computers, and handling DIY tasks, and enjoy using these abilities to help others. Of course, walking Badger does take up some of my time, but in any spare time, I like to bake, and my shortbread, Victoria sponge, and lemon drizzle cakes are always popular at the charity fundraising coffee mornings we regularly hold.

DIANE DRURY

Company Director & Funeral Administrator

I joined the funeral profession in 2015 after a 30-year career in banking. My main responsibilities include meeting with families to discuss funeral arrangements, offering guidance and support, and managing the office's day-to-day operations. Originally from Staffordshire, I have lived and worked in several counties over the years, but now love living in Moreton-in-Marsh. In any spare time, I share James' passion for visiting castles and cathedrals, and love to take Badger for walks in our beautiful countryside.

BADGER

Office Assistant

Badger, affectionately known as our office assistant or "dog's body," joined us in August 2023 at 12 weeks old. His training is progressing well, though he enjoys more lunch and rest breaks than the rest of the team! A friendly cockapoo, Badger comes to the office every day and loves being around people. He’s happy to say hello and offer cuddles for families who love dogs. For those who prefer not to interact, he can easily be kept in our office, otherwise known as his playroom.

OUR SUPPORT TEAM

Our experienced team of casual staff assist us in ensuring all our services are conducted in a professional and dignified manner, whether it be pall-bearing at funeral services or bringing your loved ones into our care. All are local gentlemen, some of whom have lived in Moreton their entire lives. We are very grateful to have such a dedicated and caring team.

Thank you for your hard work, professionalism and kindness with my father’s funeral yesterday. The order of service and your help in putting that together was perfect. Everything went well and we were so grateful to have you looking after us at the crematorium.
Our family friends and colleagues were very complementary of you, Wendy and the Crematorium and the flowers. Everything was done so smoothly and with such ease. Thank you - we are immensely grateful for making a difficult emotional day so straight forward for us all.

February 2026

Thank you so much for ensuring that everything went smoothly yesterday, and for your kind support throughout.

April 2026

I’d like to thank you, James and your team for making yesterday so respectful and comforting for all of the family.

We all feel that he would have been happy with the day.

Thank you, Di, for all of your help over the last month and for being so understanding when I was asking many, many questions.

You were a godsend and I couldn’t have coped without your amazing help and patience.

March 2026

I chose Allen and Son, Funeral Directors for my late husband’s funeral arrangements last year and they proved to be an excellent choice, guiding me through all the problems that my family and I were experiencing at the time. James and Diane were very professional, helpful, kind and caring. It was comforting to know they were always at the end of the phone if I needed to talk. Nothing was too much trouble and they were there to guide us every step of the way helping to take away the stress of the situation and for this I will be forever grateful to them.

October 2025

We just wanted to thank you very much for your wonderful help and support through these past four weeks or so. It has been a great comfort to have someone we could call on day or night when we suddenly found ourselves entering a whole new world not just of sadness and loss, but also of formalities, officialdom, documentation and, eventually the arrangement and participation in a Cremation Service, an interment and a Service of Remembrance.
You were even able to supply us with the name of a caterer for the after service tea, which went really well.

June 2026