THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

Grandparents apart

Home alone - grandparents are fighting for access to children

Family splits can cause huge anguish for grandparents.

It's the in-laws who tend to be forgotten when marriages fail or a parent of a young child dies.

There are a large number of grandparents out there fighting for access to see their grandchildren.

Agony aunt and grandmother herself, Virginia Ironside, has been meeting those who believe they deserve more rights when it comes to keeping in touch with their own flesh and blood.

If you are affected by some of the issues raised by this programme, Parentline Plus offers a free leaflet 'Grandparents in Stepfamilies' which you can view on their web site.

Grandparents can also receive help from The Grandparents Action Group - contact Pam Wilson.

The helpline can be reached on 01952 582621.

Links relating to this story:

• Grandparents Apart
  Equal Parenting Council
  Grandparents Action Group
  Parentline Plus

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Funerals

New style funerals are replacing the traditional

There are many strange ways to say goodbye to the world.

The death business is moving away from the traditional send off.

There's the revved up Reverend from Long Eaton who delivers coffins to church on his motorbike sidecar hearse.

And there's the Nottinghamshire undertakers who run a company called Crazy Coffins.

Through their web site you can pick coffins shaped from Skips to skateboards.

Then for the eco friendly there are the cardboard coffins from a family undertaker in Derby.

Links relating to this story:

• bbc.co.uk/insideout (Burials)
• Crazy Coffins
• Natural Death Centre
• Funerals UK
• UK Funerals Online

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

The Coalminer's daughter

From coal to culture...

Inside Out follows the story of the Coalminer's daughter from Nottinghamshire trying to make it in the high brow world of Opera.

Imagine doing a job where you train for years and years and by the time you are reaching the peak of your ability in your late twenties, you still don't know if you're going to make it.

That's the point Rebecca Von Lipinski has reached. Her father was a coal miner in Warsop near Mansfield.

She wants top be an Opera Star. And she's found the going tough.

Inside Out has spent six months with her as she embarks on a role in a controversial new production with the English National Opera, 'The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant'.

Links relating to this story:

• English National Opera
• Harlequin

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites