What do you want to take with you?

Many people are comforted by the thought of taking a few mementoes on their final journey.

But a cellphone and a bottle of wine aren’t the most obvious items to want to be buried with.

Nevertheless, they both made it into the top ten in a survey. It estimates that 1,5million men and women would like their cellphone, while for men a bottle of alcohol was the third most popular item.

The men’s list also includes a national flag and a packet of cigarettes, while many women chose a cuddly toy.

The idea of taking favourite items to their grave dates back in Britain to the Iron Age.

The pyramids built to house the bodies of the Egyptian pharaohs also contained many of their belongings and even food on the basis that this would be needed in the afterlife.

But the most popular items today remain a photo of a loved one or an object belonging to a partner. The Bible was also in the top ten for both men and women.

Ian Mackie, managing director of funeral planning for Co-op, said: “In recent years there has been a move away from the traditional set format of the funeral. People are now asking for a more individual ceremony that reflects the life of the person who has died.”. - Daily Mail