When The Beatles released Eleanor Rigby in 1966, few of the 30-something women listening to the tale of the woman featured in the song's title would have envisaged sharing her fate: "Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name. Nobody came."
Sadly, 43 years on, there is evidence that an increasing number of women are facing a similar destiny, a funeral devoid of any attendees.

With the continuing breakdown of the traditional family unit, more and more elderly people are facing lonely lives. In 1961, 12% of the population lived alone, representing 1.9 million households. By 2005 this had risen to 29% of the population, accounting for 7 million households, and now nearly half of the one-person households are pensioner-only households. Over three quarters of women living alone are aged 65 and over.