Death and dementia – the last taboos? – Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall

Sue Ryder do some fantastic work in palliative care. When they invited me to help run a Death Café at Thorpe Hall I jumped at the chance. The last one went so well we have another coming up. We wont only be talking about death but also about dementia. This may sound gloomy stuff but […]

Death in Italy

San Quirico Tuscany I’m sitting by my Tuscan swimming pool as I write. As I’m touching on the subject of death and the Catholic church, I’m conscious of a large chasm opening in front of me. With that in mind, unless its clear to the contrary, all thoughts and comments are mine and mine alone. […]

Does our desire for the good life cause us to isolate those who remind us of our mortality?

The Death Cafe is pretty big in the USA. My American cousins were visiting recently and hadn’t heard of it. My Cousin Marilyn has just sent me an article from her local paper which I reproduce below. I was particularly struck by the paragraph that I’ve highlighted. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel By BILL WARD Aug. 5, […]

Law on Intestacy to change?

The government put forward in the House of Lords this week, The Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Bill It aims to reform and simplify the distribution of the estate of someone who dies intestate (without making a will) in England and Wales. A surviving spouse (or civil partner) will automatically inherit the estate of an intestate […]

Life, death and George Osborne with the Bury St Edmunds Chamber

Nigel George talks to the Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce First Friday Club Bury St Edmunds Chamber website: http://burystedmundschamber.org/ Every year since I’ve been a member of the Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce, they have been kind enough to invite me along to speak to the First Friday Club. They are a lovely […]

Whose kidney is it?

What is the most precious thing you can leave when you die? Is it your house, your car? or is it the gift of life? According to the BBC, three people die each day due to a lack of organ donors. Your life may have ended but by donating your organs others can live. Your […]

Do you live in a Dementia friendly town?

Guardian Healthcare “For example, we are working to make Crawley a “dementia-friendly town”. We are increasing diagnosis rates and awareness while working with organisations such as the police and fire service to ensure there is a network of dementia-friendly organisations trying to make life as normal as possible for people suffering with dementia and for […]