A Matter of Life and Death

After Get Carter starring Michael Caine the above has the accolade of being the second favourite British film of all time.

This is a post about death but not for one minute should it be seen as being depressing. This morning SWMBO and I went to a local solicitor in order to draft our wills. This is something that everyone should do regardless of financial situation and especially if you have any wishes over what becomes of your estate.

For us it was quite straightforward as the only asset we have to speak of is the house and in the event that either of us expire it goes straight away to the survivor. There is no portfolio of stocks and shares, overseas properties, fine art, race horses, classic cars or the odd yacht - just bricks and mortar and a small amount of cash.

For me having settled all of this for the family is of paramount importance - at least having the legal framework in place so as to avoid any hassles at what would be a very emotionally turbulent time.

One of the major concerns for me is what should become of my collection? I will say that in my case that this is very modest in that I do not possess thousands of finely painted miniatures and several book cases full of rare and valuable books. Having said that I want to make sure that when I shuffle off to that great wargaming Valhalla that my collection is dispersed in accordance with my wishes.

I have divided up the collection on a thematic basis and so those recipients will gain certain elements of the whole - primarily because I know that those individuals will appreciate what they are getting above and beyond any financial consideration.

The main bulk of my collection is books and mercifully the armies/fleets element is fairly modest even allowing for my ongoing projects.

My recent experiences with the collection of Eric Knowles and the logistical nightmare that his son, Bill, is having to tackle has made me glad that I have made suitable provision for my collection and so hopefully will avoid any hassle for the family. My collection is nowhere near the size and scale of Erics but the principle is the same and so proper preparation for the inevitable is of paramount importance.

A Matter of Life and Death was a famous film starring the late David Niven released shortly after the war. I mention this as not only is it a good title for this post but also my grandfather worked on the construction of the escalator that featured in the film.