The sun is shining and with already one heatwave under the belt, the British summer is well underway. There is nothing like a spell of lovely weather to lighten the mood, lift the spirit and make you feel optimistic. It makes you feel like getting things sorted.
Until that is of course the weather forecasters warn that it will all end in a horrible thunderstorm and prophesies of torrential downpours, resulting floods and other inexorable travel interruptions and misery.
So let’s stay on the positive: barbeques, country walks, seaside walks, a glass of chilled white wine in the garden and lying back soaking in those rays. The sound of bees gorging on all the roses in full bloom, camping, canoeing, sightseeing, strawberries, and ice cream!
Who could fail to be positive about that lot?
Food poisoning, blisters, stinging nettles, midges, liver failure, hay fever, drowning, queuing, rip offs, sugar overloads and melanoma comes the response.
For every positive, there is a well-documented and sometimes scary downside. You’d never leave home if you weighed up the dangers let’s face it but we all come to an accommodation of how we battle through, weighing up the risks and trying to enjoy our days in the sun.
And talking about days in the sun the last few months have seen announcements of the deaths of some very famous individuals. I’m sure there will be a quiz question linking Ron Moody (91), Sir Christopher Lee (93), James Last (86) and Marguerite Patten (99)….all who died within 24 hours of each other. Then there was Ben. E. King, and B.B. King, I always thought they were the same person if I’m honest, which is better than thinking they were dead when they weren’t!
In fact, that’s my definition of ageing, when you’re not really sure which famous bod has departed the mortal coil as opposed to having ever heard of them in the first place which is the divide between teenagers and everyone else. There are of course websites where you can now look everything up but you may wonder why this sudden slightly morbid fascination with mortality? Well I blame Troika.
Ever since Troika began to be used for probate cases I’ve developed an increased interest in the list of celebrity deaths. Did they have a will? Which firm will be handling their estate, will there be a falling out of beneficiaries, etc., etc.
We test our software endlessly using real cases and imagined scenarios. We’re only human, so it helps having a focus that is a little different from the seven dwarfs and the Snow White scenario.
I can’t imagine the rich and famous not having their affairs sorted out, but like us ‘normal’ individuals it’s amazing who puts off making a will. Current estimates are that more than 60% of individuals don’t actually have their affairs in order. I can’t find any statistics on what the percentage is for those working in the industry but if you’re reading this and you haven’t made a will or reviewed your will since a major event in your life, maybe get it sorted!
