Give yourself a little bounce….! When the family was younger we had a trampoline – complete with a safety net that made it look like an old fashioned gas tower. For many years it gave immense enjoyment, for bouncing on, camping under and even as a playground for the cats. As our young children grew […]
After an enforced break of over three years due to Covid, I find myself, once again, gearing up to deliver talks on EML’s research into living longer. The starting point is my earlier presentation, which is in need of updating as the data I have been using has moved on. Much of what was projected […]
One simple tool for maintaining relationships is your address book. In addition to contact information I try to include a birthday (if known) or better a date of birth (the latter containing a year – useful for those special birthdays). Birthdays show in my calendar and, for a few quid annually, I subscribe to an […]
Talking about death can be a catalyst for unusual discussions – and occasionally inspirational revelations. Some people are great planners putting considerable thought into their own demise while others, like one relative, a top class hoarder, simply shrugged and said ‘well, it won’t be my problem’. There are some that seek to exercise ‘intrusive control’ […]
With a ‘drains up’ review of your finances complete you might well find yourself considering IGWT. For many this is one of the hardest transitions of their life. Up to this point their whole mantra has been wealth accumulation – making money, saving money and wealth accumulation activity. In a beat this all changes – […]
Long before I ran the world’s largest survey into changing attitudes towards later life I was already aware of the divide between ‘Old money’ and the rest of us. A good friend worked as a land agent advising ‘old money’ on running their estates and through him I gleaned an insight into a totally different […]
The EML definition of Frail Old Age is less scientific then some… Frail Old Age begins when ‘whatever is going to get you in the end’ emerges. Over the last 50 years human life expectancy has increased by 50% yet that final stage – the run up to the end – remains between 1 to […]
One client recently visited by someone from the strategic planning team who was trying to look beyond the many immediate challenges and determine where they should be in 20 – 30 years. I was delighted, 25 years ago the inspirational leader of the financial services organisation I worked with did the same thing and the […]
I went to the Surrey reading of the Proclamation last Sunday – an event that hasn’t happened in over 70 years. It was a wonderful ‘historic’ occasion that spreads the news of the death of one Monarch and the accession of a new one. At its conclusion scrolls are handed the the mayors of Surrey […]
Like many others I’m quietly horrified at the fourfold increase in my energy costs and pondering what I can do. Our wood burner, which until now has been for occasional use, may well be pressed into regular service as a major source of heat, particularly during cold snaps. I may also open up an old […]