A forgotten house... in the Cotswolds

Dirus_Strictus said:

Even the most cursory of searches, amongst your local records of deaths and grants of probate, will reveal that most large towns and cities have annual numbers approaching double figures. The majority do not follow the circumstances of this example - most will have lived in rented accommodation, either private or council, thus any belongings left behind will have been cleared out sharpish and stored. For a seemingly lone person owning their dwelling who dies intestate, it can take much longer than twelve months to sort things out to finality. Any surviving relatives have to be searched for and all monies gathered in - all the while the property remaining uninhabited and under lock and key. However, property left empty under the aforesaid circumstances is neither derelict nor abandoned - that only comes about when some sad individuals from our modern society decide to kick in the front door and vandalise the place.

There is nothing special about this property. Any older person who is fortunate enough not to have to live out of a suitcase has a collection of similar things around them, I certainly do. The objects are the accumulation of a life lived for 70 or 80 odd years, memories to be passed on - if one is so blessed, otherwise the contents of the house clearance auction or skip. Learn from the sadness here, just make sure those images aren't a reflection of your own demise

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