Couple took own lives to end pain of old age
Couple took own lives to end pain of ancient age
Dennis and Flora Milner commit suicide and send letters to the BBC and the Labour Party to highlight issues of euthanasia.
Plans: Flora and Dennis Milner had spoken of committing suicide
A couple who could no longer face ancient age gassed themselves in a suicide pact, an inquest heard today.
Dennis, 83, and Flora Milner, 81, pinned a note to the door of their home saying what they were ‘thinking of doing had been done’.
They also wrote letters to the Labour Party, the BBC and their local newspaper highlighting the issues of euthanasia, before taking their own lives.
They were learned by friends at their home last November 1, with their heads in a plastic bag attached to gas canisters.
Hours before they died, the couple, of Newbury in Berkshire, went to a concert with their son Nigel and daughter Chrissy.
‘Both myself and my sister were aware that some time between June/July and December/Christmas our parents were going to take their own lives,’ Nigel Milner told the inquest, adding: ‘They had spoken of it for many years.
‘We knew that, should there be a time when the quality of life was not acceptable to both of them, they would take their own lives. It (their health) had been deteriorating for both of them, certainly for the last 12 to 18 months.’
Neighbour Ronald Headly found the Milners’ bodies after learning the note on their back door.
‘Since I have known them, the couple have always spoken of how they will commit suicide when the time is right,’ he told the inquest.
‘Over the last few weeks they had spoken more and more about it.
‘Billy (Mrs Milner’s nickname) was losing her sight and they had both been suffering hip problems.
‘On October 29, we had them over for dinner. At the end, Dennis gave me a very emotional hug, which made me reckon they were about to carry out their plans.’
Newbury coroner Anna Burnside said: ‘It appears… Mr and Mrs Milner had thought quite carefully about what they were doing.
‘They had plotted it, they had researched it. It is clearly something both wanted and it is not for me to say whether that is right or incorrect.’
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Looking for Unique Christmas Gifts? Tips on How to Sort the Holly From the Ivy (christmas Gifts)
As any seasoned shopper will know, there are times when shopping can be fun, times when it can be hard work, and times when it can be practically impossible. Shopping for yourself isn’t always such a problem, at least you have an thought about what you do and don’t like; but when shopping for others, sometimes the expression ‘nightmare before Christmas’ can ring all too right. If you’re lucky or have plotted well in advance (i.e. July seems to be a well loved time to start plotting Christmas these days), then you’ll know exactly what is on everyone’s wish list to Santa this year and can get the Christmas gifts sorted before the Christmas rush. The run up to Christmas is an vital time to start preparing for what you’re going to buy. Listen out for any hints that your family might have been making about what they’d like for Christmas gifts. But be careful how you interpret these messages – BE WARNED GENTLEMEN, if your wife tells you that “the iron is broken”, this is NOT a subtle hint for what she’d like for Christmas! But no matter how in advance you plot, there’s always someone in the family that is just that small bit awkward and hard to buy for, which is probably why the sales of pyjamas, socks and slippers go up at Christmas time. What Christmas gift do you buy for the person who has no obvious interests or leisure activities? What do you buy for the person who already has it all? In the latter case you could always opt for nothing. Literally. Nothing. For the person who has it all, simply give them the ‘Nothing ball’ that literally does nothing. It might sound a small bizarre at first but makes perfect sense for many. It’ll certainly place a smile on someone’s face and is likely to be the Christmas gift that everybody is talking about for years to come. Christmas should be a time of remembering how much we care about our loved ones and what better way to say it than with a personalised Christmas gift? Choose from a range of personalised calendars, mugs and even a range of engraved gifts that can be a permanent reminder of just how much you like someone – and just how much effort you place into getting their Christmas gifts (a sure way of being treated like a King or Queen for the rest of the year). Simply supply a name and picture and you could give someone their own personal headline tale in a spoof copy of the Daily Mirror – an brilliant choice of gift for anyone who wants to make the news themselves. Or perhaps an even more amusing Christmas gift for those avid readers of the Financial Times. A safer bet for these friends might be an original newspaper from the day that they were born. Complete with a handmade gift box, these unique Christmas Gifts really remind your loved ones how thoughtful you can be. Just make sure you supply the right birth date, or any date that is relevant to the recipient, and you’re sure to place a huge smile on someone’s face. If you’re a fantastic believer that Christmas is a time for indulgence then why not treat that someone special to a personalised bottle of champagne, or even a personalised Baileys Basket? The latter is a fantastic twist on the more traditional picnic hamper and includes a luxury wicker basket which can be used again and again. Or if it’s laughter you want this Christmas then there are plenty of unique and unusual Christmas gifts that will appeal to anyone’s sense of humour such as the personalised Jelly Mould…how many people can say they have one of them? Christmas morning can prove to be awkward on those occasions when you receive a gift that you don’t really like or need – it’s probably no surprise that January is a busy time of year for eBay. But you can be certain that your well-chosen Christmas gifts don’t end up in the same place if you ensure that what you’re buying has a practical purpose, such as a personalised mug. The ‘There’s only One!’ name mug is a sure way of giving someone a Christmas gift they can use and keep forever, and is of course, unique to them. But remember to practise your own ‘pleasantly surprised’ smile for Christmas day, and when you’re unwrapping your third pair of pyjamas, despite having place so much effort into everyone elses’ Gifts, just remind yourself that it’s a time of giving, not receiving!
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When it comes to the largest characters of the Christmas season, you might initially reckon of all of your television favourites. After all, what Christmas would be complete without at least the possibility of sitting down in front of the TV – post-lunch – and enjoying a repeat of ET, James Bond, Indiana Jones or – shock horror – perhaps even Mary Poppins? There’s Rambo too, but not until after the kids have gone to bed. Or perhaps the Queen comes to mind when one thinks of the most vital faces of Christmas. After all, who hasn’t tuned into to Her Majesty’s afternoon slot, and – filled with a sense of pride – listened to what the Queen considers to be the most vital highlights of the year that is now drawing to a close? There really are few Christmas Gifts more magical than that. But, Christmas would not be complete without a few more heavy-hitters; the real A-List celebrities of the festive season. And the Huge Daddy of them all is small Baby Jesus. Also known as Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus Christ, Baby Jesus is a central figure of Christianity and a prophet of Islam. Those familiar with the nativity tale will know that Baby Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem and his mother was the Virgin Mary. Born in a manger because of a severe shortage of accommodation – presumably because it was hard to book in advance at this point in history – after his birth Baby Jesus was visited by the Three Wise Men, who are also known as the Three Kings or the Kings from the East. And it was from these men that he received the three Gifts of myrrh, gold and frankincense. Even today, Baby Jesus is associated with gift giving at Christmas time and with gift giving in the Czech Republic taking place on Christmas Eve, it is the duty of baby Jesus to make sure the Christmas Gifts are under the tree. Santa is another one of the heavyweights of the season of goodwill. Although also known as Father Christmas, the two names really relate to different traditions. But don’t break the news to the kids quite yet. Depicted as a jolly but portly individual, Santa is mostly seen sporting a red outfit, trimmed with white – not forgetting the black leather boots – and is known across the world as the giver of Christmas Gifts. The history of Santa can be found in American culture, but he also has his origins in early Christian times, as well as Dutch folklore and even pre-Christian periods. Father Christmas on the other hand was originally the personification of the Christmas season and was not initially associated with the giving of Gifts. All that has certainly changed now… Next in line is Rudolf. Also known by his full title Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this friendly character is a member of Santa’s sleigh-pulling entourage and an essential component of the jolly man’s Christmas Gifts-giving process. Known for sporting a red nose, Rudolf works with a team of eight other reindeer who all possess the ability to glide (unless of course you come from Finland, where they don’t). Needless to say, this cute Christmas character is entirely fictional, which could prove to be a crushing blow to children below a certain age; but then they’ll have to be told the truth at some point. Frosty the Snowman is another well-known character from Christmases past and present. Often featured on cards and the wrapping paper on Christmas Gifts, the well-known song that we all associate with this cute small snowman was made by Steve Nelson and Walter Rollins. And their small gift to music came hot on the heels of that other well-known Christmas favourite, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Frosty has also appeared on an animated small film and there was even a Frosty the Snowman television special, which was produced in 1969. And for those who long to sing the song of Frosty, it tells a tale of a pleased snowman, made from a corncob, a button and coal. Frosty was a man who, while made of snow, was able to dance and play with children. But ultimately he knew his fate and that his destiny was to be melted by the snow. But, before he left, he declared that one day he would return. Not much chance of that this year though, without a decent amount of snow.
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