AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

TODAY’S BLOG

AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

Following a recent move, I find myself living relatively close to the lovely area of Box Hill, just one of many areas of natural beauty that the Surrey Hills have to offer. Naturally, I decided to climb this vast (in my eyes) hill armed with my new-found affinity for going on walks, borne out of the depths of multiple National lockdowns – I’m sure that many of you will relate.

With some effort (made harder by my choice to climb in a practically vertical fashion up the 275 large steps to the summit instead of one of the rather more gentle inclines available), I made it to the top of the hill. I sampled the magnificent views and treated myself to a coffee – I felt that I’d earned it. I thought that the hard part was done.

Alas, I was wrong. My descent back down the hill was treacherous beyond imagination, leading to more than a few dicey moments and a poignant feeling of regret at my frankly dreadful choice of footwear. I lived to walk another day, though I’m sure that it was touch and go there for a moment!

As many of you already understand, accumulation of wealth is the growing of capital through various different means, most commonly saving and investing. We’ll call this ‘the climb’. This is the process involved in a financial plan that often comes to mind first and without doubt takes hard work, discipline and a detailed plan in order to reach any goals discussed at the outset. You would not be blamed for placing the greatest amount of importance on this stage. But what about decumulation?

In contrast, decumulation of wealth is the direct opposite of accumulation – utilising your capital (sometimes referred to as ‘spending down’) to cater for any one person’s particular needs, most often in retirement. We’ll call this ‘the descent’. This sounds like a wonderful situation to be in, and it is, but there are many potential pitfalls that one could fall into without proper thought and planning. Enter your financial planner. To ensure that you use the assets that you have worked so hard to accumulate over many years in the best, most efficient way possible – in order to allow you to continue to live the life you want to live – for us here at Solomon’s, that is what financial planning is all about.

So it’s important to remember that there are at least two sides to every hill – and any good climber will tell you how important it is to plan for traversing the other side. The descent can require as much consideration as the climb.

Daniel Liddicott
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on our blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to Dominic about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

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GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Bakery, 2D Edna Road, Raynes Park, London, SW20 8BT

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

Take Survey

PRIVACY POLICY | DATA PROTECTION

Remembering Childhood

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Remembering childhood

Last night I went with friends to the National Trust site of Box Hill, in Surrey, to see an open air showing of “Finding Neverland”. Its a story of how “Peter Pan” came to be written by JM Barrie. The accuracy of the story is subject to the usual artistic licenses and too much attention to detail may rather miss the point of the story.

In essence, this is a tale of recapturing childhood. Barrie, (played by Johnny Depp) was struggling to write a commercially successful play and happens upon the Llewelyn-Davies family, who become the inspiration for the story. The story itself (in the film rather than reality) is born out of struggle – Barrie’s own marriage is far from happy, the Llewelyn-Davies family have suffered the loss of a father and Barrie himself needed a successful play for his theatrical producer Charles Frohman.

Barrie is inspired by the imagination of the Llewelyn-Davies boys and becomes a significant figure in their lives. In meeting with them, he is both a willing participant and ring-leader in their play, recalling something of his own childhood and confronting the reality of what has been lost in the transition to adulthood, in so doing, his behaviour is frowned upon by the socialites of the day, including his wife who eventually divorces him for a man more present.

Childhood is precious and brief, but so too is life – coming to terms with loss and grief is experienced differently by all, yet all undergo this very adult experience. This is poignantly reflected in the movie with the mother, Sylvia, played by Kate Winslet, who also dies fairly suddenly from cancer and whose friendship with Barrie has been something of a talking point much to the chagrin of Mary Barrie and Emma du Maurier.

Worse than fiction?

Despite being a moving tale of loss, where the only relief seems to be found in friendship and escape into imagination, the real story is even more painful. It transpires that lives of the four brothers all met with significant sadness.

In reality the boys’ father barrister Arthur Llewelyn-Davies died in 1907, age 44, some three years after the play was first performed. JM Barrie divorced his wife in 1909. Sylvia died in 1910 aged 43. Barrie didn’t publish Peter Pan as a book until 1911 having made numerous revisions of the play.

The second eldest Jack, actually left home shortly before his mother died in 1910 to join the Navy. George, the eldest, was killed in Flanders in 1915 at the age of 21, the second youngest Michael aged 20 drowned in suspicious circumstances (thought to be suicide) in 1921.

Peter grew up apparently very unhappy about the constant references of him with Peter Pan, eventually falling out with Barrie over a relationship that Peter had with illustrator Vera Willoughby whilst Peter was 20 and still serving in the military, the argument is presumed to have been that Vera was 20 years older and married. Peter went on to form his own publishing company, which the film suggests as a nod to the influence of Barrie and his late mother, his company published work by his cousin Daphne du Maurier. When Barrie died age 77 in 1937, his estate passed largely to his secretary, the royalties of Peter Pan were gifted to Great Ormond Street.

Jack died when he was 65 in 1959, Peter committed suicide just 7 months later, age 63. It was discovered that he had been working on a piece about his family entitled “Morgue” and had reached the point where he was confronted by the prospect that his youngest brother may have committed suicide. Peter was married with three children. The youngest brother, Nicholas died in 1980 and doesn’t feature in the film as this would have revealed the problematic chronology within the movie, havng been born in 1903.

And the financial planning lesson?

For some of us childhood was an experience lacking responsibility. At times, when life can feel overwhelming it is tempting to recall such childhood freedoms. The path to adulthood is rarely an instant marvel, and in reality childhood contains all sorts of trauma and experience. Growing up can be hard, taking responsibility can be difficult.

Enjoy life whilst you have it, treasure your friendships and loved ones, don’t count on inheritances and ensure that your family (and/or friends) are adequately financially protected…. and remember that stories aren’t always factually accurate….even our own. Finally, your financial planning really shouldn’t be based on fiction, but it should contain a considerable amount of imagination.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk