Bumped into a friend of mine earlier. His elderly cousin died recently and he is sorting out her house.
She moved there with her parents in 1933 when the house was new and died there. Nothing has been done to the house since 1933. She had severe OCD and has not left the house since 1955. She has kept ever receipt she ever had for anything (delivered), each in an individual envelope. She has thirty years worth of newspapers in date order.
There are boxes full of threepenny bits, half crowns and 10 shilling notes.
Her sister also lived there but died in 1981. Her room has not been touched or even entered since then.
There are 50 years worth of clothes, many new and unworn, wrapped in tissue paper and in perfect condition.
We discussed whether he should torch it or offer the place to a museum of psychiatry. If he continues to go through every envelope and box he has worked out it will take him 20 years to sort it out at present rate of progress.
