A good death? Something worth dying for, surely...

It’s something many don’t want to talk about, but Fiona finds some who find it comforting to talk about the inevitable... over a coffee

T he producer is driving down from the central belt to meet us for the filming. It is a wild and windy day – and as it is not his normal vehicle he is concentrating hard on the road. Suddenly the dashboard of the fancy hire car the office has booked for him flashes bright red.

“Warning, warning!”

Doing a steady 70 on the motorway and thinking that the engine is about to explode, he glances nervously down to see the following words appear.

“Try not to be distracted when driving. Being distracted can be dangerous when you are at the wheel… “

The poor distracted man does eventually reach his destination – albeit in a damp and dishevelled state.

As he cannot find a parking space he must walk the last quarter of a mile in the driving rain, trying not to let the expensive spare camera get wet on the way.

Our intrepid boss eventually arrives – and his presence is a comfort as there has been a great deal of research into this particular shoot.

We are in south-west Scotland and we are filming a man they call Dr Death.

It is a sensitive subject. But our subject does not mind the title. Indeed, he is well used to the nickname. And with a topic like this, some dark humour is called for.

Professor David Clark OBE is one of the world’s foremost authorities on death and dying. He runs the end of life studies department at the University of Glasgow campus in Dumfries.

I am sorry to bring morbid thoughts into your sunny Saturday. But as a former US president once noted: nothing in this life is certain – except death and taxes.

Each week around a million people around the globe die. The good professor’s mission is to find out whether there is a better way to do it.

In short, is there such a thing as a good death?

And if so, how can we make sure that more of us have one?

One way to discuss fears and insights is at a death cafe. These coffee and cake sit-downs are apparently becoming popular – and they are multiplying.

Now, I do appreciate that chatting about dying may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But certain folk do want to talk about it – and there have been death cafes in Perth and Edinburgh.

Some of those who attend say that coming to terms with their mortality helps them live life to the full. Others just want to be prepared. We make a note to try to film at one of said events. For we are planning to

One way to discuss fears and insights is at a death cafe. These coffee and cake sit-downs are apparently becoming popular

make two half-hour programmes on the subject of death and dying.

As it is, the interview goes well, but now I am the one having problems on the road. Heading back through the town I take a wrong turning – and end up facing a sign that says ‘dead end’...