It is a great shame that the last Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean, has had to sell off antiques from the Titanic to pay her nursing home fees.
Millvina expects to raise £3,000 from relics including letters and clothes connected to the White Star Line Titanic. I suspect she will raise a great deal more; the block-busting film may have been over ten years ago, but the fascination with one of the worst 20th century disasters is still alive.
My Grandmother, the same age as Millvina, has a vague memory of the sandwich board headlines of the Titanic disaster. My Great-Grandmother reportedly remembered it well.
Whilst Mellvina can sell valuable historical items, many elderly people are forced to sell their house and use their children’s inheritance money to fund a comfortable level of care. Let’s hope the media attention she’s received over her financial plight will pay off.
