Yesterday was spent attending Death: Festival of the Living at the South Bank Centref with Ally. The two day festival was a surprise success for the organisers, who were caught short by its sell-out success and a number of the workshops were filled to capacity, much to the annoyance of those who couldn't get in.

The best event of the day was a panel chaired by journalist Jon Snow on 'Assisted Dying - The Human Rights Debate'. Held in the foyer of the Elizabeth Hall, the estimated 500 audience members were anticipating a heated debate between the panellists - Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, disabled activist Debbie Purdy whose challenge to UK law led to guidelines being published on assisted suicide, and the chair of Dignity in Dying Dr Philip Graham vs Christian Medical Fellowship CEO Dr Peter Saunders and disabled activist Dr Kevin Fitzpatrick, under the banner of Care Not Killing.

What was being debated was whether there should be a change to the law to allow terminally ill people - those with less than a year to live and who feel that their life has become intolerable - to have the right to an assisted death. The crux for those against the amendment was that if the change was made then human rights lawyers would chip away at it and soon we'd all, especially disabled people, be walking toward the gallows. Those for the amendment were at pains to point out that it would only cover those of sound mind.

It was a fascinating debate, marked especially by the lack of intellectual vigor demonstrated by those opposing the amendment. If this is the best that the opposition can field then expect an overly emotional, personal and dull exchange of 'ideas'. At one stage, when Dr Saunders was asked whether, in his position as surgeon, he'd ever had to deal with someone who had wanted to die, he remembered a man who had been in a car accident and who begged to die before going into theatre and being fixed up!! At this point, the always super polite Jon Snow really became cross, and said that Saunders couldn't possibly equate a man in pain with someone who was living with a debilitating illness, in constant pain and terminally ill. Too right! He also warned Saunders and Fitzpatrick to stop using statistics to dull the argument, and admonished them for claiming to be masters of statistics - 'Nobody is a master of statistics,' Snow responded drily.

Interestingly, nobody on the panel who is campaigning for the amendment is in favour of a law allowing euthanasia (as opposed to assisted dying) to become available for those with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. I had thought that the two stances existed together, but it seems both are very separate. 

As Helena Kennedy said 'There is no human rights stance on assisted dying' because everyone feels so differently about it and there is no legislation in place. Last year, 40 people were assisted in dying and there were no prosecutions, but this isn't a law. There was a show of hands at the end and I put mine up for agreeing to the amendment, as did most of the audience. About 10-15% voted for no. Quite a difference.

Other events I attended included a talk on what happens to your digital data when you die (tip: leave your password behind), death in video gaming - top games dealing with death recommended by Hide&Seek's Tom Armitage are The Path, Passage and Gravitation, and an exhibition of Ghanian coffins - truly works of art in the shape of anything: a rolls royce, a cocoa pod and even a corkscrew!

I don't know if I could say there was something for everyone at the festival, but there was certainly enough happening that the day passed very quickly. Also on offer were various counselling options and funeral services. I'm now much more aware that there is a huge industry out there dealing with death. I hadn't really thought about it before, apart from remembering to tune into Six Feet Under when it was showing on telly. When I go, as we all will, I'm going to have planned my funeral - it seems insane not to. Especially when there are so many different sorts of options. Choice may be the curse of the modern age, but if it's the last decision I make...