Voices from beyond

INTERNET: I’ve just received an e-mail from my Aunt Matilda. “So what?” I hear you say. The thing is, she died last week.

Spooky? In bad taste? The owners of The Last Message Club say no. This online service allows clients to write messages to loved ones that get sent after their death. The secure server can also be used to store photos, videos and important documents.

“No one likes to think about their impending demise, but it is much better to be fully prepared, so that there is less stress on your loved ones after you pass away,” the club’s founder, Geoff Reiss, told The Telegraph.

"No one likes to think about their own death, but it's better to be prepared."

After paying £45 or £190 for a silver or gold membership, the club member is given a private virtual vault in which he can store up to 100 messages. He determines the recipient, and the time of delivery.

The type of message varies greatly. It can be a love letter, a birthday wish, financial advice, or instructions about a will. Or, as new member Simon Gilligan says, it can even be something as pragmatic as “making sure you remind someone to cancel your bus pass”.

Communicating with loved ones from beyond the grave doesn’t require the help of a medium anymore.