When I was a kid I used to visit the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. This was one of my favourite paintings. I used to stand in front of this magical picture for ages, trying to imagine what it must have been like in Pompeii as the City disappeared.

The painting is called  ‘Faithful Unto Death’ by Edward John Poynter. I know it is a rather romanticised image… I have worked with modern day soldiers and most would just fuck off in this situation!

Anyway the spooky thing is, I recently found the motto for my family name.

‘fidelis ad urnam’

Faithful until death…