The biographer Claire Tomalin was asked this question and said that she had reached an age when she wouldn't take anything, but would just walk out with the thoughts in her head.

Not including the cat, the dog and the children, is there one thing that you would take with you if your house was on fire?

I like Claire Tomalin - she wrote a fantastic biography of Jane Austen.

I'd be happy to have my laptop, since essentially, it's my job and has all my work on it - but if I lost it, I'd survive. Every time I leave it in the boot of the car while I'm working I do consider that it might not be there when I come back so I'm moderately mellow about that.

Otherwise, I'm with Claire. I did a monstrous de-clutter here a couple of years ago and realised that there are no things that I'm particularly attached to.

I think the only thing I'd bring with me is a bottle of vodka so I could drink my sorrows while waiting for the fire brigade.

Edit - Oh yeah, and the dog too!

I am still wondering what I would, or would not take, so I would probably be burnt to a cinder.

cactus flower wrote:

I am still wondering what I would, or would not take, so I would probably be burnt to a cinder.

I'd be lucky to get out of my house with the amount of stuff in it. But, laptop, dvds maybe ... I'd be desperately upset if I lost dvds or the cat. I'd try to take the drawings I've done too ...

As many bottles of the really good wine as I could take. Any computers, laptops, extra memory and other instruments of torture would be left behind. I would open one of the bottles and toast the demise of the IT stuff. After all, it can be replaced in the fullness of time.

I would take the printout of those two threads that 905 erased. I would be so busy laughing I wouldn't care about the fire

Kate P wrote:

I like Claire Tomalin - she wrote a fantastic biography of Jane Austen.

I'd be happy to have my laptop, since essentially, it's my job and has all my work on it - but if I lost it, I'd survive. Every time I leave it in the boot of the car while I'm working I do consider that it might not be there when I come back so I'm moderately mellow about that.

Otherwise, I'm with Claire. I did a monstrous de-clutter here a couple of years ago and realised that there are no things that I'm particularly attached to.

You know if it was taken it may not be covered under your car insurance. Check your policy to see what cover for personal property you have. It might be an idea to add it to your house insurance. I had a query about it the other day from a writer who was off on a writing holiday and lost about 2 weeks work because she hadn't backed up while she was away.

Personally there isn't that much I'm attached to. But I'd be whipping the painting off the walls as I ran out with a bottle of brandy under my arm.

The insurance policy,

Squire wrote:

The insurance policy,

If Quinn did home insurance...

"What, your policy documentation was burned in the fire? Policy? What Policy? *phone hands up*"

My magazine collection.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

My magazine collection.

Indeed, some of those early XOTICA magazines are worth a fortune.

cookiemonster wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

My magazine collection.

Indeed, some of those early XOTICA magazines are worth a fortune.

Indeed. I'll flog them on eBay to buy new stuff for the house.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

My magazine collection.

Indeed, some of those early XOTICA magazines are worth a fortune.

Indeed. I'll flog them on eBay to buy new stuff for the house.

If only they were in mint condition...

cookiemonster wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

My magazine collection.

Indeed, some of those early XOTICA magazines are worth a fortune.

Indeed. I'll flog them on eBay to buy new stuff for the house.

If only they were in mint condition...

cookie, they are in perfectly crisp condition.

If I told you it would seriously compromise my security.

johnfás wrote:

If I told you it would seriously compromise my security.

You'd let Mr. Ardvark burn alive? You monster!

cookiemonster wrote:

Kate P wrote:

I like Claire Tomalin - she wrote a fantastic biography of Jane Austen.

I'd be happy to have my laptop, since essentially, it's my job and has all my work on it - but if I lost it, I'd survive. Every time I leave it in the boot of the car while I'm working I do consider that it might not be there when I come back so I'm moderately mellow about that.

Otherwise, I'm with Claire. I did a monstrous de-clutter here a couple of years ago and realised that there are no things that I'm particularly attached to.

You know if it was taken it may not be covered under your car insurance. Check your policy to see what cover for personal property you have. It might be an idea to add it to your house insurance. I had a query about it the other day from a writer who was off on a writing holiday and lost about 2 weeks work because she hadn't backed up while she was away.

Personally there isn't that much I'm attached to. But I'd be whipping the painting off the walls as I ran out with a bottle of brandy under my arm.

It's on the house insurance, thanks. Feel sorry for that writer though. I'm inclined to email myself important stuff; then it's always safely there in the inter-ether.

I hope it's a particularly special bottle of brandy, cookie. There is brandy in the Post Fire World...

Kate P wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

Kate P wrote:

I like Claire Tomalin - she wrote a fantastic biography of Jane Austen.

I'd be happy to have my laptop, since essentially, it's my job and has all my work on it - but if I lost it, I'd survive. Every time I leave it in the boot of the car while I'm working I do consider that it might not be there when I come back so I'm moderately mellow about that.

Otherwise, I'm with Claire. I did a monstrous de-clutter here a couple of years ago and realised that there are no things that I'm particularly attached to.

You know if it was taken it may not be covered under your car insurance. Check your policy to see what cover for personal property you have. It might be an idea to add it to your house insurance. I had a query about it the other day from a writer who was off on a writing holiday and lost about 2 weeks work because she hadn't backed up while she was away.

Personally there isn't that much I'm attached to. But I'd be whipping the painting off the walls as I ran out with a bottle of brandy under my arm.

It's on the house insurance, thanks. Feel sorry for that writer though. I'm inclined to email myself important stuff; then it's always safely there in the inter-ether.

I hope it's a particularly special bottle of brandy, cookie. There is brandy in the Post Fire World...

Taken for AfricanDave reasons.