When William found out that he would be a father of a third child at 39 years old, he was surprised. His older children, a boy and a girl, were 14 and 12 years old respectively and he thought that, at almost official middle age, he had finished with that part of his life.

There were no notions of vim, vigour and vitality, though, but simply a matter of putting plans in place.

"For starters we moved from where we were living,"

William, who is now heading towards 70, said, "The townhouse set-up was just starting, with security before they called them gated communities, but this one was built with real ground space."

In addition to making more room for the youngster in a home they planned to retire in, and where they still live, the husband and wife team put in long-term investment that would mature just as the last son would be heading into university years. Although they would not yet be retired, there was always the possibility of illness cutting the earning years short, in addition to causing more expenses.

No illnesses

"Thankfully the illness did not happen, because you know that one bout of the right disease can cost you a million dollars just like that," William said. "It worked out, because he has started working, we are not ill although we are retired. The investments are paying off, the house is paid off and we are OK, but it took real serious planning. When you have a late child you have to figure out the productive years you have left and the time they have to independence and put something in place."