JULIA Kibblewhite sometimes struggles to confront her fear about taking her last breath.

She has a solid network of friends and doting husband Robert, who lives with her at their Witney home, but says it is tough to burden loved ones with worry.

It has been two decades since the 71-year-old was diagnosed with cancer, and Sobell has helped her accept that there is no cure for her condition.

She says: "The music and art therapy gives a space to talk about feelings and what it’s going to be like to leave behind the people we really care about. You might not have the ability to at home, where you don’t want to bother people – it’s too much, especially if they’ve got their own issues about your illness.

"Sobell is very light and bright and it has a calm, peaceful atmosphere when you walk in.

"I’d be very happy to go on the ward when that time comes. The scary thought for me is that one day I will actually die. That’s quite a scary thing to come to terms with.

"I was at a funeral the other day for another patient at Sobell who I became very good friends with. It brings it home that one day it will be your turn. But I know that every Thursday when I go to Sobell I’ll be able to talk about that."

Mrs Kibblewhite says there is a "real taboo" around hospices, but highlights Sobell's role in dispelling that prejudice.

She adds: "Sobell is not just a place people go to die – it is a place where people are looked after."