WHEN Stanley Edwards died last September, two days before his 75th birthday, he was where he most wanted to be - at home with his family.

It was not quite the perfect death the retired bank manager described to television presenter Esther Rantzen days before he passed away: "Sitting in the garden in the lovely sunshine, a gin and tonic, a good book, cricket on the radio, and I fall asleep - no more pain."

But it was, in so far as such things can be, a 'good' death, a concept highlighted in a moving documentary to be screened tomorrow night on BBC2.

How To Have A Good Death, fronted by Esther Rantzen, features Mr Edwards and his wife, June, from Hafod Road, Ponthir, during his final weeks.

The programme explores issues around quality of care for dying patients in the United Kingdom.

With other patients' stories, it charts Mr Edwards' final journey, and the efforts of the Royal Gwent Hospital's palliative care team to ensure he could, as he wished, go home to die.

"Stan was quite happy with the filming. He hoped it might do some good for other people," said Mrs Edwards.

"It was very important to him that he be home. Once his wishes were known, everything was geared towards getting him back here."

Mr Edwards was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2004. The disease had spread to his bones and become terminal.

"The care all the way through was marvellous," said Mrs Edwards. "The palliative care team were fabulous and towards the end, when he was at home, he had St David's Foundation hospice carers too.

"I cannot speak highly enough of the support. Though there was a point near the end when I thought, 'are we doing the right thing?' having him home, I don't have any regrets."

A keen cricket fan, Mr Edwards may not have been listening to radio commentary when he died, as per his vision of a perfect death.

But he lived to hear of England's regaining the Ashes from Australia last summer after 16 years, as Mrs Edwards recalled: "One of the hospice nurses said, 'you know we have won the Ashes,' and he said, 'about bloody time!'"

How To Have A Good Death will be broadcast tomorrow evening on BBC2 at 9pm.