Author Archives: Editor

Travelling can be an exciting holiday adventure or a working necessity of life. Both often involve miles of exhausting journeys, hours away from loved ones and erratic meal times. Add to this the stress and strain of keeping to a demanding schedule and the result can be a pretty hectic and unhealthy lifestyle. Be aware of the hazards, they could affect your work, cost you your health, or worst still your family. It’s good to feel fit full of energy and able to cope efficiently with problems, but a healthy lifestyle is a combination of sensible eating and moderate regular exercise.

To own a garden is to possess a piece of heaven on earth, in my case a very small bit. But contrary to what the advertising world wants us to believe, size doesn’t always matter! Small can be beautiful, as I know from the pleasure my modest suburban garden gives me. Working in London makes me feel tense and caged in, but arriving at my house and garden on the edge of the River Thames 12 miles out of Town, I immediately begin to unwind and feel normal again. Whether I’m working physically in my garden, or simply sitting around enjoying the beauty, it helps rid me of frustrations.

Ageing American film stars started the cosmetic surgery craze for eradicating the signs of ageing back in the 1950’s, now its commonplace. British women held back, the biggest deterrent was public opinion which considered signs of ageing should be stoically accepted, vanity discouraged, looks unimportant and even correcting birthmarks or defects as “meddling with nature”. What really mattered was “inner beauty”.

First I was a Brownie in Somerset, then a Brownie ( Sprite) and GirlGuide (Daffodil) when we moved house to Gloucestershire. Guiding helped instil in me the importance of a healthy lifestyle – and leadership – and confidence in oneself. I had a strict upbringing and my father kept me like a coiled spring under his thumb. Guiding released that spring. I had so much energy – I still do – and I was able to channel it into leadership and motivating people. It gave me the guidelines for my life and career.

The baby boomers, those people born immediately after the war have finally grown up and joined the ranks of the over 60’s.. Generally speaking, older adults in the UK today are healthier, have experience, knowledge, and more disposable income than previous generations. Personally I feel comfortable with my maturity and I’ve finally come to accepting myself – warts and all. I regard this time of life as primetime, a bonus. Not all would agree. Within the 60+ group there appears a division, the majority plan positively for the future, but a minority still feel extremely negative about it.