Call to make treatment available to prevent blindness - By Tony Watts

The financial cost to individuals and society of Age-Related Macular Degeneration is huge - an estimated £1 billion in the UK alone. Yet, although new treatments can help many (but not all) people with the condition, most Primary Care Trusts are not currently prepared to fund this: patients finds themselves having to pay for the treatment themselves.

That was one of the major causes for concern highlighted in an international conference held in May on "AMD".

Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the biggest single cause of blindness in the UK. Now an international initiative has been launched to halt the rise of the condition through better education, more research and making treatment available to people in time to make a difference.

A major challenge is getting people suffering from the condition treated quickly: people suffering the most damaging form of the disease ("wet AMD") can become blind in as little as three months if not treated early.

People suffering with AMD find that the central part of their vision is obscured or blurred and they can only see around the periphery. Once the retina has been scarred by the disease, it is very difficult to do more than halt its progress or restore a small part of the vision.

At the conference, held in Brussels in May, more than 100 international experts in age-related blindness met to develop a "Call to Action". They are calling upon governments, medical, professional and consumer groups to recognize the increasing burden of AMD-related blindness and address the crisis with urgency.

With the numbers of people now suffering AMD rising steeply in an ageing population, it is estimated that it could each epidemic proportions by 2025 unless a very different approach is taken.

A great many people develop a less dangerous form of the disease in their 50s, 60s and 70s - "dry AMD" - but fail to take action quickly enough before it develops into the more debilitating "wet AMD" because they presume that deteriorating eyesight is a normal function of getting older.

The Action Group wants free annual eye tests for all over 60s - which would catch many people with the condition early enough to make treatment effective.

They also want Governments to fund treatment - so reducing the massive cost to the State and the individual of them losing their sight. Laser treatment can help some patients; and so too can combined treatments using lasers and steroids. But increasingly hope is being placed on the use of anti-cancer drugs which prevent the growth of abnormal blood cells in the retina: these can help significant numbers of patients, but the cost can run into thousands of pounds.

The RNIB's Head of Public Policy, Steve Winyard, called upon the UK Government in particular to look at providing these new treatments as a matter of urgency: "Their cost is a small fraction of the cost to society of an individual losing their sight," he said.

A full report of this conference will be made available on www.maturetimes.co.uk by 1 June.

Campaign to include older people in the digital revolution

Older and disabled people still face enormous barriers to full inclusion in society because technology is not addressing their needs.

That's the conclusion of a new "Alliance for Digital Inclusion Technology" which is calling on the providers of digital products and services to take account of the millions of people who currently feel excluded from using them.

They say that disabled and older people should have the same rights to participate in the Information Society as other citizens. Information and communication technology (ICT) such as personal computers, mobile phones and interactive TV should be tools that help overcome barriers they face in education, the workplace and social life.

Working in collaboration, the RNID, The Disabled Living Foundation and Scientific Generics have developed an "eAccessibility Charter" which calls on the Government, industry and the voluntary sector to work together to bring about real change.

"The ultimate goal," they say, "is to lower barriers and achieve greater participation of disabled people as fully-enabled citizens in our modern society."

The fact that DVD and video recorders are difficult to programme has long been a standing joke amongst older people, but now so many products are digital - and designed by younger people - it means that many websites that are too small to read, mobile phones are too complicated to understand and digital TV sets are difficult to use. And these are the very devices that allow people to connect with others and be fully included within today's society.

"What we need is a joined-up approach between government, charities and industry," says Guido Gybels, Director of New Technologies at RNID. "The fact is, that in a rapidly ageing society these are issues which will affect everyone eventually. Almost all of us will see a deterioration in our eyesight, hearing, dexterity or cognitive functions and we need products to be designed to deal with that.

"At present industry operates reactively - being told that there is a problem and then trying to address it. We want a proactive approach - thinking ahead and designing in the needs of older people.

"The UK can't do this alone because the companies creating new technologies are global, but what we have to get across is that it makes good business sense to include older and disabled people."

In the words of Steve Hawe of the Disabled Living Foundation, "Designing products that can be used by everyone is simply good design. Currently far too many people are excluded from the benefits of advancing technology. It leaves them isolated from the community and, even from their families. If everyone had access to the internet, for instance, they would be connected to their friends, family and the outside world.

"But, at present, far too many people assume that new technology 'isn't for them'."

1.2 million older people "still excluded from society"

Government proposals for better services for excluded older people should be extended to every neighbourhood across the country, says Stephen Burke, Chief Executive of Counsel and Care.

Speaking at a national conference on "A Sure Start to Later Life: a model for housing, care and support", Stephen Burke said that universal services for older people are essential, so that the one in five (1.2 million) older people currently suffering from multiple exclusion do not miss out on the basics in life.

The new approach to local services promoting a better quality of life for older people was heralded by a landmark report, 'A Sure Start to Later Life', published by the Social Exclusion Unit in January 2006.

To date, the Government has pledged funding for eight Sure Start pilots. Stephen Burke has called for extra funding from the 2007 spending review to roll out Sure Start projects across the country.

Extra care housing schemes could provide a hub for these projects - acting as a community resource for older people with social activities, information and advice and local outreach services from care and telecare to home maintenance. The older people's housing strategy currently being developed by the Government should embrace this role.

Mr Burke says: "The Government's Sure Start report tackles head on the reality of poverty, isolation, loneliness and ageism faced by many older people.

"We need comprehensive action by local authorities, health and other agencies with their local communities to test out the Sure Start approach. We welcome the eight pilots being rolled out by the Department for Work and Pensions. But local authorities in other areas can also take the initiative to make life better for older people.

"It's important that 'A Sure Start to Later Life' focuses on the services that really matter to older people - take-up of benefits and better services from crime prevention, regeneration, transport, leisure, learning, volunteering to health and care, aids and adaptations. There are many services that older people miss out on - such as chiropody, dentistry and hearing aids - which are crucial to their independence.

"A Sure Start to Later Life' sets clearly how life could be made better for all older people. That now needs to be matched by better funding."

1700 "digital entries" from older artists

The first national visual art prize for artists aged over 50 has attracted over 1700 entries.

50 over 50: the Celebrating Age Open Art Prize in association with the University of Brighton and Brighton and Hove Arts Commission was launched in February to celebrate the best contemporary visual art by older British artists.

Fifty works will be selected for exhibition and will be available for purchase. The best will be chosen by experts and the exhibition opened by Sir Christopher Frayling, Rector of the Royal College of Art and Chairman of Arts Council England.

50 over 50 is one of the first open art prizes to have an entirely digital entry procedure, and older people have risen to the challenge of making their entries via the web site and on CD. £5,000 will be awarded to the overall winner.

The prize is backed by a range of partners including: Age Concern, Help the Aged, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Better Government for Older People (BGOP), Anchor Trust and Brighton & Hove Arts Commission.

Are you ready for your hols?

The older generation is taking more holidays than ever before, raising concerns that many people are going abroad without taking all the necessary precautions.

Medical requirements and hotel hygiene are factors more likely to impact on over 50s enjoyment of the holiday experience, so the hotel hygiene, health and safety experts at www.checksafetyfirst.com have come up with some simple points to follow to ensure you can make the most of your time away this summer.

Did you know?

• The over 50s are statistically more likely to be susceptible to sickness or be on medication than their younger counterparts.
• The problem of holiday illness becomes particularly acute for those travellers taking long-term, slow release treatments prescribed to treat conditions such as high blood pressure.
• Common holiday medical complaints, such as food poisoning, prevent slow release medication from working by flushing it out of the system before it can take effect.

Stopping food poisoning from stopping you!

• There are several things you can do to reduce the chance of becoming ill on holiday.
• Exercising, eating lots of fruit and vegetable and having plenty of sleep in the weeks before you leave will all help to build your immune system, and get rid of any germs you pick up on holiday.
• It helps to take probiotics for a few weeks beforehand. Lining the stomach with 'friendly' bacteria, aids digestion, bolsters the immune system and battles 'bad' bacteria that causes food poisoning.
• The chances of suffering from food poisoning are significantly reduced if the establishment you're visiting runs the kitchen hygienically, but this is both incredibly rare and difficult to judge. Following these basic guidelines will help to reduce this risk of becoming ill:
• Use bottled or sterilised water if you are concerned about the safety of the local tap water.
• Avoid ice unless you are sure it was made from treated or chlorinated water.
• Eat freshly, thoroughly cooked food that is still piping hot - avoid food that has been kept warm.
• Avoid uncooked food, unless you can peel or shell it yourself.
• Avoid salads, as they may have been washed in contaminated water.
• Avoid ice-cream from portable ice cream sellers. Often they have inadequate refrigeration and ice cream may have melted and been refrozen.
• Be careful with fish and shellfish - uncooked fish is particularly hazardous.

What if I get ill?

• Once you get food poisoning there is very little you can do except let it run its course.
• It's vital that you don't become dehydrated so take on board plenty of liquid in small, regular amounts. Re-hydration salts can also help to keep fluid levels high.
• Blockage tablets won't solve the problem of diarrhoea. The body needs to rid itself of toxins so, unless it is absolutely vital, use them sparingly.
• Any incidence of food poisoning should be reported to your holiday rep and the hotel or restaurant you believe may have been the source of the problem. Incubation times vary between the different forms of bacteria so it may not be the food you ate the night before.

Where to go for more information

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 'Know before you go' campaign: www.fco.gov.uk
• World Health Organisation: www.who.int/ith
• Check Safety First, hygienic hotels around the world: www.checksafetyfirst.com

100 not out for Blue Cross

The nation's oldest charitable animal hospital celebrated its centenary this month.

Staff at The Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, south west London, have been serving pets - and their owners - since its foundation in 1906. Since then the hospital has remained open 24 hours a day, every day for 100 years, with veterinary staff conducting over one million consultations.

Today it provides a lifeline for a diverse mix of pet owners unable to afford private veterinary care.

Built on the site of the Duke of Westminster's stables, the original buildings were well suited to the charity's early equine work, when many businesses depended on the health of their horses for survival. During wartime, hospital staff cared for tens of thousands of animals injured or left homeless during the Blitz, often working by candlelight during night time raids on the capital.

Hospital staff celebrated by stepping back in time for the day, with veterinary nurses working dressed in Edwardian uniforms and a mock-up of a 1900s clinic.

100 years of caring for animals

1897
The Blue Cross was officially founded on 10 May 1897 in a small office in Ebury Street in south west London.

The "society for the encouragement of kindness to animals" was formed and called 'Our Dumb Friends League'. The name was allegedly taken from a recent speech of the current monarch, Queen Victoria, in which she referred to the need to care for the "dumb creatures of the earth".

1906
After eight years of fundraising, on Tuesday 15 May The Blue Cross opened its first animal hospital in Victoria. The first case seen in the donkey ward was a mare belonging to a flower dealer from Notting Hill that was successfully treated for pneumonia. In its first year 10,957 patients were treated at the hospital, of which 1,226 were horses and donkeys, 3,750 were cats and 4,436 dogs.

1908
Early Blue Cross staff provided free oatmeal and water for tired working horses. In 1908, troughs were erected at Marble Arch, Portland Place and Hammersmith Broadway each cost 25 shillings a week to maintain.

1923
Roads made slippery by oil and petrol and increased street traffic saw an increase in the numbers of injured working animals. In 1923 a motorised horse ambulance was built for The Blue Cross. It supported the charity's horse-drawn ambulance in the capital's streets, the first of which was brought for £500.

1939 - 1945
The greatest challenge faced by The Blue Cross during World War II was to stay open during the mounting bombing raids on the capital. Power cuts and nightly black-outs meant that treatment at the animal hospital in Victoria often had to be carried out by candle light.

1950
The League officially became to be known as The Blue Cross.

1952
Smokey, a six-year-old tabby, saved the lives of two families when she gave warning of a fire in their home. She was presented with the BC - The Blue Cross Medal - by Miss Kathleen Harrison at the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Cat Club Champion Show at Acton Town Hall on 19 September 1952.

1958
For some people, particularly the elderly or housebound, their pet is their main companion. Without The Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, many would be unable to afford to keep those animals and would lose out on the many benefits pet ownership brings. The hospital runs an ambulance service making thousands of calls a year to collect the pets of housebound clients.

1967
The operating theatre at the Victoria Hospital was rebuilt, making it one of the finest veterinary hospitals in the world at that time.

2001
Her Majesty The Queen officially reopened the Victoria animal hospital after it underwent a complete re-build and modernisation costing £4million, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

2004
The Blue Cross launches a pilot mobile veterinary clinic scheme in east London to deliver free veterinary care to pets in some of the neediest areas of London, reaching pet owners unable to afford private veterinary fees or who are unable to visit a Blue Cross hospital themselves.

For more information visit www.bluecross.org.uk

Judith Cork reflects on turning the symbols of age into symbols of the age

I left the train at Kings Cross station the other day only to be faced with managing the obstacle course which has now become an integral part of travel in the UK. I mean the suitcases on wheels being pulled by frantic people trying to get to the depths of the underground or taxi rank as quickly as possible, with the urgency which is now our world.

I have a particular dislike of the new luggage. It's another symbol of "improving our lives" - i.e. ensuring that we exercise our bodies less and can speed up our process more, without having to slow down and stop and puff to give our well exercised arms and shoulders a rest like we used to.

I know that they are probably extremely good for preventing back problems and undoubtedly make travelling easier - unless you're someone travelling light who wants to get a move on. They are also extremely desirable with lots of choice, different sizes, lightweight, varying fabrics, and colours from traditional black to girly pink or even sexy leopard skin. They are indeed a symbol of our age - where product designers have embraced the challenge to make the experience of travel as easy and as stylish, cool and innovative as possible.

But what about making other forms of everyday travel cool? The wheels on shopping trolleys, walking frames or wheelchairs are all functional i.e. they do the job. But where are the design, sophistication and innovation elements in these items? Is it just because these products are generally associated with getting "old" that their design no longer matters? As a former national health spectacle wearer, choice of brown for boys and pink for girls, I still bear the scars of my "disability" being displayed in a functional and utilitarian way.

So why is it that Bluetooth, Ipods, MP3s, PSPs etc are so acceptable with the wearers visibly displaying headphones and wires, and yet when the RNID does its research into hearing loss, they find that people are embarrassed to wear hearing aids because they don't want the stigma of being seen as old (even though modern hearing aids are almost invisible).

What is the fundamental difference? The young are deaf to the world through their music, and uncommunicative because of their solitary absorption in whatever they are listening to; older people are deaf to the world and excluded from the joy and diversity of sound because as a society we just refuse to be positive about getting older. Without well designed and stylish innovation to functional problems, we are going to be faced with a society that itself cannot function well because we won't let it. Our reluctance to accept our advancing years (in an ageing society) will cause its own set of problems, not least for the generations below us.

It doesn't take too much mental effort to come up with other examples which illustrate the point. There are walking sticks and walking poles - the latter employing new technologies to reduce the impact on knee joints for the already active, the former associated with an acceptance of impending decrepitude and inactivity.

With masses of people of all ages suffering from back problems you would also think that this was sufficient incentive to develop stylish, well designed affordable furniture rather than the limited choice of back chairs with Queen Anne legs, washable fabrics (for those little accidents) and winged backs to support our heads when we nod off and drool.

And then there's the ultimate symbol of our times, the mobile phone. They have moved rapidly from being just fashionable and convenient communication tools to entertainment, filming and photography devices taking us into an era of "non-essential" leisure services. And yet, when it comes to supporting older people in their quest for independence and social connection, we have no apparent mobile application in the provision of, for example, local travel information to improve their safety and security when out and about.

Is it because the product designers have not spotted these markets or just that they chose to ignore them? Are we just pursuing technology for its own sake rather than addressing the real needs of consumers in creative and innovative ways?

We have these symbols of youthfulness and vitality, well designed and thought through symbols. But we do not have the resources, time and energy deployed in the same way to look at the symbols of older age. If we did, we might be able to turn them into possessions which people positively want and change our society into being more accepting of our advancing years.

Do we really only have value to the entertainment industry, the media, the innovators and society when we remain youthful with nothing to offer by virtue of age and experience? We need new products and services, a new language, new imagery and new stories to create a fresh, hopeful and positive response to our older years. Let's actively turn the symbols of age into the symbols of our age through stylish design and innovation giving us all, aspirations and hope as we get older.

Judith Cork runs her own consultancy in Yorkshire specialising in the issues of an ageing population. www.judithcork.co.uk

Add your comments to the debate. email editorial@maturetimes.co.uk

Does your pension gap need plugging?

Can you afford to retire? Or do you have a pension gap? If it's the latter, you might want to consult the Pension Handbook, published this month by Which?

It has been estimated that the population as a whole is saving £27 billion too little each year to secure an adequate pension. The Pension Handbook includes a 'pension gap calculator', which enables people to find out if they have a shortfall. If they do, the key question is how much must be saved to address it?

• A 20 year old man, planning to retire at 65 would need to save £13.40 per month to generate £1,000 of pension a year.
• A 35 year old woman would need to save £53.27 per month to produce £1,000 if she were to retire at 60. She would need to save £532.70 per month to generate £10,000. If she put back her retirement to 65, the cost would fall to £32.53 a month to yield £1,000.
• A 45 year old man, planning to retire at 60 would need to save £99.55 per month to produce £1,000 of pension a year. Or £1,991.00 per month to generate £20,000.

The alternative to saving is living on the state pension, currently a maximum of £84.25 per week, plus means-tested top-ups. Many people assume they will automatically get this amount, not realising it depends on their National Insurance contribution record. But the fewer contributions made, the less pension paid.

The Pension Handbook recommends that everyone should get a forecast of their state pension. Only with this information will it be possible to calculate how much it is necessary to save for retirement.

The Pension Handbook, a Which? essential guide, can be ordered on 01903 828557 (£9.99, p&p free), at www.which.net or bought from bookshops.

"£400,000 needed to retire"

According to Economic Lifestyle, the retirement housing and finance specialist, a woman retiring at 65 today and living on the average pensioner income will need around £437,886 for the rest of her life. The corresponding figure for an average man retiring at this age is around £366,912, nearly £71,000 less because of a shorter life expectancy. This equates to an average of £402,399 per pensioner.

A woman retiring today at 65 can expect to reach their 89th birthday, and the average man retiring at this age should live until they are 86.

Mark Neal, Managing Director, Economic Lifestyle said: "Medical advances mean that on average, we can all expect to live longer and enjoy over 20 years of retirement life. However, this can put a growing strain on our finances, which means that many find it difficult to make ends meet. Around two million pensioners live below the poverty line and we expect this number to grow.

"This financial shortfall helps to explain why many more retired people are deciding to release equity from their homes to support their standard of living. Indeed, we estimate that retired homeowners have over one trillion pounds of equity in their homes."

In terms of where the average pensioner's income comes from, Economic Lifestyle's analysis of industry data reveals that around 61% comes from benefits, 23% from occupational pensions and 7% from investment income. Just 6% will come from earnings.

Economic Lifestyle offers a free Guide to Retirement Living, which can be obtained by calling 0800 043 33 66. You can find out more about the company on www.economiclifestyle.co.uk

Your financial queries

A reader writes:

I would be very interested in the views of your experts on the situation where a married couple own their home on a Tenants in Common basis and have protected their individual IHT allowances via Discretionary Trust Wills which allow the surviving partner to draw any amount from the estate of the first partner to die up to the value of the IHT allowance in force at that time, i.e. any balance, including 50% of the value of the house, going into the Trust, and where the surviving partner continues to live in the home following the first death.

I have been warned that in these circumstances the Inland Revenue in some instances, perhaps all now, is claiming that the family home has remained in the family estate because of continued occupancy by the surviving partner and that the total value must be declared by the Trustees for IHT assessment purposes.

If this is true then a great many families will be in distress when the final death occurs. They may feel that the Trust arrangements have excluded the family from paying a lot of tax and once this was true - but it is worrying to think that although we have tried to do things properly all we have done is to leave a big problem behind us. I have tried to obtain opinions on this question but nobody seems to be willing to give a definite answer - you can't even obtain a clear answer from the Inland Revenue!

IHT expert Darren Nathan responds:

I do appreciate how frustrating this is and I would like to clarify the situation. From the Revenue's perspective, over the last decade there has been a shift towards enforcing the law as it stands. There has been a general improvement in the quality of understanding and knowledge of their officers and this has been reflected in their approach.

The outcome is where details in the past may have been accepted at face value, it is expected that these are now and will be scrutinised far closer. The point being HMRC will look at how a trust arrangement behaves in addition to the actual wording.

The issue on this subject is that if the surviving spouse benefits from the asset owned by the deceased spouse then does it not follow that the surviving spouse has an "interest in possession" in the trust asset. If this is the case then the asset is part of the second spouse's estate for the purposes of Inheritance Tax. The outcome of this is that it will undermine the planned Inheritance Tax saving nature of the Discretionary Will Trust Arrangement. I have to say that personally I agree with the logic provided on this subject matter by the Revenue.

There is a simple solution to this issue. It is to remove the potential beneficial interest of the surviving spouse upon the half share of the property previously owned by the deceased spouse. The conceptual approach to this problem is to NOT place a half share of the marital home into trust but instead to replace the half share of the property with a debt option exercised on first death to protect the legacy of the beneficiary(ies) of the Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust of the deceased's spouse i.e. in effect replace the bricks and mortar with a debt of value up to the Nil Rate Band and the surviving spouse to take ownership of the encumbered share of the property.

The surviving spouse now owns the whole property but with an associated debt, to fulfil the first spouse's Nil Rate Band through their Discretionary Will Trust Arrangement. This has now removed the contentious factor of beneficial interest in a share of the property they do not own. Instead they now own the whole property, but have a debt that is to be settled on their death so utilising both Nil Rate Bands.

I hope this helps to clarify. Obviously, each situation is unique and the above is just a general overview rather than a stipulated answer to all situations.

If you have a query, let us put it to one of our financial experts by emailing us on finance@maturetimes.co.uk.

All answers published in the enews are general rather than specific, and we would always advise reader to take individual advice from an expert before making an investment or making / changing their will.

Focus on retirement living

For many people in retirement, the option to sell their home and move into purpose built rented accommodation has much appeal.

When bowling fanatics Annette (59 years old) and Alan Paxton (77 years old) decided to sell their Park Home in Exeter two years ago, to downsize to smaller property, they thought the only option available was to buy a purpose built retirement home. They didn't realise they could rent their dream retirement home right in the middle of Exeter, Devon, enjoy greater financial security and have security of tenure for life.

The Paxtons initially looked to buy a new retirement property, but with the property market at its peak, the prices were too high. They then investigated shared ownership schemes but considered them too great a financial risk.

Whilst viewing properties at Homecourt House, a smart retirement development in the centre of Exeter, the House Manager mentioned another option - renting an apartment at Homecourt through Girlings Retirement Options, the leading provider private retirement properties in the UK. The assured tenancy renting aspect was very attractive to the Paxtons as they could be certain they could remain in the same property for life if they chose to do so.

Alan says: "We weighed up all our different options and decided that renting made the most sense financially. We were able to sell our Park Home and release our capital. By choosing to rent, it meant that we didn't have to take on another mortgage at our stage in life."

"Renting is such a good option for us, as all our needs are managed. The property is in a secure development, it has every thing we need. We have a House Manager looking after the development and there is an alarm in each room should anything go wrong, and if any repairs are needed the costs are covered by Girlings. We have nothing to worry about; it is a completely stress free way of living," he added.

The Paxtons have also taken advantage of the fact that they can stay at Girlings' properties throughout the UK. They travel extensively to watch their son Robert compete in national bowls tournaments located in different regions. The option to stay at other Girlings' UK properties is proving highly cost effective and convenient. They claim it is the 'best property decision they have ever made.'

You can find out more about on renting options on www.girlings.co.uk

Grumpy Old Women come to Cardiff

The hit BBC 2 TV show Grumpy Old Women, currently touring the UK, is to make a pit stop in Cardiff for one night only on Sunday 4 June at Wales Millennium Centre.

Grumpy Old Women Live, co-written by comedian, writer and performer Jenny Eclair and Judith Holder, will star Eclair, actress Dillie Keane and TV favourite, Linda Robson.

The television series featured a host of celebrities including Germaine Greer, Sheila Hancock, Janet Street-Porter as well as Ann Widdecombe and attracted nearly five million viewers per episode. The live tour has been produced to meet popular demand following the sell out 'Knock 'em dead' mini tour last Autumn.

The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £19. To book your tickets, contact the Ticket Office on 08700 40 2000 or visit www.wmc.org.uk

90 years of the WI!

For over 90 years, the Women's Institutes have been a positive force in British women's lives. In celebration, The Women's Library is delighted to announce a touring exhibition exploring the history of the WI, showcasing material from the Library's national archive collection alongside contributions from local WI members at regional venues as it tours. The exhibition Action Women: The real story of the Women's Institutes will open at The Museum of English Rural Life, The University of Reading from 30 May - 27 August 2006, before touring to York and Newport.

The Women's Institutes are often associated in people's minds with jam making, cake baking and singing Jerusalem. But other stories of this extraordinary group of dynamic women are told in the papers of the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), recently catalogued and made publicly available by The Women's Library, London Metropolitan University.

One of the most powerful stories the collection tells is of the organisation's campaigning on a local, national and international level. The NFWI has campaigned on many significant issues for rural communities, but has also been actively engaged with issues affecting millions of lives across the globe. From road safety, pollution and rural transport to food labelling, the foundation of Fair Trade and Make Poverty History, what emerges is a picture of very well informed group of women who together have had and continue to have the power to change laws and policies and truly improve people's lives.

The NFWI were initiators and founder members of the Keep Britain Tidy Group in 1955, and the slogan 'Keep Britain Tidy', still familiar today, went on to be reproduced on litter bins throughout the country thousands of times over. Looking to the future, the WI has now picked up on major and pressing issues like climate change, tackling supermarket waste and the much publicised campaign on saving local shops and communities.

Associations with jam making stem from the work WI members did to preserve fruit during both world wars. Bottling of fruit that would otherwise have gone to waste was of national importance; it is perhaps difficult in the age of the supermarket to imagine a population on the brink of significant food shortage in the latter stages of World War II. The NFWI archive traces the government's support when the organisation was first set up in 1915, and goes on to show how Churchill's government called for NFWI help in 1940 and how the members organised themselves and rose to the challenge.

Membership of a WI group is also about fun, friendship and being part of a network of support, particularly essential in more isolated areas of rural Britain. Action Women also conveys the social and personal benefits of being involved in the WI, and tells of the positive effect of the organisation on the lives of millions of women since its foundation. Membership of a local WI helped to break down social barriers endemic in rural Britain in the early part of the 20th century, and thousands of women have and continue to attend courses at Denman College, the WI's own residential adult education college in Oxfordshire.

Featuring a wide range of material including photographs, rural crafts, oral history accounts, campaign badges, posters, pamphlets and a stunning banner from the Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes at the Reading venue, Action Women promises to be a visual treat.

The exhibition will be supported at each venue by a programme of events including talks and workshops on campaigning and environmental issues, craft demonstrations, guided tours and activities for families and children. If you think you know about the WI, it's time to think again!

Venues and dates for the exhibition Action Women: The real story of the Women's Institutes are:

READING: Museum of English Rural Life, The University of Reading, Redlands Road, Reading:
30 May - 27 August 2006
Tel: (0118) 378 8660
www.merl.org.uk

YORK: The Borthwick Institute for Archives, Heslington, University of York:
Tel: (01904) 321166
www.york.ac.uk/borthwick
and
York Central Library, Library Square, Museum Street, York YO1 7DS
Tel: (01904) 552815
www.york.gov.uk/libraries
16 September - 15 December 2006

NEWPORT: Newport Museum and Art Gallery, John Frost Square, Newport, South Wales NP20 1PA:
3 February - 31 March 2007
Tel: (01633) 656656
www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=artgallery.homepage

A concert on behalf of the British Heart Foundation

Featuring: Sassafras, The Fugitives, Southlands

Plus special guests at The Coal Exchange, Cardiff
On Saturday 27th May 2006
Doors open 7.30
Tickets £6 on the door or from Spillers at £6.50 in adv.
Contact: info@sassafras.org.uk
www.sassafras.org.uk

Badinage at The Purcell Room

On Thursday 25 May at 7.45pm at the Purcell Room, the period instrument ensemble Badinage will celebrate 20 years at the South Bank Centre, with another rare treat for lovers of baroque chamber music.

Among other pieces, accomplished multi-instrumentalist Paul Carrol will perform bassoon sonatas by Vivaldi and Fasch, a Handel oboe sonata and with David Rowland a Bach flute & harpsichord sonata. Sally Civval on cello will complete this Badinage concert trio in a repertoire that also includes work by Telemann, Couperin and Fasch.

Tickets are £8, £12 and £15, from the box office on 08703 800 400 or online at www.rfh.org.uk.

Hamlet in North Somerset

Spectacular, exciting, witty - Shakespeare's great thriller Hamlet is a play of intrigue, passion and philosophy.

If you live in the North Somerset area, you can watch the play - condensed into just two hours - outdoors at Langford on Thursday 22 June.

Pageantry, swordplay, music, suspense, a ghost and a topping of comedy will all be present when the Festival Players deliver this spell-binding story of the young Prince's race for revelation and revenge. Bring your own seating, rugs or low backed chairs and warm clothing as it can become quite chilly. The performance starts at 7.30pm and the garden will be open from 6pm for picnics.

Tickets are £12.50 but for Langford Trust Ambassadors, and children 14 years and under they are only £9. Please mark your envelope Shakespeare and enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Cheques should be made payable to the Langford Trust and sent to: The Langford Trust Office, Langford House, Langford, North Somerset BS40 5DU.

Pow Wow for Father's Day

The American Museum in Britain is holding their annual Native American Indian Dance Exhibition will be held over Father's Day weekend 17th - 18th June 2006.

Those attending will be treated to singing, dancing and invited to participate in an assortment of Native activities. The annual Pow Wow is a celebration of Native American culture featuring traditional tribal displays, retelling of ancient lore and the opportunity to see rare clothing and artefacts.

"This event is unique, and to my knowledge, the only one of its kind in the South West," claims Julian Blades deputy director of the American Museum in Britain. "It's an opportunity to do something a little different and have a lot of fun over the Father's Day weekend. It is ideal for both those who want to get involved and for those that would prefer to sit back and watch."

The exhibition Pow Wow will be held at 2pm on both the 17th and 18th of June on the Terrace Lawn and entry is included with a museum grounds ticket of £4 adults, £3.50 senior citizens/students and £2.50 for children.

For more information on the American Museum in Britain visit www.americanmuseum.org or call 01225 460503.

I never knew they were Welsh

By the oddly Welsh sounding Martyn Davies

I knew we were a talented lot, us Welsh. And as a full-blooded, card carrying Taff who has been listed on the Rugby dependency register all his life I am well aware of our celebrity heritage.

Who doesn't know the lineage of Catherine Zeta Jones, Charlotte Church, Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Shirley Bassey and Richard Burton? We all know too the slightly less famous, but nonetheless just as Welsh, Rob Brydon, John Humphrys, Rhys Ifans and Ioan Gruffud. Ok, the last two names are a bit of a give away but did you know that Dawn French was born in Wales? Or Ian Hislop? Or Ray Milland? Well neither did I, but it was Welsh air that filled the newborn lungs of each of these famous names.

Ms French made her debut in Y Gors maternity home in Holyhead. Her father was serving on a nearby RAF base. The jovial editor of Private Eye and "Have I got news for you" panelist, Ian Hislop, drew his first breath in Mumbles near Swansea while Hollywood legend Ray Milland took his first bow as Reginald Alfred Truscott-Jones in Neath.

Hands up who knew the avuncular animal magician, Johnny Morris was a Taff? I had always thought he was a Bristolian Zookeeper. But he had been born in Newport - and he wasn't a zookeeper either!

The list is endless. Tommy Cooper? Born in Caerphilly. Tessie O'Shea? Born in Cardiff. Dorothy Squires? Pontyberem born. Even Rolf Harris' parents were from Merthyr Tydfil. Ever heard of Everest? The mountain was named after Welsh surveyor and geographer George Everest. Lawrence of Arabia? Welsh too, although admittedly of mixed Irish and Scottish ancestry the fact is that he was born in Tremadog, Caernarfonshire. But had he been interested in playing football he could have represented the land of our fathers. And lets face it, they'll take anyone they can get - remember Vinny Jones? Welsh... apparently.

It's not all good news though. John Prescott was born in the somewhat aptly named Prestatyn. And last and probably least, Helen Adams, or "Helen from Big Brother" as she is better known was born and bred in Wales. While she is to be commended for failing to win the Channel 4 reality show she let her slip show when she stunned us with her revelation: "I love blinking I do."

Do us a favour, Helen - please don't go around telling everybody you're Welsh.

Icon if you can - By Tony Watts

Enough of the Welsh. Just what is it to be English? I ask this question because the "icons" that define England have just been selected. The "stuff' that makes us quintessentially English (apologies for boring the Celts reading this) are, it seems:

St George's Flag, The Domesday Book, Blackpool Tower, Hadrian's Wall, HMS Victory, The Globe, The Notting Hill Carnival, the mini-skirt, Cricket, Brick Lane, The Hay Wain, The Sutton Hoo helmet, The Lindisfarne Gospels, Pride and Prejudice, York Minster, The Origin of Species, The Eden Project, Big Ben, Morris Dancing, The Pub and the Machin (Queen's head) stamp.

Impressed? The list left me feeling a bit flat.

I mean, don't get me wrong, they are all fine things. But how many of them stir the spirit and make you feel patriotic? Where is "Land of Hope and Glory", for instance? And personally I'd sooner not be identified with anyone who thinks it's OK to tie hankies to their clothes and shake sticks at each other. Try that in France or Italy and your feet wouldn't touch the ground.

The pub? Well, yes of course. As far as I've travelled, I've never found an equal to the English pub - ideally with a wood fire, real ale, flagged floor and rare beef sandwiches on the menu. To be really authentic, of course, you also need to have the village bore giving forth from his barstool too. But more typical of England today are binge drinkers falling about in the city centre late at night.

And while we've invented most games (alright, we'll give Golf to the Scots, if the Chinese haven't already bagged it) Cricket of course does sum up all that is intrinsically English: incomprehensible to virtually everyone outside these shores. But Cricket isn't what it used to be ever since we started to win games. Just what is all THAT about?

The Hay Wain is a wonderful work of art, but not a patch on anything by Turner. Too sedate by half. And while Hadrian's Wall is a fine piece of stonemasonry, it's piffling compared to Stonehenge. You don't see workmanship like THAT any more. Several generations of Ancient Brits developed chronic hernias putting that up.

So what would I add in to the list of English icons? For a start, fish and chips: the archetypical English fare, and preferably with mushy peas. Shakespeare's immortal work rather than a reconstructed theatre - so Hamlet or The Tempest. Marmite has to be in there - just how English is THAT? Monty Python is the purest form of humour we have yet generated, because surely if there's one thing we English can do without equals, it's to laugh at our own eccentricities.

And where are The Beatles on the list? They defined us as a nation for six or seven wonderful years and made us proud to be English.

Plus there are some things that probably happen everywhere but could only be significant here. Like politicians caught with their trousers down. Or vicars caught in flagrente by the News of the World. Hell's teeth, now that really IS English.

The steam train - that's English - and so too are the E-Type Jag and the Mini.

And, of course, on the subject of transport, I must make the case for leaves on the line. Ever hear of any other nation's transport network grinding to a halt for that reason? I think not.

So there we have it. According to MY list of Icons, we English can best be summed up as a nation that gets emotional over Elgar, has its tastebuds tickled by yeast extract, invents games but can't win them, and loves reading about vicars - either defrocked or caught in the act of defrocking. Oh, and spend their time drinking flat warm beer, reciting the parrot sketch and boring the rest of the pub talking about our latest hernia.

Can't see anyone arguing with that.

Or can I? Let's see your ideas on what makes a true English icon. Email editorial@maturetimes.co.uk

This month's Sudoku challenge

Three puzzles brought to you by www.sudokucafe.com

Easy, harder, downright difficult... it's your choice!

Win two pairs of tickets for Gardeners' World

BBC Gardeners' World Live 2006 returns to the NEC 14-18 June 2006, for a celebration of beautiful plants, inspiration, live entertainment and the best in garden-shopping.

As the UK's largest gardening show for hands-on gardeners and presented in association with the Royal Horticultural Society, the event is an ideal opportunity for gardeners of any experience to come together, exchange tips, learn new skills and buy plants and products to take home. Above all, the show is enjoyable with BBC TV gardeners on hand to share in the common passion gardeners share for the outdoors.

Among the many features this year's event will encourage gardeners to propagate their own fruit and vegetables in the Grow It! area plus we will reveal how simple 'Natural Gardening' techniques can help us to reduce our reliance on chemicals and encourage wildlife friendly habitats.

Expert Advice on Hand The highlight of the show will be tips and advice from a host of BBC TV gardeners across the Gardeners' World Magazine Celebrity Theatre, The Grow It! stage and the Let's Talk Design Theatre. Newly confirmed, Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh will join a host of well-known names to deliver over 40 hours of live demonstrations over all 5 days. In addition, various experts including those from the Royal Horticultural Society will be on hand to offer advice on how cultivate the perfect garden and answer questions on all gardening dilemmas.

Inspiration Gardening inspiration will come in the form of over 40 amazing show gardens displayed in the both the indoor and outdoor area. Garden designers are already busy at work creating stunning gardens such as The Mayflower - Voyage of Discovery garden. This extraordinary garden replicates the famous Mayflower ship that was used to exchange plants in the early seventeenth century between Britain and the East coast of America. The garden will feature a reproduction of The Mayflower including a front cabin, rigging and part of the main deck. This is a unique opportunity to see the incredible techniques that were used in the gardening world including transporting tuberous plants in ox bladders - a true Renaissance plastic bag!

Floral Delights The Royal Horticultural Society Floral Marquee promises to be a gardening feast with over 100 select nurseries from across the country. At the height of summer you won't want to miss this haven of stunning floral displays on new and interesting plants which are available to buy.

From fuchsias to roses, from bonsai to ornamental grasses, from acers to tropical ferns there is something to suit everyone's style and budget. Best of all, all the experts are on hand to ensure you buy the right plants for your garden and offer care advise

Reap What You Sow The Grow It! stage and related gardens will explore a new dimension in growing fruit and vegetables to deliver ideas on how fresh produce can be easily incorporated into any garden no matter little space is available. Celebrity chefs and gardeners alike will demonstrate some vital skills and cook up a few tasty and health home-grown recipes.

How to get involved at the show Gardeners' World Plant Swap will return to give visitors the opportunity to get their hands on plants propagated by Monty and his team at the BBC Gardeners' World programme garden, Berryfields. Visitors who bring a cutting along to the show could not only walk away with a special piece of BBC Gardeners' World history, but could also be doing their bit to help regenerate some of Britain's plant varieties.

BBC Gardeners' World Live also offers a wealth of shopping opportunities from the stunning nurseries in the floral marquee to the hundreds of gardening products ranging from wheelbarrows and garden clothing to specialist gardening equipment and water features. To make life easier for shop-a-holics, there is an improved Plant and Product Crèche where precious purchases can be left and the Car Collection Point ensures the bounty will get home with ease.

For further information on the event, call the ticket line on 0870 060 3780 Or go online at www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

eMT readers can win one of two pairs of tickets for Sunday 18 June by emailing us with the answer to this question:

What is the name of the Gardeners' World programme garden? Email your answer to: gardeners@maturetimes.co.uk

Discover your family tree - Special offer to eMT readers

What's lurking in your family wardrobe? Heroes or villains?

We're talking ancestors… wouldn't you like to know the secrets of the past…was your great Uncle Charles really the rogue everyone made him out to be? And was your Aunt a leading member of the Suffragettes? And how did the family get its name?

With the increased use of the web, and the availability online of census information, there's been a huge boom in genealogy.

Now searching for your antecedents has been made much easier with a new software programme.

Designed for British users, Family Tree Legends™ is a powerful genealogy program that will help you create your own delightful family heirloom, ready to hand down to the next generation. Even if you're a novice computer user, Family Tree Legends is so easy to use that you can have fun organising and sharing your family history straight away.

Its features allow you to:

1. Organise: Family Tree Legends makes it easy to store unlimited information about your relatives, including names, birthdates and places, marriages, occupations and much more.
2. Create: Bring your family history to life with family trees, which can be customised, reports and charts. With dozens of templates and borders to choose from, you can design your own professional looking family tree in no time.
3. Archive: Preserve precious memories by creating your own multimedia family scrapbook. Add photos, audio recordings, video files and important documents.
4. Share: Print your research out, or why not use the web, email or CD-ROM to share your family tree with family and friends.

Researching into your family's past can be a rewarding and intriguing task that is guaranteed to take you on an incredible journey. But for many people there are so many unanswered questions including where do I begin? What do I need to do? And how do I find the information I need?

To make things easier for you, Create your own Family Tree Research Workbook contains all the work sheets and interview forms you will need to structure your research, ensuring that you ask all the right questions and record all your findings ready to enter into your family tree software.

Special offer to readers

Buy 'Family Tree Legends Starter Edition' for £9.99 (plus £2.00 P&P) and receive a copy of 'Create your own Family Tree Research Workbook' worth £7.99 absolutely FREE.

Order online at www.focusmm.co.uk/maturetimes or call the company's mail order department on 01889 579977 quoting 'Mature Times'.

Win Rolling Stones' Forty Licks

The band's definitive 2-CD greatest hits collection is released on 29th May 2006 under the UMTV label - giving Stones fans who might have missed out on some of their favourite tracks the chance to enjoy them all together in one breathtaking collection.

The undisputed "Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the World" still tour to massive audiences all round the world - when their led guitarist isn't falling out of trees - and they have proven conclusively that rock was no passing fad. Still as tight musically as ever, they not be generating the big single hits of the 60s and 70s, but they can still put out big selling albums and they're equally happy keeping their fans satisfied with stage versions of the old barnstormers.

The sensational 2-CD set features digitally remastered classic Rolling Stones hits including Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Brown Sugar, Miss You and Start Me Up. Providing the ultimate retrospective of the Stones five decade long career, the two-disc album raids the bands catalogues at both Virgin and Universal Music.

Released just in time for Fathers Day on June 19th, this is perfect gift for both old and new dads alike. The UK leg, incidentally, is due to start at Twickenham Stadium on August 20th. And if you haven't got your ticket, you're too late!

We have three copies to give away. To be in with a chance of winning email stones@maturetimes.co.uk with the answer to this question. Which female singer made Ruby Tuesday a hit during the 60s?

Win BBC Audiobooks' This Sceptred Isle: Empire Vol 3: 1876 - 1947 (CD)

Britain had the biggest empire the world has ever known. At one time a quarter of the global land mass was British.

Over a third of the world was insured at Lloyds. At his coronation, more than 400 million people saluted George V. Truly, the sun never set on this historical phenomenon. Whatever the day, whatever the hour, somewhere on the globe, the empire worked and played up and played the British game - often absurdly so.

The story of the British Empire is one of enormous personalities, adventure, scientific and maritime development and the building of one of the most complex international administrations the world has ever seen. And this volume sees that empire at its peak - but then paying the cost of winning two world wars.

Released on 19 June, and lasting 7 hours and 40 minutes, this part of the series normally retails for £25.00. This is the third and final volume of the Empire series. They are available on special offer to Mature Times readers at £20.00 + £1.00 p&p.

Ring 0800 136 919 and quote MT10

To win one of 5 free copies that are up for grabs to readers, tell us the year in which India was granted its independence. Email: sceptred@maturetimes.co.uk

Your Views

Discrimination help

I have been invited to make a presentation on Age Discrimination and I would like views and incidents experienced by older people.

I am Vice Chair of OPAG (Older Peoples' Advisory Group) which is a government initiative and also Vice Chair of The north East Forum on Ageing, a committee member of the Elders Council of Newcastle and at 80 lectures regularly at Northumbria University to young doctors and MA students within the health service on older people's issues.

Please email editorial@maturetimes.co.uk and we will pass your emails on.

Unanswered question

Many WWII Veterans have a question that's so simple even a career politician could understand it, but the answer is either avoided or deliberately misinterpreted.

Those who saw excessive action often returned from the front physical and mental wrecks. Maintaining a disability pension necessitated regular attendances at notorious medical boards, an appalling system where every effort was made to terminate pensions. This hidden injustice was quietly recognised by the government in the late 1980s but veterans who re-applied for their pensions could not claim back pay.

Not all veterans support The Royal British Legion, for reasons too extensive to encapsulate into a few words. Due to war trauma, many veterans found difficulty finding financially rewarding employment. Unable to adequately provide for their senior years they now face the humiliation of government and charitable means testing. This should be a national outrage, but the populous psyche has been pacified to accept it. Charity has acted as a catalyst to promote an image that best suits the authorities and subsequently let them off the hook; such is the success of the makeover, it's taboo to question it.

Disabled veterans now face an NHS that's died and has all the signs of rigor mortis setting in! Nowadays, an appointment to see a doctor is almost as elusive as the Yeti! The health system appears to be run on behalf of pharmaceutical profits.

Sons and daughters often provide for their parents old age, giving care and financial support, often to the determent of their own future. Epigenetics is revealing how children of veterans who suffered severe shell shock can be affected.

Disabled veterans were conned out of their war pensions, conned out of a decent wage and now conned out of a health service. To pacify the masses, Government image-makers have turned neglect into a benevolent patriotic military promotion exercise, another con! The wartime generation fought against tyranny to maintain democracy, but their democratic rights have been denied by a consensus that's not decided at the ballot box. The simple question is "Why?"

Chris Powis, Spokesman and co-founder of www.warveteran.org.

Old dogs, new tricks?

The Older and Bolder group of NIACE are keen to point out to members that many Local Authorities were considering cutting funding to adult education for older people, and have urged members to look at their local provision to find out what cuts were envisioned and to support what provision there was.

While I believe that Adult Education provision in Wolverhampton is as good as any in other parts of the country such was my concern to retain this lead that I thought my support would be welcome.

It is my contention having used the service that while there are undoubted educational benefits there are a number of social and health benefits. These accrue to users of the service especially as health benefits to older people. I realise that education for older people might be considered non-vocational or leisure learning. But beneath the fun there are serious contributions to healthy living.

We decided to let our local MP have a look at the matter and we have been delighted with his response. Mr Marris has taken this matter up with great support and vigour - even letting us have copies of the correspondence he has conducted.

Desmond Halestrap
Please send your emails in response to this article to editorial@maturetimes.co.uk and we will pass them on.

Finding lost stillborn graves

When babies were born still 60 years ago and before, they were often taken away from their mothers. When Mrs Parks' baby boy was born she never knew what happened to her first-born. She assumed the worst, that his little body had been sent to the hospital incinerator.

Recently, with our help, she found his grave, in the Boscombe Cemetery. Like many stillborn babies of the time, he was buried with another adult, in a shared grave. Cemeteries keep meticulous records, so these graves are usually easy to locate. However, many of the mothers' don't realise that their little angels are often laying to rest just down the road from them.

Now Mrs Parks has a place to go and grieve, a place to remember him on the day of his tragic birth date, 2 January, 1948.

Our charity, Outfits for Angels, was created 10 years ago when our daughter was born still, after a horrific car crash. She was beautiful in her lovely outfit and Moses basket. I was mortified to realise that her outfit was washed and used for the 'next stillborn'; so we now create bedding and clothing for stillborn babies and supply 10 different hospitals.

If any of your readers would like to find their lost angels or indeed would like to knit, sew or donate wool please have them contact me directly by post. As we are self-funding, our 2006 fundraiser is an Everyday Cookbook. We are in desperate need for easy recipes that are used in daily cooking. The simple recipes are the best. We hope to publish in November if we can find a printer to help!

Nancy Grant
Email editorial@maturetimes.co.uk and we will pass them on.

Thanks!

As a 78 year old, I have been reading your newspaper for many years and now I am getting it to my desktop it is a bonus, congratulations on excellent editorial content and please keep up the good work.

Thank you, Hal. Evan

Council Tax

My council tax has gone up over 100% since this government got in. My state pension has gone up some 16% in that period, so my standard of living is gradually being eroded. I put the blame on increase in Council Tax solely on the government, their constant extra demands on local government and associated increase in bureaucracy without giving the necessary funds leaves Councils no other choice but increase tax.

Having been a Labour supporter all my life, New Labour has been a bitter disappointment all round.

Richard Davis, Worcester

Paul Robeson

Someone recently mentioned that wonderful singer and actor, the late Paul Robeson, the other day and it brought back a happy memory of my childhood.

In the 1930s my father loved fishing near Shepperton Lock on the Thames. On one occasion, while enjoying this peaceful hobby, to his alarm and amazement, around the bend of a quiet backwater, a number of war canoes filled with straining African paddlers appeared - making directly for him. One of these was a particularly fine physical specimen.

In those days it was almost unknown to find people from such a different culture in this rural part of the Home Counties and my father said he admitted he was scared to bits at the time. He dropped his rod and headed for the bushes.

Later in the day he learned these folk were actors involved in the making of Sanders of The River at the nearby film studios and were, it seems, using the only available stretch of water for some of the outdoor shots. On his way home that evening he saw a very different Paul Robeson waiting for the train to London and often remarked what a fine figure of a man he was.

I have some old recordings of Robeson's famous songs somewhere and wonder if other readers have memories of their distinctive quality.

James Voller, Wantage

Just the ticket

I was a surprise winner of two complimentary tickets to the Harrogate Flower festival - the surprise in that I never win gifts of this kind. I can't say "never" again!

My wife and I had a fabulous day out. The weather was good too, though I know that wasn't within your gift. Thank you very much, and also for "Mature Times" which I find helpful and informative. My wife runs a group at our church for Seniors, and at times the info which you provide is very useful to share.

David Langton