Elly
I quite agree- life does not begin at 40 but 50! I am really enjoying my life and would not return to my teens in a hurry.
Power to the pensioners!!
Rita fiftysomething
Government & institutions have not kept pace. They are to blame most of all for their blinkered and smug categorisations and ageism. There is a lack of common sense and logic in the way that anyone over 40 is perceived by the powers that be, so there is no leading by example. We have a deregulated market-obsessed economy which is in decline except for the fat cats who are getting fatter every day at the expense of the rest of us.
Jane
Maybe Valerie from Southfields would have better luck at getting a job if she use I instead of i.
Jay
The only reason that 60 is a landmark is that it was set as the age of retirement in the public sector, and for women, the age at which the state pension is payable. These decisions were taken when male life expectancy was about 64. Historically, people retired when they could afford to, or when they were no longer able to work at their trade, and we should try to be less fixated on age. People vary. I know women of 84 who are far more active than many people in their 40s: or even couch potato teens and 20s.
Jacqueline
Rocking chair plus slippers and knitting? Even my grandmother, born in 1884, didn't go in for that, so who on earth has Moran been mixing with? The use of the term 'pensioner' as shorthand for anyone who has reached 60 produces a negative stereotype, so I wonder what Ms Moran is doing applying it to herself.
valerie from southfields
i agree completely. i am almost 60 and cannot believe it. i am out of work because of age discrimination, yet have so much ability (first class honours, 2 master's degrees). i am patronised by young people who are recruitment agents and on interview panels. yet i know that i am more skilled and more clever than any of them. it is very frustrating. all because i had children of my own!!
Barbara McGrane
I agree totally. We "oldies" should get together and tell Govt to really consider us - we have a vote and will use it!
michael coghlan
Recently a member of the public complained about how many pensioners used the buses with free passes.I can't except that I'm a pensioner but I've noticed hostility like this from both passengers & some drivers.Having worked for 50 years,I feel entitled to use my travel pass.The complainers,today, will be the pensioners of tomorrow.
Jacqui
I am 54 and my son keeps telling me I am too old to do things for myself and make my own decisions. he says i need councelling as I have put up my flat for sale and it inconveiences him.
Diana Buck
Damn straight. We don't die after 60.
Lisa McTaggart
I'm not yet 60 (54 to be precise!) but I manage an older people's social club in Kew, West London. This used to be called a 'day centre' by the local council and 7 years ago they tried to pull the plug on it. A bunch of older residents got together and formed a trust and it is now run as a 'voluntary' day centre (I put that in inverted commas because we do still get a certain amount of funding from the council as they have an obligation to the older people in the borough. A friend and I were recruited to run the club (not on a voluntary basis - we get paid a reasonably decent salary - though we do have lots of support from volunteers).
Since taking over what had become a very downmarket 'day centre' we have turned the club into a vibrant, welcoming 'community centre'. Probably 98% of our members are over 60. On a weekly basis we have 3 yoga sessions (2 gentle and 1 not so gentle), 3 Pilates sessions, Gentle exercises, 'not'so'gentle exercises, tai chi, reflexology, reiki healing, aromatherapy, as well as bridge sessions and bingo sessions and we have recently started line dancing on a fortnightly basis. We have a great mix of older people and people who have recently retired. We find that part of the problems we have to overcome are people's perceptions that we are an "old people's day centre" but that once they come into the club and see many other people their own age or younger and the things we have to offer it is usually very difficult to keep them away! Of course once you get a few people on board then word-of-mouth is your best advertisement.
Pat baxter
since I retired at 60 in September 2005, I have found that there is very little help with finding what benifits are available to me as I only have a small company pension.
John
I'm not over 60, but htis needs to be said for once. Age discrimination is against the young too - all older people think we're evil hoodlums!
Mr R. Wise (ron1wise@blueyonder.co.uk)
My wife is 68 years young and I am 71 and we enjoy our holidays and we do a lot of walking. The thing that we find most irritating is trying to get multi-trip insurance,no matter what company we e-mail or telephone, as soon as I give our age we are too old for this type of insurance and in the majority of cases even with single trip we are not allowed to be away for more than 28 days. We are both healthy and reasonably fit and can pass all the medical checks. HELP!!
