West Surrey issue 24

WEST SURREY SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2012

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EDITION 24

Bernie

Nolan

BOUNCES BACK IN TRUE CHICAGO STYLE

Inside MALTA TRAVEL TO A TOUCH OF ENGLAND IN THE MED PLAYING THE SENIOR’S FAVOURITE GAME AT CHOBHAM GOLF CLUB Get your dentures direct from a GET YOUR DENTURES qualified clinical dental technician

DIRECT A QUALIFIED Our Clinical FROM Dental Technicians can now work DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC making: CLINICAL DENTAL TECHNICIAN l l l l

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finest escorted holidays Dublin, Wicklow & the Boyne Valley by air

A terrific Irish ‘jaunt’, staying in the vibrant capital, Dublin. We also explore Wicklow, the ‘Garden of Ireland’ and enjoy visits to Malahide Castle and the fascinating Neolithic site Newgrange in the Boyne Valley.

Your Holiday Itinerary

Sunday 14th April 2013 ~ 5 days

• • • • •

Sight seeing tour of Dublin Excursion to Wicklow ‘Garden of Ireland’ Powerscourt House and Gardens Boyne Valley Visit Centre Malahide Castle

Staying at the 3H Sandymount Hotel, Dublin Traditional hotel located in the exclusive suburb of Ballisbridge, close to the Lansdowne Road (now Aviva) Stadium.

Includes      

4 nights dinner, bed & breakfast All coach travel Air fare Services of a Tour Director Various admissions Home to Holiday service

Connemara

Cruising with Fred.Olsen: We have a selection of cruises with Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines.

Sailing aboard world-class vessels, these are excellent quality traditional cruises.

Cruising with Fred Olsen...

Canada’s Eastern Seaboard

We cross the Atlantic Ocean to explore the eastern seaboard of Canada. We visit the great cities of Quebec and Montreal. We explore the coastlines of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Cruising aboard the Balmoral.

Wed 5th Sept | 29 Days You pay the same price as advertised by Fred.Olsen, but have the added benefit of a home pick up included

For a free brochure on all our fantastic cruises or further details call Anna our dedicated cruise advisor on 01372 731705

We offer a door to door service on all our holidays

Birmingham International Tattoo & Christmas Market

Highlights of Western Scotland A superb holiday exploring this spectacular corner of Scotland, based in atmospheric Glencoe, with visits to the resort of Oban and the Isle of Skye.

Staying at the 3H Best Western Studley Castle Hotel, Studley

Staying at : Isles of Glencoe Hotel, Glencoe Nestling on a peninsula that juts into Lock Leven, this superb low-rise Scandinavian style modern hotel has excellent leisure facilities.

Wed 19th September

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2 nights dinner, bed & breakfast l All coach travel Services of a Tour Guide throughout l Home to Holiday service l Admission to Birmingham International Tattoo l l

Sat 24th November ~ 3 days Famous Queens of England at Bourne Hall

We enjoy a concert of the world-renowned artist Andre Rieu, staying in a magnificent landmark hotel in the heart of Brussels. We return via the picturesque city of Bruges.

A wonderful new themed tour, staying at an excellent hotel in Shanklin. We step back to Victorian and Elizabethan times, with a feast and a banquet served by costumed characters.

Includes l

Includes

Andre Rieu in Concert & Brussels Luxury

This 19th century historic landmark hotel is a masterpiece of French Renaissance style architecture, in the heart of Brussels, within easy walking distance of the Grand Palace.

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Unique Victorian medieval-style castle set in parkland, in lovely Warwickshire countryside.

8 Days

Staying at the 5H Hotel Metropole, Brussels

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We enjoy a matinee visit to this magnificent event of massed bands and spectacular displays, with a cast of over 100. Also visit Birmingham’s excellent ‘Frankfurt’ Christmas Market

2 nights dinner, bed & buffet breakfast l All coach travel Services of a tour director l Home to Holiday service Category 2 ticket to Andre Rieu concert l Various admissions

Tues 27th November ~ 8 Days

Staying at the 3H Bourne Hall Country Hotel, Shanklin Reputedly built in 1860 for one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-inwaiting, this superb country hotel has a warm welcome and excellent facilities. No lift. Stairs to public areas.

Includes

4 nights dinner, bed & breakfast l All coach travel Services of a Tour Guide throughout l Home to Holiday service l Admission to Waltzing Waters l Entertainment as specified. l

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Sat 9th March 2013 ~ 3 days

Epsom Coaches, Roy Richmond Way, Epsom, Surrey KT19 9AF t: 01372 731705 or visit us online www.epsomcoaches.com

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Inside this issue ...

6-7

10-11

12-13

16-18

29

TRAVEL & LEISURE

2-3

Finest Escorted Holidays From Epsom Coaches

6-7

Malta Travel to a touch of England in the Med

8-9

Club Wellness at Rainbow Leisure Centre Activities for the over 55s

10-11 Playing the Senior’s Favourite Game At Chobham Golf Club 22-23 Out and About Events to keep you entertained.

FINANCE 14-15 Pay off your mortgage in retirement Fixed rate remortgage for homeowners up to 75 years old.

FOOD & DRINK 16-18 Rick Steins' Recipe Pages Rick's favourite recipes

HOME

INTERVIEW 12-13 Bernie Bounces back in true Chicago Style 50 Plus magazine talk to Bernie Nolan.

McGrath Regional Media.

Unit 6 | Moses Gate Workshops | Gladys Street Bolton | BL3 2QG. T: (01204) 796 494 | F: (01204) 791594 e: mcgrathadmin@btconnect.com

19-21 Is it time to Downsize?

Tips on furnishing something smaller 21

Be their favourite Grandparent Children’s products built to last for generations.

HEALTH 30-31 Is HRT safe?

Runnymede Hospital answers your questions.

34-35 Beating the ‘poor man’s cancer’ Bladder cancer is the second most frequently occurring disease of the urinary system.

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Graham Smith has a Twitter Life is just a tweet!

Do you tweet? Twitter seems to have become all the rage but don’t some people make themselves look twits by what they say?

Even David Cameron is tweeting, and for once it’s not about Nick Clegg. As I write he’s just popped up to announce that Prime Minister’s Question Time is about to start. A sure cue for everyone to switch off their computers and phones and hide in a darkened corner before this adult version of Children’s Playtime starts.

Does the Queen tweet? Well not officially but someone assuming her name, @Queen_UK, and claiming to be Elizabeth Windsor, gives me many a chuckle with irreverent comments and quips at various member of the Royal Family and the government.

Waiting for a Princess!

Joining a small crowd waiting to see the Princess Royal in Keighley I had to laugh at some of the comments as time ticked by and she did not emerge from the Civic Centre she was opening.

“I suppose she’s had her dinner, I’m on the wrong side of mine,” growled one elderly lady.

“Who does she think she is being so late, royalty?”, from one man.

I was curious to see this much travelled, often criticised member of the Royal Family whose dog has a penchant for eating geese and who can be a bit nippy behind a steering wheel.

Her catchphrase is “gin o’clock” and he or she has an astonishing 646,553 followers and counting. The latest tweet,“ Camilla on the phone, worried that “the interweb has gone”. The DoE (Prince Philip) thinks she’s trying to find Ceefax”. Then there was this little gem, “Alvin and the Chipmunks (Mr Cameron and Co) are back from their Burma holiday. The poor Burmese still have no idea who they are”.

Or “Bungle (Boris Johnson) on the phone. Not really sure what he’s saying, partly due to one having hung up”. She creases me!

The “gin o’clock” bit comes in when our supposed monarch announces at 5pm each day that it’s home time and “gin o’clock”. And one of my favourites, “Just been out with the dogs. The DoE is trying to dry Linnet the corgi off with a hairdryer”.

To me this is great humour and I am an avid follower. Others make me laugh for other reasons. They tweet before they’re out of bed and I even know the flavour of one southern lady’s toothpaste thanks to her being retweeted by one of my followers.

Then there are the dodgy ones. I sat at my machine one morning and discovered I was being followed by three brothels in San Diego and a dispensing chemist for some very suspect stuff in India, duly deleted. Be very careful if you click any links to these kind of people or you will find your computer or mobile phone infected with something which spreads like mumps and ruins any social standing you ever had.

Last word with the Queen after the budget, “Text from Nick Clegg: “I didn’t agree with the tax on fruit machines. People shouldn’t pay tax on their apples and bananas”.

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Security was tight for the only royal to have been close to being kidnapped some years ago. On the centre door were two local security people who collectively must have weighed 50 stone but when Anne’s exit was signalled they were dwarfed by her own security men, and women, one of whom could have been seven feet tall with a tell-tale bulge under his immaculately tailored suit jacket.

Then there she was, initially wearing that so serious look she is known for but she kindly broke into a half grin and her eyes lit up as a lady beside me made a light hearted comment about how long she had been inside before leaping nimbly into the back of a Range Rover.

She certainly has the “royal” look and for a woman slightly older than me, in her early 60s, she is still youthful.

“I’ve immensely enjoyed my trip to Yorkshire,” she said to us all.

We enjoyed having you Ma’am, but next time could you save us a sandwich if we have to wait so long?

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50 Plus Travel

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MALTA Travel to a touch of England in the Med

By Peter Lynch Journalist, rail and wildlife specialist, contributor to Great Train Journeys of the World and Silver Travel Advisor

Malta is a fabulous Mediterranean destination especially if you dislike the hassle of foreign languages.

Everyone speaks good to perfect English yet Malta retains all the charm of the Mediterranean.

bureaucrats have forced the withdrawal of the famous orange vintage Leyland and Bedford buses.

The universality of English is down to Malta being part of the British Empire from 1814 until 1964 but strangely it was not one of the Empires conquests. In the Napoleonic era Malta was between a rock and a hard place - at risk of being invaded by the French and the Russians. It opted for the protection of the British Empire and subsequently played a crucial role in defeating Rommel’s Afrika Korps in North Africa during WWII.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens provide a must-see harbour and city view and the Grand Master’s palace and armoury is a must. Don’t be put off by the plain exterior of St John cathedral; it belies a fabulous Baroque interior and a famous painting by Caravaggio.

It’s a tiny place, significantly smaller than the Isle of Wight, with a familiar yet foreign ambience. They have the highest density of catholic priests outside the Vatican City, produce and explode more fireworks per head than anywhere else on earth and eat an unbelievable number of rabbits.

Of course, they drive on the left and something I love is how it’s kept some of the classic images from my childhood – old red telephone boxes, red post boxes and blue lights outside police stations. Sadly EU

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The World Heritage listed capital of Valletta is Europe’s first planned city, laid out in a grid system of streets and alleyways. The Knights of St John built it on a peninsula as a defence against the Turks during the sixteenth century.

Valletta’s real charm is its ambience, so it’s important to sit in an outdoor cafe and soak up the palpable sense of history rather than just rushing around the sites –the perfect excuse for loafing.

But all this is just recent history; Malta’s prehistoric megalithic temples are older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids. It’s a dream destination for historians and reads like a textbook of western civilisation, probably with more human history packed into its122 sq miles than anywhere else on earth.

There are 23 prehistoric sites dating back 6,000 years including the impressive megalithic temples of Taraxien and Hagar Qim but the subterranean

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Valletta’s real charm is its ambience, so it’s important to sit in an outdoor cafe and soak up the palpable sense of history... on Malta en-route to Rome and his indelible legacy of Christianity is still evident in the islands 360 churches.

The marks of Norman and Arab conflicts are everywhere on the island, culminating with the spectacular city of Valletta built by the Knights of St John in 1566. Malta’s history rolls on involving the Spanish Empire; Napoleon predictably turned up and of course the British.

But its not history that makes Malta one of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations - it’s the glorious weather, the friendly people, the Mediterranean lifestyle and the convenience of English speakers.

When Malta’s history, shopping and nightlife pall the 20-minute ferry across to Gozo is like moving to another country. It is Malta’s exclusive hideaway island with a pastoral ambience compared to Malta’s brasher tourist developments. Everything runs at a slower pace on Gozo.

hypogeum of Hal Saflieni is perhaps the most breathtaking. It is the only known underground prehistoric temple.

Not much is known about these ancient temple builders or their mysterious parallel ‘cart tracts’ gouged into the limestone. They’ve been likened to a complex railway junction (Clapham Junction) because they criss-cross the landscape and some even disappear off the edge of the cliff - creating an endless source of myths and legends.

Homer’s Odyssey tells of Ulysses being shipwrecked on the nearby island of Gozo where Calypso captivated him on his journey back from Troy to Ithaca in Greece.

Then there are the Phoenicians from the Biblical cities of Tyre and Sidon who traded and settled Malta until ousted by the Roman’s. St Paul was also shipwrecked

The islands capital of Rabat was renamed Victoria in 1897 to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond jubilee but its still the beautiful quant town of alleyways, cafes and little shops it always was. The imposing walled citadel sheltered people from the marauding corsairs who plagued island communities throughout the Mediterranean.

Gozo has its share of prehistoric monuments such as the Ggantija temple - supposedly built by giantesses and more mysterious ‘cart ruts’.

The impressive Romanesque Basilica of Ta Pinu dominates the Gozitan skyline and has become a local shrine with a Lourdes-like status for miracle cures.

Inside the walls are adorned with artificial limbs and other relics left by grateful pilgrims.

So don’t bother with a history book in Malta, just stroll around and let it all seep in, and between momentous historical events you’ll be able to find a perfect pasta and a decent pint of beer.

Silver Travel Advisor is a travel review, information and advice website exclusively for over 50’s, packed with articles, suggestions, tips and ideas. For free and independent travel advice as well as reviews about holidays, hotels, restaurants and days out, please visit www.silvertraveladvisor.com or email service@silvertraveladvisor.com. It’s free to register as a member of Silver Travel Advisor, and you could win a fabulous holiday prize.

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Rainbow Leisure Centre Club Wellness at Rainbow Leisure Centre Club Wellness provides a wide range of activities for 55 years plus members, from badminton to bowls. If you’re looking to shape up & socialise, we have something for everyone.

All under the guidance of our dedicated Club Wellness Lead and with a host of like minded people!

Call the centre now for a free day trial for you and a friend!

Call our Customer Service Team on 01372 727 277 to book a visit today The following activities are included in our Club Wellness Membership: • • • • • •

Inclusive access to the fitness centre during off peak times Inclusive personalised Fitness Induction Inclusive access to Group Exercise Classes at off peak times Inclusive access to Swimming at off peak times Inclusive access to 55+ badminton & bowls sessions No minimum contract

Off peak times: Monday-Friday 9:00am-17:00pm Saturday & Sunday 13:00pm-20:00pm Pop in or give us a call today 01372 727 277 *Terms and conditions apply, please speak to a Customer Service Advisor Registered Address: GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6SX I.P.S. Registration No: 27793R Inland Revenue Charity No: XR43398

Working in Partnership

Activity 55+ Programming

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Rainbow The above sessions are payable onThe a sessional basis.Leisure Centre East Street, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1BN 1

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PLAYING THE SENIOR’S

FAVOURITE GAME The advancing years, it used to be said, bring wisdom. Now they bring golf. If not already members extra disposable time is increasingly spent at their local golf club.

Why? Well, what else can they do to fill the livelong day that used to be occupied by work? Furthermore, as pronounced in a once-popular lyric, the best things in life are illegal, immoral or they make you fat, and golf is the exception that proves this rule.

Golf is good exercise, stimulating competitive sport and warm companionship, and it is inevitably staged in a wonderful scenic setting, be it undulating parkland, broken woodland, or water-fringed links with gorse and dunes and ups and downs. At the same time, big prize money has made the professional game a great spectator sport, too, commanding audiences of millions on TV and adding universal appeal to the game.

During an average game of golf you are likely to walk five miles. Can you remember the last time you did that? It has all the right things to promote good health. Cardio vascular workout, exercising the limbs and promoting social mixing both on and off the course.

If you haven’t undertaken regular exercise for some time you’d be well advised to have a medical check before starting to play golf. You don’t have to plunge in and play 18 holes immediately. Try a gentle stroll around a couple of holes and ease yourself into it is the experts’ advice.

Being 50 plus you do need to be aware of the dangers of playing golf if they have an existing back problem. If you have not exercised your lower and middle back muscles for some 10

time the exertion of swinging a club could cause discomfort. It is important to seek medical advice and follow it. It may be that a gentle introduction, building up to full participation over an extended period is the answer for you. Build up your muscles by regular strength training, e.g. in a fitness centre.

Golf is probably one of the most social sports where you will meet people from most walks of life on the same level. If you get the bug you can engage the services of a club professional to teach you the finer points but it is equally suited to the amateur who just enjoys the exercise and the company.

We hear much of the degeneration of our mental health as we age. Golf is not only physically beneficial but has been proved to stimulate mental health by improving hand to eye co-ordination and mental agility through the scoring system.

Coupled with club selection and observational exercise it is an all round game to keep seniors on the ball for many years to come.

Like many thousands, I started on semi retirement, proceeding from rabbit to veteran without middle-aged mastery in-between, inspired by the late eminent Seve Ballesteros who gave me a demonstration on a Press trip to La Manga Club in Spain.

My wife also started then. The number of women refusing to be golf widows and insisting on playing, too, is exploding, limited only by the discrimination against them at some clubs.

Variety is the spice of golf as it is of life, and the 2,000-odd clubs in Britain offer every kind of challenge, helped by the ingenious handicap system by which every player has a points rating which subtracts from the lesser player’s score according to his or her established status, so that even a beginner can tackle a champion.

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Incidentally, the days when only golf club members could acquire an official handicap are over. There are now a number of “pay and play’ golf courses throughout the country making it more accessible for more people to acquire a handicap.

Golfing holidays play a large part in the over 50s lifestyle, as they open the door to sporting pleasure in the UK and throughout the world. You are not restricted to British courses even for a single day’s play.

Altogether, the deal gives you a choice of seven star courses including Scottish-style links, sheltered forest and pleasant parkland. You travel out and back on the same day, playing 18 holes or more if you’re fast.

Looking further afield, Spain and Portugal have caught the golfing bug in a big way and attract British golfers year round but particularly appeal to retirees aiming to avoid the bite of winter.

The Costa del Sol is virtually one long stretch of golf courses from Malaga Airport to Gibraltar. My favourite is Sotogrand a 4,400 - acre sporting estate near Marbella, which has been a second-home for the affluent international golf set for 30 years. Following the boost it enjoyed as venue for the 1997 Ryder Cup, with subsequent exposure to the world’s third biggest TV audience, it is expanding and broadening it’s appeal beyond the millionaires who once occupied it villas.

Now, there are a wide choice of duplexes and apartments with terraces overlooking its marina, Puerto Sotogrande.

The course at Chobham Golf Club was designed by Clive Clark & Peter Alliss, on the backdrop of mature Surrey parkland, the course boasts beautiful tree lined fairways that give the impression of a course much older than it truly is.

When you incorporate the addition of multiple lakes and wellestablished greens, you have the makings of a course that is highly enjoyable, and offers a challenge to any standard of golfer.

The course at Chobham is a delightful easy walk with great views and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Predominantly of the bird variety, attracted in by the six large lakes which are home to many breeds of nesting birds.

Chobham Golf Club is proud to have a very strong and enthusiastic senior section run and managed by the senior’s themselves. Recently the club has been reaching out to golfers who find themselves at a stage between being a casual golfer to wanting to give further commitment to golf.

Ideal for those who are unsure as to whether or not they would feel confident joining a golf club full time, they have introduced an ‘Academy Membership’ with the intention to get like-minded people together and allow them to experience the friendly atmosphere that Chobham Golf Club exudes. Academy membership is a perfect stepping stone to full membership of the club.

Regardless of your age or experience you can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome to Chobham Golf Club.

No better time to join ...

... Surrey’s Friendliest Senior’s Golf Section

Golf Membership Home to a delightful, easy walking parkland course with a welcoming & relaxing clubhouse.

Make new friends and acquaintances by joining our senior’s section.

One month free when you join and with no joining fee to pay!

Alternatively, if you are relatively new to the game why not tr y our all new Academy membership, a great stepping stone to full membership.

For further details please do not hesitate to call or email today.

Phone: 01276 855584 Email: sales@chobhamgolfclub.co.uk Chobham Road, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey, GU21 2TZ ‘No joining fee’ offer for limited time only. www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

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I N T E RV I E W

Bernie bounces back in true Chicago style

B

ernie Nolan has taken on the pivotal role of Mama Morton in multi awardwinning musical ‘Chicago’ this year.

In 2009, the singer and actress played the fairy godmother at Manchester Opera House, following on The Nolans’ reunion tour which proved a spectacular success and filled arenas around the UK. But between then and now, Bernie, aged 51, has fought a dramatic battle against breast cancer which saw her having to have a mastectomy and six months of chemotherapy.

In true showbiz style, Bernie has bounced back from this traumatic time to entertain us once more. All of which is no surprise when you consider her strong family background, and the way she has lived much of her life in the spotlight.

Bernadette Therese Nolan came from an Irish family, the second youngest of eight children, and was brought up in Blackpool. Showbiz was in her blood and her sisters, brothers and parents would often perform in clubs and pubs around the resort.

It was when Bernie teamed up with four of her sisters, however, as The Nolans that fame and success finally came their way. The pretty, harmonious pop group sold millions of records worldwide in the ‘80s and ‘90s including more than nine million albums.

They had chart hits like ‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing’ and were regular guests on some of the top TV shows of the time. Their appeal – apart from singable, danceable hits – was their wholesome niceness and visual charm, which proved a pleasant antidote to the extreme vagaries of the pop scene.

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Bernie had one of the strongest voices in the group, but when she first tried her hand at acting she showed that she also had talent in this direction. She became a presenter on BBC Saturday morning children’s show ‘On The Waterfront’ , and pleasantly surprised critics by her gift for comedy and the ability to laugh at herself.

In 1993, she appeared in the stage play ‘The Devil Rides Out’, and left The Nolans in 1994 to pursue a solo career, scoring solo hits and an album ‘All By Myself.’ She also had noteable success in the Willy Russell musical ‘Blood Brothers’ which brought her to the attention of TV bosses, and in 2000 she joined the cast of popular Liverpool soap ‘Brookside’ as Diane Murray.

Bernie played this role successfully for two years before leaving to play Sheelagh Murphy in ITV’s iconic police drama series ‘The Bill’ where she was given several strong storylines. Her character proved popular and, although she left in 2005, the door was left open for her character’s return.

In 2006, she took part in the Channel 4 series ‘The Games, raising funds for Alzheimer’s and children’s charities, and the following year starred in the play ‘Mum’s The Word’. During the summer, she appeared at Blackpool’s North Pier Theatre in ‘Soap Queens’ , enhancing her reputation as a reliable stage star when she went on to play Hannah Owens in ‘Flashdance The Musical.’

The Nolan family had already been affected by cancer previously: sister Anne had breast cancer in 2000 and Linda suffered from the disease in 2006. However, little could really have prepared Bernie for her own breast cancer diagnosis in April, 2010.

As she recalls: “The day I found out, I cried my eyes out for about two or three minutes with my husband, Steve.

After that, I didn’t cry again the whole way through my treatment.

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“ At the very beginning, though, it’s important to let out every feeling you’ve got. Cry, scream, shout, do whatever you want because it’s one of the biggest things that will ever happen to you.”

As a strong woman, however, Bernie very quickly adopted a positive attitude. “I thought ‘ there’s no way I’m going to die from this’. Once you make that decision, you can get on PRESENTED BY PHILLIPS PRESENTED BYARLENE ARLENE PHILLIPS DBERG with&beating it. From the start, it’s a case of taking things LDBERG & AND ADAM SPIEGEL AND ADAM SPIEGEL one day at a time.

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Don’t worry about what’s coming up in two weeks’ time.

Deal with today, you’ve got enough on your plate.”

Inevitably, ©© though, there were terrible times. One of the worst for Bernie was telling her children. “I was diagnosed a week before my daughter Erin’s 11th birthday and we didn’t want to tell her until that was over. But kids aren’t daft – she knew something wasn’t quite right,” she recalls.

ALI ALI BASTIAN BASTIAN TUPELE DORGU

STEFAN STEFAN BOOTH BOOTH BERNIE BERNIE NOLAN NOLAN

‘So we just sat her down and told her the truth. She knew about cancer because of Anne’s and Linda’s experience and she knew they were OK, which helped. Erin asked if I was going to die. I told her no and then she asked me if the lump was big. Again, I said no, and explained they’d found it early. One little tear ran down her cheek and she accepted it.’

Bernie had great support from her large family, and especially from her husband Steve in spite of the understandable initial shock and fears for the future. Much of the optimism surrounding Bernie, however, emanated from herself. When her hair fell out from the treatment, she didn’t hide but spoke out publicly about the problem and campaigned for early diagnosis and better understanding of the disease.

BLACK LACK STARKE STARKE

She believes in check-ups and self-awareness in the battle against cancer, and has a practical approach to the disease itself. “You’ve got to take every bit of support you’re offered, whether that’s from the doctors, your family or friends,” STARRING STARRING she insists. “And, take it from me, none of it is as scary as it sounds. I wouldn’t lie.”

VINCENT SIMONE VINCENT SIMONE FLAVIA CACACE Given that strength and determination, it’s logical that & &FLAVIA CACACE she has now returned to the stage and performing, and is reportedly “excited” about her role in one of the most enduringly successful hit musicals of recent times.

SAT 2 JUN AT 2 JUN

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www.chicagothemusical.co.uk 13

Pay off your mortgage in retirement If you have found yourself approaching retirement with an outstanding loan on your property, you are not alone - more and more people are seeking mortgages into their fifties and beyond.

Whilst many financial institutions are still not willing to consider this growing market, some lenders are starting to provide attractive mortgage options for older borrowers.

If you are approaching retirement and need to finance a new home, rest assured that you can do it, but you may encounter certain restrictions, such as a limit on the mortgage term available. For example, a 51 year old may be able to secure a 14-20 year mortgage term for a new house, whereas a 60 year old may be unable to secure a loan exceeding 5 years. At 65 years old most financial institutions won’t consider a mortgage term of any kind.

The disappointing reality is that the older you become, the less likely it is that a lender will want to offer a significant loan term and, in addition, many lenders will have a more onerous credit scoring process. However, don’t despair, there are some lenders out there who recognise the need for more flexible mortgage terms and are willing to look at cases on their individual merits and offer solutions to older borrowers.

Over the next few years millions of home owners could reach retirement with significant debts outstanding. Some will have relied on endowment policies to pay off their mortgages at the end of the term. Many of these will disappoint, falling far short of the maturity sums they were initially projected to produce.

Endowments, which were sold in large numbers to back home loans from 1985 to 1995, saw sales peak in the late eighties when virtually every mortgage was backed by a policy. The mortgages of those who took out 25 year policies during this bonanza have now begun to mature.

Borrowers may have been warned of the looming shortfalls but, while some will have saved elsewhere, others may have been unable or neglected to do so.

Some will have relied on ISAs, other stock market savings, or possibly on a pension lump sum. Unfortunately, ISA plans have also suffered, along with volatile equity prices, and the demise of good final salary pensions may mean that pension lump sums do not materialise. Others may be facing a tunnel of debt stretching into retirement after opting for an interest-only mortgage without arranging a repayment vehicle. Some may have taken out second loans to fund holidays, home improvements or education.

Finally, some borrowers may have been happy to leave a slice of their mortgage outstanding because they had planned to down-size in retirement. These plans too, may have to be shelved – at least temporarily – owing to the comatose housing market and fragile prices.

David Hollingworth of London & Country, the mortgage broker, said: “We are already seeing more and more people reaching normal retirement age without having paid off their mortgages for a range of reasons, not least endowments. The problems with pensions may mean many will have to go on working well into their sixties and seventies. Grandparents and parents can be subject to a range of financial pressures. They may need to help with university fees or pay for weddings. The state pension age is going up, so it is a nonsense to set ages beyond which customers can no longer borrow. There is going to be growing demand for this kind of loan.”

To respond to this growing need, National Counties Building Society has launched a mortgage for borrowers, aged up to 75, which could provide a first step towards minimising the debts which face so many people approaching retirement.

National Counties’ mortgage is available up to a maximum of 25% of a property’s value and is only available on a repayment basis so that capital, as well as interest, is repaid over the term. The rate is fixed at 4.19% until 30 November 2021 followed by National Counties’ standard variable rate, currently 4.69%, for the remainder of the term. The overall cost for comparison is 4.90% APR. A 5% early repayment charge is payable until 30/11/2017, declining by 1% in each subsequent year until 30/11/2021.

However, borrowers can repay up to 10% of the original advance each year without penalty. There is also a £995 completion fee. Borrowers must be no older than 75 when they take out the loan, which means they can retain it until they are 85.

14

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Looking to remortgage into retirement?

Look no further than National Counties…

Fixed rate remortgage for homeowners up to 75 years old 4.19% fixed rate until 30/11/2021

• • • •

Followed by our standard variable rate, currently 4.69% for the remainder of the term

Maximum 25% loan to value Minimum property value £200,000 Maximum loan £350,000 Completion fee £995

• • • •

The overall cost for comparison is 4.90% APR

No valuation or standard legal fees Maximum 2x income (pensions accepted) Early repayment charges apply Minimum 10 year term

Rates and product information correct as at 01/08/2012 and may be subject to change.

Find out more National Counties Building Society also offers a range of mortgage products with no maximum age limit*, if you’d like to find out more about this product or any of our other mortgage options, please visit our Branch in Ashley Square, Epsom. Alternatively you can contact our dedicated and knowledgeable Customer Centre on: 01372 747771, or visit: www.ncbs.co.uk/mortgage

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE *The length of the mortgage term available may be limited depending on your age.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

FO O D

&

D RI NK

Rick Stein's French Odyssey Rick Stein’s passion for fresh well-sourced food has taken him from continent to continent, across magnificent shorelines and to the very best produce the coast has to offer. Rick remarks “My greatest enthusiasm in life has been finding dishes that change my perception of cooking, that reveal a whole new vista of flavour combination. I think we all enjoy that.

I’m just someone with an enthusiasm for food and a curiosity that’s sent me sniffing around all over the place looking for lovely dishes in all corners of the globe” Taken from his book ‘French Odyssey’ (BBC Books, £25) here are three of Rick’s favourite recipes inspired by flavours from France.

SERVES 4

French Onion Soup

60 g butter

Heat the butter in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions, garlic and sugar and cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, for 2530 minutes until the onions are really soft and well caramelized.

1 kg onions, halved and thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 teaspoons caster sugar 300 ml dry white wine 1.5 litres Beef stock, browned Bouquest garni of bay leaves, thyme and parsley stalks 4 x 2.5-cm-thick slices French bread 225 g Gruyére or Comté cheese, coarsely grated Salt and freshly ground black pepper 16

Add the wine and leave to simmer rapidly until it has reduced by half.

Add the beef stock and bouquet garni, cover and leave the soup to simmer for at least another 30 minutes. Then remove and discard the bouquet garni, and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat the over to 150oC/Gas Mark 2. Place the slices of bread onto a baking tray and leave them for 30 minutes to dry out but not get at all brown. Then remove the tray and increase the oven temperature to 220oC/Gas Mark 7.

To serve, place a slice of bread into the bottom of each of 4 deep ovenproof soup bowls and ladle the soup on top, making sure the onions and stock are distributed evenly. Cover the top of the soup thickly with the grated cheese, place the bowls onto a sturdy baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. You can also place them under a hot grill for 5 minutes if you prefer or are short of time. This soup should be served scalding hot.

SERVES 4 4 trout, each weighing about 300g 40g butter 60g rindless streaky bacon, chopped 175g fresh ceps, trimmed and cut into 4-mm-thick slices 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley 25g plain flour 2 tablespoons sunflower oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE BEURRE NOISETTE: 75g unsalted butter 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 heaped tablespoon chopped parsley

Fried trout stuffed with sliced ceps, garlic and diced bacon First you need to remove the bones from the fish. To do this, remove the head of each one, and then, working with one fish at a time, start to cut the top fillet away from the bones until you can get the whole blade underneath the fillet. Then rest a hand on top of the fish and cut the rest of the fillet away from the bones until you are about 2.5cm away from the tail. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side. Then pull back the top fillet and snip out the backbone, close to the tail, with scissors. The fillets will still be attached at the tail. Repeat with the remaining fish.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and as soon as it is foaming, add the bacon and fry briefly until lightly coloured.

Add the sliced ceps and the garlic and toss over a medium-high heat for 1 minute until lightly cooked. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Lay the prepared trout on a chopping board and pull back the top fillet of each one.

Season the outside of each fish with a little more salt and pepper, then dredge with the flour and pat off the excess.

Heat the sunflower oil in one very large or 2 slightly smaller frying pans over a moderate heat. Add the fish and fry for 21/2 minutes without moving them until nicely golden. Carefully turn the fish over and cook for another 21/2 minutes, until golden brown on the second side and cooked through. Lift the fish onto warmed plates.

Discard the frying oil (from one of the pans if using two) and wipe the pan clean. Add the butter for the beurre noisette and allow it to melt over a moderate heat. As soon as the butter starts to smell nutty and turns light brown, add the lemon juice, parsley and some seasoning. Pour some of the butter over each fish and serve.

17

SERVES 8-10 2 x 350-g packets ready-rolled puff pasty, and butter for greasing FOR THE ALMOND PASTE FILLING: 125g butter, softened 125g caster sugar 1 medium egg 2 medium egg yolks 125g ground almonds 15g plain flour 2 tablespoons kirsch 225g fresh cherries, stones removed 1 teaspoon icing sugar, for glazing.

Serve with Vanilla Ice cream or pouring cream VANILLA ICECREAM SERVES 4 Slit open 2 vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Put 500 ml full-cream milk, the vanilla pods and seeds into a non-stick pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes to infuse the milk with the flavour of the vanilla. Put 6 egg yolks and 200g caster sugar into a large bowl and, using an electric handheld whisk, whisk for 3 minutes until pale and moussey.

Cherry pithiviers

Bring the milk back to the boil, strain onto the egg yolk mixture and mix until well combined. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring for 3-4 minutes until the mixture lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon, but do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, then stir in 500 ml single or double cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Chill until cold. Pour the chilled mixture into a shallow container and freeze until almost but not quite firm.

Then scrape the mixture either into a bowl or a food processor and beat until smooth, then return it to the container and freeze once more.

Place the smaller disc of pastry onto a buttered baking sheet and mound the cherry and almond mixture into the centre, taking it to within 2.5cm of the edge. Beat the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of cold water and brush a little around the edge of the pastry. Lay the second disc over the top of the filling and press the edges together to seal, pressing out any trapped air as you do so. Crimp the edges between your thumb and forefinger to give the edge an attractive finish, then chill the pudding for 20 minutes.

Repeat this process 2-3 times, until the mixture is very smooth, then leave until frozen. Use as required.

18

Unroll each sheet of puff pastry and cut a 25-cm disc from one piece and a 29-cm disc from the other, rolling them out a little more if necessary.

Rest them in the fridge for 20 minutes.

For the almond paste filling, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and one of the egg yolks, then gently stir in the ground almonds, flour and kirsch. Stir in the pitted cherries.

Meanwhile, preheat the over to 220oC/Gas Mark 7. Brush the top of the pithiviers with the rest of the egg yolk glaze, then with the tip of a small, sharp knife, score radiating arcs from the centre out towards the edge, just into the surface of the pastry, taking care not to cut too deeply. Make a small hole in the centre to let the steam escape, and bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and richly golden. Lower the over temperature to 180oC/Mark 4 and continue to bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes away clean. If it starts to get too brown, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top.

To give the pithiviers its classic glazed appearance, remove it from the oven and increase the temperature once more to 220oC/Gas Mark 7. Dust the pastry with the icing sugar and return to the over for 3-4 minutes until the sugar has caramelized and the tart has taken on a high gloss.

Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool slightly, then serve warm, cut into wedges, with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream.

IS IT TIME TO DOWNSIZE?

THE children have all left home for lives of their own or you suddenly realise one day that the house you’re in is simply too big for your needs. Whatever the reason, it’s time to DOWNSIZE! Once, downsizing carried a bit of a stigma, almost as if you couldn’t afford the home you had so you had to go for something less. But, in today’s cost-conscious, energy-efficient and finance-orientated world, many more people are downsizing for all the right reasons.

Along with finding a smaller property to live in, however, comes some unusual dilemmas – along with the usual dilemmas of how to furnish the new home and what is surplus to requirements.

Interior designer Chrissy Halton from Innerspace offers some simple advice: “When downsizing, don’t try and replicate the house you had – go for a new look.

“And only take with you items that really mean something to you. Off-white walls look great with more antique furniture items, for example. Less is more!”

The advantages of moving to a smaller property can be that your bills are likely to be smaller and there will be less housework needed. The first big minus, though, is that you’ve probably got far too many possessions to fit into your new home.

“You can’t take everything with you,” says Chrissy, “so start by having a really good de-clutter so that you can really see what you have that you love. That way you can more easily make the decision about what to take – and you don’t have to pay the removal company too much!” www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Interior Designer Chrissy Halton Ask your relatives and friends if they would like to have particular items that you don’t want to take with you.

There’s a growing trend for mixing old and new furniture currently so they may be glad to be offered a piece they’ve coveted or that may fit in their home. Or look to sell items on ebay and start afresh in your new home with some new furniture.

The National Association of Estate Agents says that downsizing offers a chance to have “a thorough springclean and focus on exactly what you want in your new home, and what you don’t.”

“You may have furniture which isn’t suitable for your new home, or that could do with replacing. So think ahead and make sure you have taken proper measurements of your new property so you don’t struggle on moving day with items that you probably shouldn’t have brought with you.”

For many of us, the pull of our old home is all about the memories that we’ve shared as a family within those bricks and mortar. Our children may have grown up here, and every room can be associated with personal milestones or events that matter to our own family history.

“If you’re worried about losing all the history behind your old home, think about using photos to show your life,” adds Chrissy. “It’s easy to make them into beautiful collages, and that way you can ‘take’ the items with you without having the real thing.”

When it actually comes to chucking out much-loved – and possibly worn – furniture or other items, contact a local charity which might be glad of household goods and especially furniture in good condition. The national homeless charity Emmaus, for example, may have a 19

LOVELY LOUNGE – Relaxing toning, muted shades, a lack of clutter and plenty of light can be the hallmark of your new lounge when you downsize.

BEDROOM BEAUTY – Go for pretty fabrics in blinds and warm shades that can be picked up in bedding to create this attractive smaller bedroom.

another charitable organisation may be willing to pick up your item to sell for funds or to give it a good home with someone else who really needs it.

It’s important to plan ahead with your new space.

“Think about how you’re going to use the space you are moving to,” says Chrissy. “What is the purpose of each room? How many people will you need to fit in to sit? Will you really need a dining room specifically?”

“Situations change and what you once needed you FISHER require.

FUTURE HEAT SURREY.pdf 1 18/06/2012look 11:29 at how may no longer If you actually

much time you spend in each room of your current home now, you may be very surprised at how little space you actually use on a regular basis. Take this – and what items you use – as a gauge for what you need to take with you.”

For example, she points out, if your new bathroom is smaller than you’ve been used to, is it worth removing the bath and having a larger shower? This may not only make more sense for your daily living but can help with any current or future mobility issues.

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Whatever style of décor you choose for your new home, it’s worth trying to avoid clutter and opt for today’s cleaner lines and minimalist approach – if only to cut down on housework!

Take a look at current interior styles and how these can be easily achieved. Open up a dark room or small bathroom with a roof window or skylight, for example.

BATHROOM BRIGHT – Ensure your new bathroom has plenty of light with the help of a clever skylight window

Take advantage of the wealth of modern flooring including natural woods that can make a room warm and homely in Winter and cool and calming in Summer. You might like to team this type of flooring with a handsome rug in a shade or pattern that tones with your room’s chosen colour scheme.

Plain walls matched with attractive fabrics in curtains or blinds give a room a modern look and allow smart furniture and impressive pictures or photographs to really come into their own.

If the downsizing also applies to your pocket, then you don’t have to spend a fortune on your new place. In fact, there’s often an enjoyable challenge in keeping within a tight budget yet coming up with something fresh, new and comfortable even if the items are cut-price or second-hand. Again, ebay can be a boon here.

The key to successfully moving at this crucial stage is to take a fresh look at your lifestyle, and decide to make a new start. That way you can downsize the costs – but upsize your enjoyment of your new home!

For more information on Innerspace Interior Design go to www.innerspaceinteriordesign.co.uk The Toy Attic is a family owned business founded in Wales where they have gained a reputation for selling children’s products which stretch the imagination and are built to last for generations to enjoy.

The toys on the website are selected to encourage mental and physically active play. Some items can provide quiet moments and strengthen bonding between parent/ grandparent, as well encouraging friendly play with other children. The creative kits will stimulate the artistic side and contain everything that is needed in the pack which make them ideal for travelling. The ride on toys provide exercise for young bodies and stimulate strong muscles. More traditional toys such as dolls houses and vehicles inspire lots of imaginative play.

The Toy Attic has a range of children’s toy boxes, rocking chairs and table and chair sets as well as other bedroom furniture which is bright and original.

The Toy Attic has a reputation built on fair prices, quality products and unbeatable customer service which includes free delivery on all items throughout their website www.thetoyattic.co.uk.

The Toy Attic are committed to finding the highest quality toys and furniture that comply with the SGS European Toy Safety Directive as well as being made from sustainable resources.

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www.thetoyattic.co.uk Be their favourite Grandparent.

Buy them toys that will last for generations to come. www.thetoyattic.co.uk | Tel: 029 2075 0695 www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

21

O UT

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ABOUT

WEYFEST 2012

KINGSTON CARNIVAL it’s back for 2012!

31 August 2012 11:00 02 September 2012 16:00 Music theatre and dance Rural Life Centre, Old Kiln Museum Reed Road, Tilford, Nr. Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2DL. General information: The family-friendly festival returns with its mix of music and fun. Bands booked so far include: Roy Wood, Mike Sanchez, Curved Air, The Wildcards, Little Johnny England and legendary supergroup Asia featuring members of Yes, ELP and King Crimson.

Contact details : Rural Life Centre Tel: 01252 795571 Website: www.rural-life.org.uk

Beard Brothers Since 1881

Mobility Specialists

mobility made easy Beard Bros specialise in providing all types of life enhancing mobility and daily living aids. We provide high quality products, that are very good value for money.

Beard We Brothers, all types life enhancing mobility andthis daily offer a complete and free of assessment prior to any purchase or order, is to living ensure that ourhigh customers receiveproducts the correct product them to use enjoyably aids. We provide quality at theforbest value for money.

Sunday 2 September 2012 Guildhall, Kingston upon Thames 12 noon - 6 pm. Cost: Free Bringing the World to Kingston!!!

Welcome to Kingston Carnival 2012!

Sunday 2th September sees Kingston come alive with the sounds of Carnival. It’s a great day out for all the family – with a colourful procession, free music and entertainment, dedicated children’s area, fantastic food and lots more.

Head to the Market Place and High Street for a day filled with fun for all the family.

Get into your most colourful clothes and join us! Join in the procession, dance along to the music, try the international foods - but most of all - Have Fun and Enjoy!

For further information, please phone 020 8547 2332 or email: john.azah@kingstonrec.org or carnival@ kingstonrec.org or visit www.kingstonrec.org & www. kingstonfirst.co.uk

and safely. Our customer pledge is 'no hard sell' just friendly and honest advice.

We offerWe a complete free won reputation for customer take pride inand our hard service and want you to • Powerchairs enjoy your assessment prior to any purchase or chosen order,purchase.

• Wheelchairs this is to ensure that our Scooters - RISER/ POWERCHAIRS - •SCOOTERS customers receive the correct- WHEELCHAIRS product • Riser/Recliner Chairs for them to use enjoyably and safely.

Our RECLINER CHAIRS - ADJUSTABLE BEDS - STAIRLIFTS • Adjustable Beds customer pledge is a ‘no hard sell’ just DAILYadvice.

LIVING AIDS - INSURANCE - SERVICING friendly and honest • Stairlifts MOBILE ENGINEERS We take pride in our hard won reputation for • Daily Living Aids customer service and want you to enjoy your chosen purchase.

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WISLEY FLOWER SHOW

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05 September - 09 September 2012 John Whitaker, Senior Mobility field Engineer (Pictured)

“From initial enquiry to the delivery of my new scooter, I have been dealt with in a both professional and caring manner. I would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone needing help or advice on all aspects of mobility”

RHS Garden Wisley Mr. John Doncaster, Edgeware, Middx Woking, Wisley, Surrey, GU23 6QB.

“We understand that it is not always possible for you to come to us which is why we offer a home demonstration service. This is provided with NO OBLIGATION and we view as an essential element in ensuring we understand your needs fully and help you choose the most suitable product”

Enjoy the delights of this spectacular, yet intimate Simon Greenway showroom manager late summer Show. Browse, buy and get advice from CALL NOW FOR HELP, ADVICE OR A FREE around 40 exhibitors including specialist nurseries, HOME DEMONSTRATION some of which are RHS Chelsea or Hampton Court Tel 01442 248medal 516winners. Late summer Palace Flower Show Fax: 01442 248940 e-mail: enquiries@beardbros.co.uk blooms such as gladioli, chrysanthemums and www.beardbros.co.uk agapanthus will add their colours to the 2 Maxted Court, Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, extravagant Herts HP2 7BL displays and Surrey NAFAS will be showing off their stunning arrangements from Thursday to Sunday.

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GSC Drama Saturdays continue this September Guildford County School, Farnham Road, Guildford Following the success of our first year of Saturday drama and Stage Fighting classes, Guildford Shakespeare.

On Weds 5 and Thurs 6 September enjoy a special breakfast at 7.30am followed by a tour of the Show by the curatorial team.

Tickets cost £30 per RHS Member. (non-members £40.50) The late summer borders in the Garden should be at their best and Surrey Sculpture Society will have their trail of around 60 sculptures from up and coming and more established artists from across the South East.

The Show will be open 9am to 6pm (5pm Sunday) and normal garden admission applies.

Cost Free with normal Garden entry Tel: 0845 260 9000 Email: info@rhs.org.uk Website: www.rhs.org.uk/wisleyflowershow

Company’s GSC Saturdays is accepting submissions now for the new term starting 15th September.

If you’re aged 9-12 or 13-17, and love drama, creating characters, improvising and performing in plays, then this is for you!

Every Saturday morning with experienced professionals from Guildford Shakespeare Company you’ll learn new skills in acting, devising and the exciting art of stage fighting...and you’ll also make some new friends!

GSC Saturdays are held every Saturday 10am – 12md, at Guildford County School. First class FREE for new attendees! Join us and ignite your imagination!

Our fun and physical Saturday mornings provide children, within a productive and supportive environment, to explore their imaginations and think innovatively and creatively together. They are also a great way to gain confidence and develop communication skills.

Fee: £150 (12 weeks, starting 15 September.

Half Term 3 Nov).

Visit www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/ dramaclasses or call 01483 304384.

WIN Tickets to The Telegraph CRUISE Show!

SECC, Glasgow: 6-7 October 2012 NEC, Birmingham: 20-21 October 2012

The UK’s biggest event for discovering a world of voyages Be sure not to miss the UK’s biggest cruise showcase - perfect for those new to cruising and needing help to plan their first voyage, or seasoned cruisers looking for inspiration for their next holiday at sea.

This is the only place where you will find all the major and specialist cruise lines under one roof, hear directly from the cruise experts about what’s new for 2013 and save thousands of pounds with the exclusive show only offers!

We are giving 5 lucky readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the show!

Just answer this simple question below:

Where is the Birmingham Telegraph CRUISE Show taking place? l ExCel l NEC l The local village hall

READER’S TICKET OFFER: We are also offering 50 plus magazine readers reduced price advance tickets to the show! Get your tickets for only £5 (that’s saving £5 off the door price!!) by quoting ‘50PLUS’ when booking tickets online at www.cruisingshow.com or when calling 0871 620 4024. (Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras).

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For a chance to win a pair of tickets to The Telegraph Cruise Show at either Birmingham or Glasgow simply answer the question above and send slip to: McGrath Regional Media: Unit 6, Moses Gate Workshops, Gladys Street, Bolton BL3 2QG.

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FASHION

First, a few Do’s and Don’ts:

and style for women aged over 50 doesn’t necessarily come in a neat package labelled for each day of the week or each different occasion.

Do give today’s fashions a chance – you don’t have to follow trends slavishly but there might be a look or style worth trying, especially when the catwalk is translated into high street lines

Unfortunately, it can come with a big list of questions which start with “Will that suit me?” and go on to “Is that too young for me?”

Do factor in comfort – if you’re uncomfortable or uneasy in your clothes it shows

Most women do know pretty well about their general style by the time they hit middle-age. And what they don’t automatically want is a plethora of elasticated waistbands, dowdy long cardigans and unflattering brogues – nor are they likely to opt for figure-hugging leggings and bottomskimming mini-skirts.

Dressing well these days is really all about developing a sense of your own style .... and having confidence in what you wear. That alone lets you lift your head up, walk taller and look better!

It’s very easy to be put off by nubile young figures in the Topshop changing rooms when you’ve got an expanding waist, a less-than-pert bosom and thighs that you’ve studiously ignored for the past five years.

But, the key really is not to rule out anything, new or vintage, because fashions can often be adapted to suit you as an individual. Again, we’re back to that confidence in yourself, and acknowledging what does and doesn’t flatter you.

24

Do be realistic about your shape, height and colouring Do go for good-fitting clothes that flatter your shape Do look at your daily lifestyle and what sort of clothes suit it Do ensure that any “special occasion” buys are fairly versatile – why spend a large amount on something you can only wear once?

Do look at multi-buys in the same range if you like them and they look flattering – this is cost-effective shopping and gives you a better “capsule wardrobe” of complementing outfits

Do de-clutter your wardrobe and see what you’ve got that you want to keep and will definitely wear – if you’ve not worn any item for 12 months, will you ever again?

Don’t wear baggy clothes in the mistaken idea that they make you look thin – they don’t Don’t assume you can wear an outfit just because it looks good on a six-foot tall 17 year-old model – the mirror doesn’t lie!

Don’t dismiss high street brands because you’re not a tiny size – many stores now stock 16-plus in their season’s ranges Don’t forget the value of accessories, especially the latest ideas that can make a plain outfit look sensational

There really has never been a better time to be an older woman wanting to look fashionably fabulous. Think Lulu, the Duchess of Cornwall, Jane Asher, Twiggy or Lynda Bellingham. In fact, the last two are actually fronting wellknown fashion labels.

Twiggy who, after 40 years in the fashion business, now has her own Marks & Spencer range and has become a fashion icon for older women. And actress Lynda Bellingham long ago shrugged off her homely Oxo mum persona to emerge, chrysalis-like, as a Calendar Girl happy to strip down to just her pearls and her comely shape – all in the cause of theatre, of course!

Lynda is now the public face of online fashion shopping range isme, with regular TV adverts keeping both her and them high-profile. Her chic looks are being copied by many women who previously might have thought particular styles were not for them.

She believes that we shouldn’t dress “differently” as we age, but realistically. “Look for shape-enhancing details like cap sleeves, stretch in the right places, different trouser cuts, and built-in panels to make you look and feel great,” she states.

Lynda suggests embracing colour rather than shying away from it. “Wear colours that compliment your skin tone and hair colour,” she says. And try substituting black for purple or deep berry tones for a welcome change.

Control your wardrobe properly and have attractive, staple items that look good. These could include a classy mac, a pair of wide-legged trousers, a glamorous top or a classic shift dress which you can dress up or down with suitable accessories as the occasion demands.

However, Lynda is a member of the “less is more” school of fashion when it comes to accessories and advises against overdoing it. Instead, it’s better to opt for one or two statement pieces of jewellery like a necklace or earrings that can look simply sophisticated and very stylish.

She knows that sometimes you need to try something new to develop your own personal style, “So don’t be scared to try different looks,” she advises. Do you ever wear prints, for example? There are plenty around to choose from this year, and if you’re still a little wary you could pair plain trousers or a tailored skirt with a printed top.

In general, investing in, for example, a smart, well-cut jacket that can go anywhere makes sense. In a block colour, it can be teamed with a plain shift dress underneath or something printed. That kind of jacket can take you to a meeting or informal social occasion or can be worn with something more dressy for an evening out.

Look at your accessories in the same way. Many older women seldom buy belts, but these can make a plain outfit look terrific and don’t need to emphasise waists not quite as trim as they used to be. View the outfit overall, perhaps employ that smart jacket with toning shoes and a bag plus a colourful scarf.

It’s also worth keeping in mind the impact of neutralcoloured shoes like the fashionable Duchess of Cambridge often wears; teamed with flesh-coloured tight these are real leg-lengtheners.

You don’t need to wear a very short hemline to pull off this kind of look or very high heels if you don’t want to. A knee-length or just-below-the-knee dress length with kitten or other low heels can be equally flattering. And pretty flatties like the current crop of ballerina pumps can also look exactly right with some outfits, especially the more informal and fluid.

• www.alexon.co.uk www.pingush.com

As Twiggy insists, don’t forget, you’re meant to ENJOY fashion – just make it “stylish and fun”, and forget which birthday it is.

25

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If any of these matter to you then please call Cornerstone Wills

How we can help: Writing your Will doesn’t need to be a chore. At Cornerstone Wills arranging a Will is easy. We offer a home visit service and will make it a quick, painless and cost effective experience.

We are ideally equipped to deal efficiently and costeffectively with drafting Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and can give you expert Estate and Inheritance Tax Planning advice for you and your family.

About us: Cornerstone Wills has been responsible for the careful preparation of over five thousand Wills, providing Estate Planning advice and LPAs. We are members of the Society of Will Writers and STEP and all of our Will-drafters are CRB checked and have passed the STEP Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation. We are founder members of the TAS network, a National network of expert Will writers.

Probate: Probate can be a difficult thing to deal with when you are already managing your family members’ affairs. Let us help you with this. We have fully trained Probate Specialists who can help in all aspects of Probate, to make this process simple and easy for you.

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CATARACT Know the warning signs

Cataract is one of the most common causes of sight loss in the UK, but it needn’t be. Leading sight loss charity RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) warns that 50 per cent of sight loss could be avoided and that people should be more aware of what to look out for. A cataract is a clouding of the part of the eye called the lens.

It causes vision to become blurred because the cataract is like frosted glass, interfering with a person’s sight.

The lens is a clear tissue found behind the iris, the coloured part of the eye.

The lens helps to focus light on the back of the eye – the retina – forming an image.

What to look out for: If you experience any of the following symptoms make an appointment for an eye examination:Blurry Sight: This is very common.

You may notice that your sight has become blurred or misty, or that your glasses seem dirty or appear scratched.

Dazzled By Light: You may be dazzled by lights, such as a car headlamps, and sunlight.

Change of Colour Vision: Your colours may become washed out or faded.

If your doctor or optician has told you that you have a cataract, don’t be alarmed. Cataracts are very common with one in three people over 65 being diagnosed in the UK. Many people over 60 have some cataract and the vast majority can be treated successfully. Cataract surgery, where the cloudy lens is removed during

“

an operation, is one of the most successful eye operations.

If you or someone you know has a sight problem, RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.

Optimax is one of the UK’s leading Laser Eye Surgery specialists. Founded in 1991, it has carried out more than 350, 000 treatments. We offer a range of treatments suitable for those over 40, which can restore natural vision and give you freedom from glasses.

These include Intra - Ocular Lens procedures. These Intra-Ocular Lenses replace the natural lens, which may eliminate the need for glasses and restore natural vision at the same time.

What all Optimax treatments have in common is helping people to see the world more clearly.

Choose Optimax for unbeatable results, affordable prices and outstanding patient care.

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If your vision has declined or become blurry in recent years, don’t assume that a stronger prescription is all you need for a quick fix.

We don’t need glasses at all now and our only regret is that we should have had this treatment years ago.

Enjoy life without glasses, contacts or cataracts

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Book your FREE consultation now, call 08705 14 33 14 or visit optimax.co.uk/iol 50+_quarterad_0712.indd 1

trea

ted

2012 31/07/2012 10:41:35

Is HRT safe?

Mr. Shaheen Khazali, Consultant Gynaecologist at BMI The Runnymede Hospital answers some frequently asked questions about menopause and hormone replacement therapy.

There has been a lot of media attention about the safety of HRT in the recent years. This has resulted in a great deal of worry amongst women considering HRT, or already taking it. HRT does have risks but most experts agree that:

If you are suffering from menopausal symptoms and are in your 50s, taking HRT is a reasonable thing to do, especially if you take it for up to five years. The risks are small and serious side effects are rare. HRT is very effective in relieving your menopausal symptoms and also offers other health benefits such as reducing the risk of osteoporosis.* You can ask your GP or your Gynaecologist to help you understand the risks and benefits and to discuss whether HRT is right for you.

What is menopause?

When ovaries stop producing eggs, they also stop producing hormones. The average age of menopause is around 51. Women go through menopause a few years earlier or few years later than this.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

• • • • • • • • • •

Hot fl ushes Night sweats Mood disturbance Vaginal dryness Loss of sex drive (libido) Constant tiredness Headaches Sleep disturbance Anxiety Depression

What is HRT? Hormone Replacement Therapy is replacing the female hormones that your body lacks. It usually consists of the combination of two hormones, estrogen and progesterone. If you have had a hysterectomy, you will only need one hormone (estrogen). HRT is available in many forms, including tablets, skin patches and gels. Your doctor will help you choose the most suitable form.

Do I need HRT? Many women will have an “easy” menopause with mild symptoms and won’t need HRT. If menopause symptoms are affecting the quality of your life and you are suffering because of them, please talk to your doctor. There are many treatments available. HRT is only one of them but probably the most effective one.

What are the benefits of HRT? HRT can make a big difference to the quality of life: • It usually treats all menopausal symptoms very effectively • It reduces the risk of bone fracture (especially hip fracture) and osteoporosis • It also reduces the risk of bowel cancer.*

What are the risks of HRT? One of the most well-known risks is an increased risk of breast cancer: • Of 1000 women in their 50s, not taking HRT, approximately ten will develop breast cancer over the period of five years.

•

Of 1000 women in their 50s taking oestrogen only HRT, approximately twelve will develop breast cancer over the period of five years.

•

Of 1000 women in their 50s taking oestrogen and progesterone HRT, approximately sixteen will develop breast cancer over the period of fi ve years.*

This is a small risk and once you stop taking HRT the risks return to the level they were before taking HRT. Other risks include developing clots in the lungs and legs, stroke and cancer of the ovaries. As with the risk of breast cancer, these risks are small and your GP will discuss all risks with you.

For more information, visit www.gynaecology.me or www.patient.co.uk and search for menopause or go to the website of British menopause society, www.thebms.org.uk

To get a quote for women’s health services offered at BMI The Runnymede Hospital please call 0800 092 8587.

30

*Stats and data sourced from www.patient.co.uk/health/ Menopause-and-HRT.htm

BEING A WOMEN ISN’T EASy • Heavy periods • Menopause • Hot flushes • Pelvic floor weakness • Bladder control At BMI The Runnymede Hospital we’re here to help. We offer a full range of private healthcare services to suit your needs.

Please call 0800 0928587 to book an appointment or visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/runnymede for more information.

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Why choose Dentures from a Clinical Dental Technician?

What is a Clinical Dental Technician?

A Clinical Dental Technician or CDT is a registered Dental Care Professional who is trained and qualified to offer a range of Denture Services – services that were previously only available through your Dentist.

As well as replacing any missing teeth, Partial Dentures also look after the future health of your mouth by preventing your remaining teeth from rotating, tilting and moving into positions that prove unsightly and awkward for eating and talking.

What qualifies a CDT to work on my Dentures?

Depending upon your individual needs and preferences, your CDT may recommend Chrome Cobalt dentures.

With many years experience working as Dental Technicians, CDTs have the advanced technical and clinical skills needed to carefully design and hand-craft every denture to the individual requirements of the patient.

Every Clinical credentials:

l

l l l

Dental

Technician

has

following

Graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons Holds a Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology Is registered with the General Dental Council as a Dental Technician and CDT Has appropriate insurance to work with patients

Never seek Denture advice or treatment from someone who is not trained or qualified to practice as a Clinical Dental Technician or Dentist in the UK.

Complete Dentures If you are experiencing the total loss of all your natural teeth, a Clinical Dental Technician can help you.

As well as taking its toll on daily activities like eating, talking and even laughing, total tooth loss can impact heavily on self-esteem and quality of life. A CDT will create and fit the Complete Denture that replaces your missing teeth and adjacent tissue in your lower and upper jaws.

A CDT can help you find the Complete Dentures that will: l Help you to form sounds and bring new clarity to your speech l Feel more secure about eating the food you want l Countering sagging facial muscles and sunken features that can make you appear older (especially around your mouth, lips and cheeks)

Partial Dentures If one or several of your teeth are lost or missing, a CDT can help you restore your smile with a Partial Denture.

By replacing your individual missing teeth, Partial Dentures can give you back the look and function of a full set of healthy, natural teeth.

32

Following your initial consultation, a Clinical Dental Technician will assess your mouth and develop a personal treatment plan. Working with a Dentist, they will identify any possible problems. In this way, your Denture will be designed correctly and for the longterm, and ensure that you receive the highest standards of care and the right treatment for you and your teeth.

Denture Relines If your dentures tilt, wobble or rub, a Clinical Dental Technician can reline your denture, making the small alterations that make a big difference to the way they fit and feel.

Please be aware that a Denture Reline will normally require that you leave your dentures with your Clinical Dental Technician so be prepared to be without them for a short period of time.

Denture Repairs If your Denture fractures or breaks, the CDT can mend your dentures as follows, making them wearable once more.

Repairing cracks or multiple fractures Repairing chipped false teeth l Repairing your Denture base l l

Over time, the shape of your mouth can change as part of the natural ageing process, as a result of the under use and lack of stimulus for your jawbone. If your Dentures break while you are wearing them, it is probably for one of the following reasons: l l

Poor fit as a result of bone resorbtion (shrinkage) Excessive force possibly due to tooth grinding

If you would like your new dentures to replicate all the favourable aspects of your existing Dentures, then a Clinical Dental Technician can help you. From copying exact tooth position and shape, to improving the way they fit with your mouth and gums – your Copy Dentures will be just like the Dentures you have now, only better.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Get your dentures direct from a qualified clinical dental technician AD Laboratories is an established, homely prosthetics clinic, based in Woking, Surrey.

Roland Jones has, after already 20 years working as a dental technician graduated from the George Brown College in Canada and the UK’s Royal College of Surgeons and has become a Clinical Dental Technician.

At AD Laboratories we take referrals from local dentists as well as working direct with the public. By coming to AD Laboratories direct the patient is often able to get their dentures much faster and we are often able to help out in emergency denture requirements.

At AD Laboratories we listen to our customers and together create the denture that would best suit you. All our staff are dedicated to make you really feel at home! You only have to read our visitor’s book to see how grateful our customers have been so far; achieving results that people did not think where possible.

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FRIENDLY, EXPERIENCED AND PERSONAL SERVICE At AD Laboratories we have the advantage of being able to offer Get your dentures direct from a flexible appointment times to suit the individual.

We often get of toldWoking how nice it istown to receive the old fashioned qualified clinicalon dental technician We are located the outskirts centre on the service ... why not book yourself in for a FREE CONSULTATION? Guildford Roadcan (atnow the pedestrian crossing between OurA320 Clinical/ Dental Technicians work simply call: DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC making: Hillview Road and York Road)

Guildford Road, Woking, WOKING Full Complete Dentures Surrey GU22 7QU. 33 www.50plusmagazine.co.ukl Relines l Copy Dentures l Denture Repairs We are located on the outskirts of Woking town centre and provide AMPLE CAR PARKING l

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Beating the ‘poor man’s’ cancer It was New Year’s Day, the morning after the party the night before, and I needed a pee. I glanced down into the toilet bowl and the water was bright red. “God,” I thought, “that Beaujolais must have been a bit potent.”

Then I realised it wasn’t red wine It was blood, pure blood.

The bleeding persisted whenever I passed water that morning and then returned to normal.

I shrugged. Probably something or nothing. But the following day, when it happened again, I immediately rang my doctor. It was the wisest thing I have ever done.

I am fortunate; I have a wonderfully efficient GP, Dr Loraine Lawrence, at my local health centre in Weybridge, Surrey.

She tested my urine, and immediately arranged for me to see Mr Robin Cole, consultant urological surgeon at Nuffield Health Woking Hospital.

Anybody who passes blood in their urine must undergo a telescopic examination of the bladder via the urethra, or water pipe – called a cystoscopy. Mine confirmed a small tumour. “I’m afraid you have bladder cancer,” said Mr Cole. Worse was to follow.

Further tests showed I also had two more tumours on my left kidney, probably associated with the bladder cancer.

Grim news. But again I was lucky. Mr Cole is a remarkable surgeon and he was calmly re-assuring. “I can sort this,” he said. And he did. I lost a kidney but kept the bladder.

That was ten years ago, and I am relieved to say that at 73 there has been no recurrence. I relate this personal story now because during my conversations with Mr Cole at my regular check-ups (initially every three months and now annually) I discovered that bladder cancer is one of the most understated but among the most dangerous of all yet there is little public awareness of the disease compared to cancers such as lung, breast, bowel and prostate, all of which are have been the subject of high profile campaigns warning of the symptoms and the need for early screening.

Mr Robin Cole Consultant Urologist

Yet bladder cancer is the second most frequently occurring disease of the urinary system, after the prostate, and the fourth most common cancer in men and tenth in women in the UK, with over 10,000 cases a year, and 5,000 deaths. As Mr Cole say it is a highly dangerous disease for a relatively small number of people.

They call it the poor man’s cancer because the highest level of occurrence appears to be in the lower income groups. “I

can name dozens of celebrities, like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Robert de Niro and Bob Monkhouse, who have had prostate cancer but few who have suffered bladder cancer,” says Mr Cole. “The public awareness about it desperately needs to be raised.”

Why is bladder cancer important? “It is a very expensive cancer, a major issue for health care resources,” says Mr Cole. It requires long term follow-up, often for life, as the reasons for recurrences are very common. The victims are often elderly (mainly over 50) and have other conditions, such as heart disease. They are often smokers or have been smokers.

“The greater frequency in men may relate to smoking habits. It has a long incubation and can take decades to develop. There are not many clear risk factors but age and smoking are the most common. Studies in the United States show that 20 per cent of bladder cancer victims come from the blue collar area, people working in the dye or rubber industries.

“The majority of patients have tumours like yours, non-muscle invading bladder cancer but 20 per cent have muscle invasive cancer and once cancer gets out of the bladder it becomes lethal very quickly. All bladder tumours are malignant.

“The symptoms are miserable. There is an old saying, ‘When the time comes to take me, please oh God, do not let it be through my bladder.”

What also makes it such an expensive cancer – in one year alone in the US bladder cancer cost $1billion, the highest of all - is that patients must have long term regular cystoscopy.

While these examinations are uncomfortable and somewhat undignified, they are not excruciatingly painful as, the tube is usually anaesthetised. The problem is, if there is a recurrence, it is not always possible to examine with a flexible tube and it may mean further treatment under a general anaesthetic with hospitalisation.

Once the tumour has gone into the muscle, 60 to 70 per cent of patients will still be alive after five years, 30 per cent won’t be. The further out the cancer spreads, the more dismal the results. When it gets into the prostate, for instance, only 15 per cent of the patients will survive.

transplant, took me close to death and the experience has enabled me to understand an awful lot from the patient’s perspective. Occasionally, when the chips are down, I do let it out of the bag for a few patients because it can provide them with motivation, which can be vitally important during illness.

The motivated patients always do better.”

There is evidence that as well as smokers (which I am not) diabetics (which I am) have a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer, If you stop smoking, the risk reduces but it remains for 20 to 25 years, much longer than the risk associated with smoking in lung cancer and heart disease because of the long incubation period. One study shows that 98 per cent of patients knew the risk of smoking associated with lung cancer but only a third knew of it with bladder cancer.

“People like yourself have gone a long time without any reoccurrence and that’s fine, but there is another group. Fifteen to 20 per cent of patients who are treated for low grade tumours will ultimately progress to higher grade so the art in treating the disease is to consider removing the bladder before this happens. Despite then technological advancers in cvstectomy (surgical removal of the bladder) survival rates for these patients have not altered dramatically in the last 30 years.”

So the message is simple. Once there is a sign of blood in the urine, do something about it, although the blood isn’t always detectable to the eye, which is why it is a good idea to insist your GP tests your urine carefully if you have any odd urinary symptoms or disturbances. Even if there are microscopic quantities of blood specialist referral may be sensible, Unlike prostate cancer there are no screening tests for bladder cancer.

Say Mr Cole: “One problem is that men are sometimes reluctant or too embarrassed, to do anything if they have problems with the undercarriage but if you see blood, you must see your GP. It’s a little different with women, who have had blood emanating from their perineum (the genital area) for most of their lives, with menstruation, childbirth and the like, so a little bit more blood doesn’t mean much to them but blood in the urine is as important as in men and must be reported.”.

Also post-op experiences can be very different. In some patients, the cancer is so far advanced that the bladder has to be removed and urine passed through an abdominal bag, as has happened to a 76-year-old journalist friend, a heavy cigar smoker. “If the disease is very advanced and we are sure it cannot be cured we will not subject the patient to surgery,” says Mr Cole. “The vast majority of our patients having a cystectomy will have a stoma with an abdominal bag but occasionally we build them a new bladder out of a piece of bowel.”

When recently I interviewed the Britain’s oldest surviving former world champion boxer Terry Downes, 77, another cigar smoker in his seventies, we were able to compare notes as he successfully battled the disease four years ago, But unlike me he required painful radiotherapy for some time afterwards, the effects of which were debilitating. Another reason I feel fortunate.

“In some circumstances radiotherapy can be an excellent treatment for bladder cancer,” says Robin Cole.

“But this can be a horrific disease once it gets outside the bladder. “There are a lot of deaths from bladder cancer which we can do nothing about which is why early presentation and diagnosis is vital. Procrastination is the greatest danger. If you sense there might be a problem down there, do something about it right away. You are a good example of how bladder cancer can be beaten.”

Alan Hubbard is an awardwinning journalist who has covered international sport for over 50 years, including 11 Olympic Games.

“Patients with haematuria (blood in their urine) will usually see a specialist within two weeks. This is the most common way to detect bladder cancer is blood in the urine but there are other symptoms, such as irritation when peeing, pain or excessive frequency.”

Mr Cole, a former chairman of the Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire Cancer Network, is one of Britain’s most experienced urologists and with his colleague Mr Ravi Kulkarni provides the specialist bladder cancer service for rural Surrey and in the last six years have surgically removed some 200 bladders.

Interestingly, ten years ago he beat cancer himself, though not of the bladder. He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia which has a survival rate of 50 per cent. “The treatment, which included chemotherapy and bone marrow

Over the last 50 years, Nuffield Health Woking Hospital has become an established part of the local community and one of the leading providers of private healthcare in the South East. Offering a comprehensive range of consultant led services, we see patients with private medical insurance from most health insurers or you have the option to pay for the treatment yourself (0% interest payment plans available, subject to status). Simply choose your consultant and ask your GP for a private referral. We offer first class treatment, when you need it most.

For more information call 01483 378207 Or go to www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/woking

Help build a better health and social care service The Surrey Local Involvement Network (LINk) wants to hear about your experiences of health and social care services and your ideas for improvements or changes.

Get involved Join The Surrey LINk to help us: • Get attention for neglected issues or ideas • Influence those who make decisions about new or existing health and care services • Help the community speak with a stronger local voice

• Help services provide better care.

Find out more • Email: admin@surrey-link.org • Tel: 01483 447131 • Address: Astolat, Coniers Way, Burpham, Guildford GU4 7HL.

: www.thesurreylink.org 36

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

Volunteers needed to help improve health and social care services in Surrey The Surrey Local Involvement Network (LINk) is looking for individuals and groups to become members and work with it to improve local health and social care services.

The Surrey LINk gives you the opportunity to influence local health and social care services. It has been set up to help make sure the people of Surrey get the health and social care services they need.

Cliff Bush OBE, Chair of The Surrey LINk said: “The more people who get involved in The Surrey LINk, the stronger and more influential it becomes.”

“I have been a cancer sufferer for many years and I have regularly used NHS oncology services. From my experiences I have tried to ensure the services are improved and innovative services are commissioned. I also receive services for my bone disorder which makes it difficult for me to walk and I have managed to keep on walking by having therapy. I am also in receipt of services from Surrey County Council to ensure that I can lead an active and positive life by being involved in the community. This is managed by me directly employing care assistants, who can personalise my services whatever time I need them.”

The Surrey LINk’s job is to find out what people like and dislike about local health and social care services and to work with the people who plan and run them to help make them better. This may involve talking directly to health and social care staff about a service that is not being offered, or suggesting ways that an existing service could be made better.

Membership of The Surrey LINk is open to both individuals and organisations or groups and there are four types of membership:

1) Active members Join one or more of The Surrey LINk groups and/or are involved in the development, work or activities of The Surrey LINk. Commit to at least an average of two hours a week on The Surrey LINk activities.

2) Supporters Wish to keep in contact with The Surrey LINk’s activities and/or occasionally participate in The Surrey LINk’s activities (perhaps for project work) but not to the extent of an active member.

3) Organisational members A member of a non-profit making, non-statutory organisation or group who wishes to be actively involved with The Surrey LINk and participate in The Surrey LINk’s project work allied to their organisational aims.

www.50plusmagazine.co.uk

4) Associate Members A non-profit making, non-statutory organisation that wishes to be associated with The Surrey LINk and be kept informed about The Surrey LINk’s activities and developments.

Members can get involved in a range of ways including: • Joining any of the local, hospital, specialist or project groups • Promoting patient and public involvement – telling

people about how they can become involved in

shaping the future of local health and social care services • Seeking views on health and social care services • Carrying out visits to local health and social care

providers - to ensure services are meeting the needs

of service users and carers • Commenting on changes to local services – so

providers understand the effect of any changes.

Margaret Jago, a retired headteacher living in Godalming, has been an active member of The Surrey LINk for many years and is now one of its Vice-Chairs.

Margaret explained why she joined The Surrey LINk: ‘I joined the organisation having been a carer for many years.

My husband was using the NHS services a great deal and I wanted to find a way to positively support and improve the services for others. Becoming an active member of The Surrey LINk, and more recently one of the ViceChairs, has given me an opportunity to meet a wide range of people and be involved in making a real difference to the services available in Surrey.’

Margaret is keen to stress that not everyone has to be as involved as she is: “It is easy to get involved and it is up to you how and when you participate. You can just comment on issues when The Surrey LINk contacts you or raise awareness of an issue. If you do want to get more involved you could join a group and help to find solutions - perhaps by meeting providers or being part of a working group.”

To find out more about becoming a member, contact The Surrey LINk: • Email: admin@surrey-link.org • Tel: 01483 447131 • Address: Astolat, Coniers Way, Burpham, Guildford GU4 7HL www.thesurreylink.org 37

Woking Homes Residential Care with a Railway Heritage Started as a Children’s Home (for fatherless children) in 1885 in Clapham, London. It was founded by the Canon Allen Edwards who was the Railway Chaplain and Vicar of All Saint’s Church Lambeth. In 1907 a plot of land was purchased in the country and the building was completed for the children to move into in 1909. At that time it was known as the London and South Western Servants Orphanage. We have changed our name several times and finally became “Woking Homes” in 1982. As time went on needs changed and children were being admitted from broken homes. However it always remained a Railway Charity.

All our rooms have ensuite facilities, a conservatory was added to our bar area in 1999, a swimming pool was built in 2000 providing hydrotheraphy for our residents, and we have continued to keep the buildings and grounds maintained to a very high standard.

In 1947 the Board of Management opened a home across the road caring for retired railway employees and their spouses. From that date until 1990 (when the children’s home closed) we continued caring for children and older people.

However, with all of these changes we have not lost sight of our roots and still remain a charity caring primarily for people with railway and other transport backgrounds. The residents' accommodation charges are subsidised from our investment income, which unfortunately has been effected by the drop in the stock market, but our high standards of care, catering and accommodation remain the same.

A major development took place from 1987 when the old Children’s Home was demolished and a new home for the elderly was built, and an existing building was totally refurbished.

Since that time we have continued to maintain and improve the standards.

At the beginning of August 2009 a redevelopment project commenced. Two wings of Grace Groom were demolished and rebuilt.

The rooms are larger than average, once again with ensuite facilities and plenty of light. The garden areas have been re-landscaped with accessibility for wheelchairs and plenty of seated areas.

Our staff are trained to the highest standards of care and we received an "Excellent" from the Care Quality Commission.

Watch this space for our next venture .... or send for our brochure

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Where the warmth of our welcome is matched only by the highest standards of care • Caring, professional staff • Excellent menu choices • Superb accommodation • All rooms en-suite • Indoor swimming pool, sauna and spa • Residents’ bar • Full programme of activities • Frequent outings We are a charity providing residential and respite care for former railway employees and their spouses.

You can find out more about our happy caring community and wonderful facilities on our website www.woking-homes.co.uk For a brochure or to arrange a visit please telephone: 01483 763558 Or write to: Woking Homes, Oriental Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 7BE. Email: administration@woking-homes.co.uk

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