Ageing & Growing Old

[rynner2]

Woman, 102, strips for nude charity calendar
Last Updated: 1:25am GMT 18/11/2007

A woman of 102 has stripped off for a nude calendar in aid of her village football club.

Nora Hardwick, who was born in 1905, posed as Miss November behind the bar of the Ermine Way pub in Ancaster, Lincolnshire, for a charity calendar to raise funds for the local team, Ancaster Athletic.

"They draped a bit of pink cloth around my shoulders, but at my age I just don't have the model body to be taking it all off," she said.

"It was all very tastefully done. You couldn't see any of the bits or anything."

"I suppose they asked me because I'm the oldest person in the village and I'm all for it if it's for charity. It's just a bit of fun really."

Mrs Hardwick, who already has two great-great grandchildren, said her own children Maureen, 80, Janice, 74 and Robert, 62, had been very supportive.

She has lived in the village since 1933 and was the village postmistress for 35 years before retiring at the age of 72.

http://tinyurl.com/38orgn

You'll be glad to hear that rynner has no intention of following this good lady's example!

 

[rynner2]

Love-struck day centre pair marry

A Devon couple who fell in love at a day centre for the elderly are among some of the UK's oldest newly-weds.
Former Torbay mayor James Mason, 93, and Peggy Clark, 84, were married at Paignton's Oldway Mansion before friends and family.

Mr Mason said he was hit by a bolt from the blue when they met at the Paignton day centre six weeks ago. He popped the question three days later.

They said their future plans were to be together and to be happy.

Mrs Mason, who was widowed in 1982, said her life changed the moment she met Mr Clark on 7 October at 1210 GMT, exactly.

Mr Mason, a widower for 10 years, said marriage was the obvious solution for the couple.

While his bride said she loved his twinkling eyes and his ability to make her laugh, he said he loved everything about his new wife.

The couple are keeping their honeymoon plans a secret.

She said: "We are going to disappear into the blue."

"Where nobody knows where we are," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7101960.stm

 

[rynner2]

Brain exercises take ten years off your mind
Last Updated: 10:01pm GMT 19/11/2007

Doing the right kind of brain exercises can improve an elderly person’s memory by ten years as well as their mental agility, according to a major new study.

Over-65s who exercised their brain with a “brain revitalisation” computer program were found to significantly improve their memory and reported feeling more independent and confident.

Three quarters of those who used the program said they had noticed positive changes in their lives. Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski of the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Centre said: “Doing the properly designed cognitive activities can actually enhance abilities as you age.”

Dr Zelinski’s research is said to be the largest study done on ageing and cognitive training using a “brain revitalisation” computer program. The program is one of a plethora of brain gym programs now available that hint at the tantalising possibility of a cognitive fountain of youth.

Half of the more than 500 over-65 participants in the study completed up to 40 hours of the computer-based Posit Science Brain Fitness Program, developed by a San Francisco based company. The other half of the participants completed up to 40 hours of a computer-based educational training program.

The group that relied on cranial calisthenics showed “significantly superior improvements in standardised clinical measures of memory gains of approximately 10 years,” said Dr Zelinksi, who did the work with Dr Glenn Smith of the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota.

“The changes we saw in the experimental group were remarkable – and significantly larger than the gains in the control group” Dr Zelinski said. “From a researcher’s point of view, this was very impressive – people got better at the tasks trained, those improvements generalized to various standardized measures of memory, and people perceived improvements in their lives.”

Three-quarters of those who used the program said they had noticed positive changes in everyday life. Benefits ranged from remembering a shopping list without writing it down, to hearing conversations in noisy restaurants more clearly, to feeling more independent, more self-confident, and better about themselves overall.

“My memory improved after I participated in the study,” said Marlene Allen of Mill Valley, California, one participant. “I also felt better and a lot more energised.” Dr John Smith of San Anselmo, a semi-retired dentist, believes that, as a result of the computer program, “I’m quicker to respond to questions and my memory is better.”

The computer-based program includes exercises intended to improve memory and attention, as well as sharpness of hearing. Continuing, peer-reviewed studies suggest it can roll back mental agility by at least a decade. “We’ve seen more than 10 years of improvement,” said Jeff Zimman, the company’s chief executive.

Users ended with “131% faster processing speed,” meaning that the brain was more than twice as fast at taking in and processing information (such as speech), claimed the company. “In processing speed, people who were on average 80 years old were performing like 30-year-olds in speed at those tasks,” says Zimman.

Posit, one of several companies that markets and makes such software, hopes to adapt it for people with early dementia and sees other uses: corporations hoping to improve brains of older employees; sports enthusiasts and twitchers who want to enhance their bird-watching skills.

Brain exercises developed for the elderly by Posit Science Corp are being offered by retirement communities, centres for senior citizens and assisted-living facilities, as well as by US health insurers.

http://tinyurl.com/3dmh3b

 

[escargot]

Could be the other way round though - that people with the ability to do puzzles're already predispositioned in some way to keep their marbles.

I'm not being flippant. On BBC R4'S The Age Old Dilemma a relevant research project into nuns' mental health in old age was discussed.
The idea was that as nuns' lives are very similar, their differences in levels of health in their old age might be due to factors other than lifestyle.

The nuns' own pre-convent life stories, written on their entry into holy orders, were examined. If I remember this correctly from hearing it on the car radio, it was found that the plainer, less imaginative accounts were written by nuns who later suffered from conditions such as Alzheimer's. Conversely, fewer of the writers of the richer, more detailed life stories did.

When I have time I'll have another listen.

I love R4.

 

[rynner2]

Could be, Scarg, could be...

But I did something this morning that makes me think I ought to sign up for some brain exercises.

But first I must explain that, for the last few months, I've given up wearing my glasses; I don't need them for reading, and, as I'm only slighty short-sighted, most of the time I get by fine without them.

So, I'm on leave this week, and despite the lousy forecasts, I'm determined to get out exploring.

Yesterday I took my brolly, although as it happened I never needed it. (In fact, we got some sunshine instead!)

Today I meant to take the brolly again, but only when I was halfway to the bus did I realise I'd forgotten it, and there was no time to go back for it.

When I got on the bus, I got out the timetable to check my next connection
- and discovered I was wearing my glasses!

Yep, the glasses and the brolly had both been on the same bookcase....

(And later it rained, and I got soaked! )

 

[escargot]

Then did you empty all the tea into the teapot?

 

[rynner2]

And now, the BBC brings you the F-word...

Flatulence ban for club pensioner

A social club in Devon has banned a 77-year-old man from breaking wind while indoors.
Maurice Fox received a letter from Kirkham Street Sports and Social Club in Paignton asking him to consider his actions, which "disgusted" members.

Mr Fox, a club regular for 20 years, said: "I am happy to oblige them, there is no problem. I do get a bit windy - I am an old fart now."

He said he had to leave the club about three times a night.

In its letter to the retired bus driver, the club said: "After several complaints regarding your continual breaking of wind (farting) while in the club, would you please consider that your actions are considered disgusting to fellow members and visitors.

"You sit close to the front door, so would you please go outside when required. So please take heed of this request."

Mr Fox, who lives in nearby Princess Street, said the letter was a surprise because he had been given no verbal warning.

"I think someone has complained about the noise. I am a loud farter, but there is no smell.

"I do not think it [the letter] is unreasonable, you get ladies in there."

Mr Fox also spends two days a week at the nearby Palace Place club, but said he had no complaints about flatulence there.

The club was unavailable for comment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7126973.stm

Where'er you be be, Let your wind go free
In Church or Chapel, Let it rattle! 8)

 

[rynner2]

Just after posting the above, I got an email about the Barcelona World Race - it was headed

Day 24: Wishing for stronger winds!

 

[rynner2]

Today I bring you Led Zeppelin...

But on second thoughts, this lady has been going for far longer:

Driver, 94, quits after 82 flawless road years
By Victoria Thake
Last Updated: 2:15am GMT 11/12/2007

A woman, aged 94, who taught herself to drive when she was a child is hanging up her driving gloves after 82 years on the road without a crash.

Muriel Gladwin, from Hereford, took up driving at the age of 12 and has not had the smallest bump or a speeding ticket since, despite clocking up more than 600,000 miles.

She has now decided to let others drive her around, to make sure she does not blemish her perfect record.

"I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles and still have a completely clean record, so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead," Mrs Gladwin said.

"I'm a careful driver and I've never had an accident, a parking ticket or made an insurance claim. I think it's because I always keep my eyes wide open and stick to the rules of the road like glue. If the limit is 40 miles per hour I drive at 40mph, and I always make sure I have my foot at the ready to brake."

Mrs Gladwin, a former shopkeeper, taught herself to drive in 1925, when she would take her parents' Model T Ford into the countryside without their knowledge.

Two years later, she left school at the age of 14 to work in the family bakery and took on the role of delivery driver and was given free rein over the company van. 8)

Despite this she did not secure a licence until she was 17. "They did not have lessons or tests in those days and I just took to it naturally."

The pensioner bought her first vehicle, an Austin 8, in the 1930s. She now owns a Peugeot 106 and a 34-year-old Mini, which she is reluctant to give up.

"I've driven all over the country and I've never had an accident. There have been a few near misses by other people though," she said. "I feel dreadful about giving up but the traffic is so bad these days and people do some stupid things. I can't bear to get rid of my Mini though, I'll keep it so my son can drive me around."

The Association of British Insurers said the pensioner's driving record was admirable. "Mrs Gladwin should be congratulated on a blemish-free record. She must be a very careful and responsible driver," a spokesman said.

Another of Britain's oldest drivers also gave up her car this year - at the age of 105.

Sheila Thomson, of Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, quit in September after suffering a slight prang on the way to church. It cost her a 71-year no-claims bonus. :shock:

She had been driving for seven decades, despite having never taken a test. "I had never claimed for anything in 70 years of driving and I told the woman from the insurance company so," said Mrs Thomson.

Highway signposts

1903 Car and driver licences made compulsory.

1930 Formal driving test introduced at cost of 10s (50p). Driving examiners appointed. Minimum driving age set at 17. A 30mph urban driving limit imposed.

1931 First Highway Code published. It advised drivers to sound their horn when overtaking.

1934 Some 1.5 million cars on the road. Now more than 30 million.

1966 The Government set a drink-drive limit at 80mg of alcohol in 100cc of blood.

1967 Breathalyser introduced.

1983 Wearing of seatbelts made compulsory.

http://tinyurl.com/23u7ob

 

[rynner2]

Oh, all right then, here's Led Zep!

Led Zep: the mothership of all reunions
Pete Paphides at the O2 arena, SE10

Back in 1976, when Led Zeppelin were part of the musical furniture, Jimmy Page claimed that the minutes before a show were the worst. “I always get very edgy, not knowing what to do with myself.” Lord knows, then, what he must have been feeling as the lights went down to herald a comeback far more hotly anticipated than any show Led Zeppelin played during their 12 years together. If he was nervous though, you couldn’t tell. Silhouetted by lights at the back of the stage, he gazed out behind his shades and casually dropped his hand onto six strings, playing the first chord to bear the Led Zeppelin imprint.

With Good Times, Bad Times came a noise that suggested the rockers were, for a laugh, setting themselves the task of inventing heavy metal all over again. It seemed to catch everyone by surprise, including Robert Plant, who momentarily struggled to assert his vocals.

At a rehearsal a few weeks ago, Plant was heard to complain about the challenges of divining a voice of a 20-year-old from the body of a 60-year-old man. He needn’t have worried. Older equipment may take a while to get going, but once the requisite valves heat up, the quality is unmistakeable. 8) And so it turned out 15 minutes in, when a bracing round of call-and-response oh-yeahs triggered an incendiary Black Dog. Plant’s quick kick to the base of his mike stand sent it flying up into the path of his hand. Page dispensed powerchords like an aged Thor lobbing down thunderbolts for kicks. It had been good before, but something of the devil seemed to get hold of them at this point. Now sans shades, Page launched into a filthy seam of swamp guitar, from which a magnificent In My Time of Dying swelled to epic proportions.

Events that have so much resting on them rarely unfold with such an air of assurance. The three original members of the band and Jason Bonham, the drumming son of John Bonham, seemed relieved to be relinquishing the burden of anticipation. Their heaviosity [ :shock: ] has always been the cornerstone of their reputation but it was astonishing to see how funky they could be for a rock band. Moving to electric harpsichord, John Paul Jones offered some redress on a pile-drivingly danceable Trampled Underfoot.

Bonham’s volcanic fills on Nobody’s Fault But Mine confirmed that there are some things that can be transmitted only through DNA.

In a set of trusted crowd-pleasers the inclusion of Stairway to Heaven was inevitable, but the song’s ubiquity made it difficult to summon much enthusiasm for it. Perhaps it just comes down to the fact that some tunes have dated better than others — because the moment Page and Bonham locked into Kashmir something transcendent took hold. Over a rhythm that have a way of advancing like Martian tripods, John Paul Jones billowed out chords of portent while Plant’s used his wildcat roar to the best effect of the evening.

An on-stage embrace and sundry bows seemed to hint at the band’s relief. They returned for a cathartic Whole Lotta Love and a sublime Rock’N’Roll. “It’s been a long, lonely time since I last rock’n’rolled” screeched Plant. Well, at least since he has showed this sort of fire-eyed intensity. And so, was it all for a one-off show in memory of their label boss Ahmet Ertegun? Come on. With a synergy like this going on, it would be an act of cosmic perversity to stop now.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 031550.ece

Most of the critics agree it was pretty mega!

 

[CarlosTheDJ]

I love Led Zep, I'm really glad it went well!

 

[rynner2]

I love Led Zep, I'm really glad it went well!

Today's Matt cartton shows a Led Zep merchandise stall

- selling thermos flasks, pipes, slippers, hot water bottles, glasses.....

 

[Yithian]

I would truly loved to have been there.

Damn, if i was only in the same continent as the gig i would have applied for tickets...

I've seen Plant do his solo show a few times in the last few years and he's every bit the rockstar. A proper showman. However, the whole remaining band would be a huge leap beyond that.

I've seen Roger Waters' solo show but couldn't see Pink Floyd at Live8 either.

No fair...

 

[escargot]

Convesrely, I wouldn't have gone even if I'd been paid to, as the Zep were (probably still are for all I know) the first Mr Snail's favourite group.

Fanatical doesn't fully describe the level of his devotion. Plant was the Greatest Living Singer, Page the Greatest Living Guitarist, etc.
After years of this, I was able to point out that Bonham was now the Greatest Living Dead Drummer. Didn't go down particularly well. :lol:

 

[Yithian]

Convesrely, I wouldn't have gone even if I'd been paid to, as the Zep were (probably still are for all I know) the first Mr Snail's favourite group.

Did you hate their music at the time? While you and Mr Snail were still getting along?

 

[escargot]

I liked them as a youngster, but the ex's obsession with them turned me off.

 

[rynner2]

Arthur C Clarke's 90th birthday wish list
David Smith
Sunday December 16, 2007
The Observer

Arthur C Clarke, author of science fiction including 2001: A Space Odyssey, celebrates his 90th birthday today and continues to embrace new technology: he has marked it by releasing a video on the website YouTube.
In the nine-minute message, recorded at his home in Sri Lanka, Clarke makes three wishes. First, he would like evidence of extraterrestrial life. 'I have always believed that we are not alone in the universe,' he says. 'But we are still waiting for ETs to call us - or give us some kind of a sign.'

Clarke aims his second wish at global warming: 'I would like to see us kick our addiction to oil and adopt clean energy sources. For more than a decade, I've been monitoring various new energy experiments, but they have yet to produce commercial scale results.

His third wish is closer to home: 'I've been living in Sri Lanka for 50 years and, half that time, I've been a sad witness to the bitter conflict that divides my adopted country. I dearly wish to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka as soon as possible.'

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/ ... 06,00.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qLdeEjdbWE

 

[Kondoru]

Well, If I was him, Id wish for a birthday not so close to Xmas...

(Hang on, that `is` my wish...)

 

[Stormkhan]

While I might not like all of Artie's opinions - especially in the Fortean field - I'm happy to wish him a good birthday, thank him for a lot of good science fiction, and - if possible - scrounge a drink off the old git.

Dunno why but I don't like him but quite admire him.

 

[rynner2]

Queen soon to be Britain's oldest monarch
By Andrew Pierce
Last Updated: 3:05am GMT 17/12/2007

The Queen will this week pass another milestone in her reign when she becomes the oldest monarch in the history of the nation.

On Saturday she will overtake Victoria, one of her most illustrious predecessors, but the event will pass without any fanfare at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen will spend the day at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh. There will be no public pronouncements.

Victoria died on Jan 22, 1901, aged 81 years, seven months, four weeks and one day.

On Saturday, the Queen, who will be 82 on April 21, will have outlived her great-great-grandmother.

The longest serving King was George III, who was 81 years and 239 days when he died in 1820.

Peter Hennessy, the Attlee Professor of contemporary British History at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "Even allowing for the improvement in medicine since Victoria it is remarkable. I cannot think of any other head of an institution who has not put a foot wrong over such a long period of time.

"In those years she has presided over the most dignified withdrawal from the superpower status, which is no bad legacy. The way she has adapted, without succumbing to faddish fashions, is a gift of genius."

The Queen, the fourth longest-reigning monarch in 1,000 years of British history, will on March 5 next year overtake Henry III, who reigned for 56 years from 1216-1272. It will be 2012 before she overtakes George III, who served for 59 years from 1760-1820.

Queen Victoria remains the longest serving monarch. She ruled the empire for almost 64 years. If she is still on the throne on Sept 9, 2015, the Queen will take her place.

It would mean that the Prince of Wales, who is 60 on Nov 14, would be the oldest heir to succeed to the throne, passing William IV who was 64.

The Queen shows little sign of slowing down. There had been speculation that she would spend more time at Windsor when Paul Whybrew, her page - whose access to her is second only to the Duke of Edinburgh - moved from his grace-and-favour apartment in Kensington Palace to a cottage in Windsor Great Park last year.

She continues to carry out about 450 engagements each year and spends up to four nights a week at Buckingham Palace, which is known by the royals as the office, and three at Windsor Castle, her favourite home.

The Queen is the second longest-serving head of state in the world after King Bhumibol of Thailand. Her reign has seen 11 prime ministers, starting with Sir Winston Churchill.

The Queen's reign is littered with milestones. Last month, she became the first monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary. She is also the first to have a prime minister born during her reign.

http://tinyurl.com/2y36yw

 

[rynner2]

Ha ha! Some good(ish) news that will leave me feeling a little less guilty in this season of over-indulgence...!

Older people live longer if 'slightly heavier'
By Gary Cleland
Last Updated: 3:12am GMT 22/12/2007

Overweight old people live longer than their "normal" sized friends, scientists have claimed.

Researchers found that people who are slightly overweight are likely to survive longer than people whose weight would be described as "normal".

They reviewed the medical records of 470 male and female patients, with an average age of 81.5, who were admitted to the geriatric ward at Beilinson Hospital over a two-year period.

Of the 470 patients admitted to the hospital in Israel, 248 died.

Researchers found that the average body mass index of the dead patients was 24, which is considered to be "normal".

The patients who were still alive had a BMI of 26, defined as "overweight" by international standards.

Prof Avraham Weiss, who led the research, said: "What we found is that those who had higher BMI than those who had so-called 'normal' BMI tended to survive longer."

He argued that weight guidelines for elderly people should be reviewed.

Prof Weiss said: "Probably the criteria being used today for defining overweight for elderly patients shouldn't be the same as for the population at large.

"It might be that that paunch or those few extra pounds might not be doing any harm and could be protective in some way."

The results of the study are published in the online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The researchers found that a slightly higher BMI was associated with a lower risk or mortality, even after taking factors such as gender, age and whether they died of kidney failure into account.

Prof Weiss added: "The research project did not examine why the elderly and fat stay alive longer.

"It may be that the extra fat in the body serves as a store of energy and helps the body cope better with situations of stress and strain."

http://tinyurl.com/2hlp7l

:_pished: :laughing:

 

[rynner2]

A vital reference book for us Old Gits!

Bestselling book reveals secrets of teen slang
By Richard Savill and Caroline Gammell
Last Updated: 2:25am GMT 04/01/2008

If "jamming" after school is "vanilla", you could always "tear" for a "za" with your friends.

For most people over the age of 15 - particularly bemused parents struggling to understand the ever-shifting changes in teenage slang - this sentence will mean absolutely nothing.

But now, with an idea that started off as a joke, a 13-year-old girl has written a best-selling dictionary translating such language for the benefit of an increasingly bewildered adult generation.

Lucy van Amerongen's The A-Z of Teen Talk was a surprise hit this Christmas, with parents and teenagers snapping up the £4.99 book.

Over the course of a year, the Cheltenham Ladies College student from Box, near Nailsworth, Glos, compiled a list of 300 words or phrases and their meaning.

For the uninitiated, if something is "vanilla", it is boring; "jamming" means hanging around; while to "tear" is to leave quickly, or run away.

A "za", of course, is an abbreviation for pizza.

Staying cool, or "book", is vital so it is important to be familiar with words such as "antwacky" or unstylish; "hench", meaning tough; "rago" meaning ok; and "zip", which translates as yob.

Lucy designed her book to help the "rents" or "mouldies", otherwise known as parents, understand what she and her sisters were saying.

"I hope this will clear up a lot of confusion for other families, and it's a great feeling to see my name in print," she said.

"My favourite word has to be vanilla but more and more phrases come up everyday. I love languages, and I think some parents don't give teenagers enough credit for some of the words they use. A lot of them are very creative."

Her father, Victor, 52, a television commercial director, said she struck upon the idea while on holiday as she chatted to her two sisters, Rosie, 11, and Amii , 23. He and his wife Amanda, 54, complained as they could not understand them.

"It was gibberish. That's when Lucy said she should write a dictionary so we could understand them.

"It's all a bit fun, but I bet it will shed a bit of light on the strange mumbo-jumbo of teenagers' talk for a lot of other parents," he said.

Lucy also issued three golden rules to go with the language - never make eye contact when talking to a "mouldie", always mumble inaudibly and if possible include the word "like" in, like, every sentence.

She had offers from three publishers and Lucy accepted an advance of £1,000 from Sussex-based Ravette.

The book went on sale in September and more than 3,000 of the initial print run of 5,000 have already been sold.

Ravette is planning updated versions.

Ingrid Parris, a spokesman, said: "We are thrilled with how well it has done for Lucy. WH Smiths has ordered a second batch, which is fairly unheard of. It is a nice surprise."

http://tinyurl.com/yskhah

"Ravette is planning updated versions."
Yep, as soon as it's in print, it's outdated - vanilla, even!

 

[lupinwick]

Probably news to most teenagers too. Never heard my son use any of those words in that way. Perhaps the slang is regional and class based - after all prep and boarding school slang has been around for ever.

 

[rynner2]

[double post]

 

[rynner2]

Probably news to most teenagers too. Never heard my son use any of those words in that way.

I came across vanilla in a newspaper article the other day, and only today do I understand what the writer meant!

 

[lupinwick]

In what context? I'd use vanilla for an unmodified or unchanged bit of equipment (vanilla PC). Never used it for boredom.

 

[rynner2]

Here's a story worth a double link:

MANY HAPPY RETURNS AS TWINS REACH 100
http://tinyurl.com/232f58

(Posted in Full on the Twins thread.)

 

[rynner2]

Ballet dancer, 88, steps into limelight

An 88-year-old man is to star in his first ballet production after learning to dance at the age of 79. John Lowe, a retired teacher from of Witchford, Cambridgeshire, will perform in Prokofiev’s The Stone Flower.

The pensioner, who has 11 grandchildren, said: “I practise each day and I’ve got a rope at home that I use to pull my leg up higher.”

He started ballet nine years ago, after seeing his daughter Alison become a professional dancer. Mr Lowe, who is part of the Lantern Dance Theatre Company, will appear at The Maltings in Ely tomorrow.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 174652.ece

There's hope for me yet!

 

[rynner2]

Although the thread title mentions Death, I have rarely gone that far (so to speak!)...

However, this old lady went out in style - Yay! way to go! 8)

Dai travels to her funeral in style

A WELL-KNOWN former resident of Mawnan Smith has made her final journey in a horse drawn carriage after dying at the grand old age of 102.

Dai Tytherleigh was taken in a white carriage drawn by two white horses from near to Cathedral View Nursing Home through the streets of Truro to Penmount Crematorium on Friday.

Nearly three years ago Dai celebrated her 100th birthday with a ride around Truro in a carriage drawn by two horses.

Dai had always loved horses, and in Mawnan Smith, where she lived in Goldmartin Close for over 20 years, she was known for regularly following the racing. She moved to Cathedral View Nursing Home five years ago, where she died peacefully on December 28th 2007.

Dai was brought up around horses. Her father Herbert Randall was a successful jockey back in the early part of the last century, winning the 1,000 guineas, the 2,000 guineas and the Oakes on a horse called Sceptre.

When he retired from racing he became a 'gentleman jockey' - running his own racing stables and as a little girl, Dai always remembered being taken on the 'gallops' in a basket attached to the back of a horse.

Much later, during the Second World War she did a milk round using a horse and cart.

Horses were not her only interest. Dai was involved in the Women's Institute Movement in Buckinghamshire where she lived for many years. On moving to Cornwall, with her late husband Dick, she was one of the co-founders of the Mawnan Smith Friendship Club which was set up to provide a lunchtime meeting place for local people.

She also loved her garden and flowers, and her white coffin was smothered with spring blooms. The service on Friday was officiated by the Rev. Dennis Oakes, and attended by her family and friends.

Her full name was Marguerite Amy Hornby Tytherleigh, but she was always affectionately known by everyone as Dai.

Donations in memory of Dai's long life can be sent to the Injured Jockeys Fund, c/o Angove Funeral Directors, Falmouth, a charity she supported for many years.

http://tinyurl.com/2g4ggt

 

[rynner2]

Meanwhile, back in this vale of tears...

Pensioner who shouted at yobs ends up in cells
Last Updated: 1:44am GMT 19/01/2008

A pensioner who stepped in to stop youths throwing stones at ducks on a canal was arrested by police.

Bill Marshall was expecting officers to investigate his complaints about being repeatedly taunted by the gang. Instead the 73-year-old great-grandfather was taken to a cell and accused of attacking the teenagers.

Mr Marshall, who has a heart condition and diabetes, was left distressed and angered by the arrest.

The retired miner said that he thought the police had been responding to his complaints about anti-social behaviour by some local youths.

"I was quite happy to invite the officer in but then he said I was being arrested and taken to the station accused of assault," Mr Marshall said.

"I thought it was a joke at first but then I realised he was perfectly serious.

"The officer ordered me to take the laces out my shoes as I was being arrested for common assault. I didn't know what to think. One of the yobs said I had hit him and so they took his word against mine. I might have lost my temper and shouted at them, but I did not hit anybody.

"I just lost my temper - I think any normal human being would have done after being spoken to like that.

"There's a different mentality out there these days and you have to be so careful what you say. There is no respect these days, particularly for older people. It took 73 years for an idiot to put me in jail. All I did was try to stop these louts throwing rocks at the ducks on the canal.

"I felt degraded spending time in that cell. I can't believe I ended up in jail at my age. I've never seen the inside of a cell before and I don't want to see it again. The police seemed to automatically assume I was guilty instead of talking to me first."

Mr Marshall of Worksop, Notts, had complained to police that he and his wife, Margaret, 72, had been targeted by the gang in recent months. He said: "It started for us with kids ringing the doorbell. When my wife opened the door one of the boys was making really lewd gestures."

Mr Marshall's brush with the law began a week before Christmas, when he spotted the group of teenage boys throwing bricks at the ducks as he walked along the banks of the Chesterfield Canal.

He shouted at them to stop. He said he received abuse from the gang and shouted back in anger but did not touch or hit any of them.

When police arrived at his home two weeks later he assumed it was in response to complaints he had made about anti-social behaviour in the village.

He was shocked to be arrested and taken off to the police cells. After waiting two hours for a duty solicitor to arrive, Mr Marshall was interviewed by officers who later released him pending further inquiries.

Now police have dropped any charges and apologised.

Chief Insp Glenn Harper of Nottinghamshire Police said the arresting officer acted correctly but added: "I will ensure the necessary training needs are addressed."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ago119.xml