April 2012 · Issue 22

April 2012 · Issue 22
Drop into our new
Furniture & Electrical
Outlet in Milnthorpe
We stock a wide range of furniture,
electrical and general goods.
Free customer parking
and open 7 days.
Furniture & Electrical Outlet
39 Beetham Road
Milnthorpe LA7 7QN
“Every penny raised
is spent locally
providing vital
services”
Tel 015395 62239
Age UK South Lakeland is a registered charity, no 1141415, and a company limited by guarantee, no 07540805.
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Age UK South Lakeland Ltd
Age UK South Lakeland is a registered
charity, no 1141415, and a company
limited by guarantee, no 07540805.
www.ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk
Working with local older people to help
them retain their independence and
exercise real choice in their lives.
Equality and diversity
We recognise that everyone has
different needs, preferences and
abilities, and value diversity among
staff and services. Everyone who
needs our services should be able to
access them, and all information can
be obtained in accessible formats.
Everyone who we deal with should be
treated fairly, with respect and dignity,
and no one should suffer any form of
discrimination on the grounds of
gender, nationality, colour, ethnic origin,
disability, sexual orientation, marital
status, age, religion or belief.
If you have been dissatisfied with a
service, feel that you have experienced
unfair treatment/discrimination – or
think we are doing something well
– we would like to hear from you so
that we can ensure our offer is right for
you and your community.
Chief officer Sonia Mangan
Chairman Clive Britton
Charity address and other contact
details as for the Magazine.
Resource centres
17 Finkle Street, Kendal LA9 4AB and
19–21 New Market Street, Ulverston
LA12 7LQ
Retail
Grange Shop 015395 34843
Kendal Shop 01539 737617
Ulverston Shop 01229 584706
Windermere Shop 015394 46001
Furniture & Electrical Outlet, Milnthorpe
015395 62239
Furniture Warehouse, Kendal
01539 740657
The Magazine
Editor Dr Jonathan Ingram
Production & design Brenda Went
Advertizing enquiries Amie Fletcher or
Sally Bloomer on 01539 814949
Distribution enquiries Vickie Maddison
10 issues of the Magazine are published
each year. It is free, part of Age UK South
Lakeland’s offer to local older people, and
can be picked up from distribution points
across South Lakeland. If you’d like a
copy, but don’t have any available near to
where you live, please let us know.
Submissions and correspondence are
welcome, and should be sent to the editor.
Please always include a full name, postal
address and phone number.
How to get in touch
Tel 01539 728118
Fax 01539 732473
Email
[email protected]
Post Age UK South Lakeland,
17 Finkle Street, Kendal LA9 4AB
The Magazine can
also be found at www.
ageuksouthlakeland.
org.uk, but if you would
like to receive a copy
in another different,
accessible format then
please call our helpline
on 01539 728180 and
we will discuss your
needs with you.
Sometimes, rather
than trying too hard
to work out why
something is so
special, it’s best just
to stand back and applaud. Take the
paintings by Rex Marsden, who attends
our Arnside day club, which grace this
issue of the Magazine. And take the
amazing response to the Care in Crisis
petition, with hundreds and hundreds of
people from South Lakeland signing. Such
a simple thing, signing a piece of paper,
but such a powerful statement. Days
clubs and serious campaigning – just two
of the special things that Age UK South
Lakeland does together with local older
people. With those in mind, I hope you will
appreciate the sentiment underlying the
Magazine’s first leader comment in this
issue.
Dr Jonathan Ingram
Contents
4 Update: Dignity is about a person,
not a task • The Artist
10 Roundup: News, Information,
Advice, Campaigns • Leader
comment: What do we care about?
12 Doctor’s comment: New joints for
old • Langdale lamb
14 Letters & emails • Days in the life
17 There’s talk of an iceberg • A recce
of recent wrecks
19 Rattlebag • Dinner for 1: Twice
baked cheese soufflés
20 Sounding off: Call of the wild •
Ernest’s Diary
22 Competition quiz: Cumbria and
Cumbrians • Diary April & May
Cover ‘Looks Like an MRI Scan’ by
Rex Marsden. There were two models:
Rex’s wife Carole and his dementia
support worker. A photo was taken with
them facing the side of a house, and
this is the result. More on page 6.
Endorsement and copyright
We do our utmost to ensure the Magazine is accurate. However, inclusion of any information source does
not necessarily imply endorsement by Age UK South Lakeland, and we will not be liable for the use of any
content. Furthermore, views expressed do not necessarily reflect Age UK South Lakeland policy. No material
may be amended or published elsewhere without the permission of the editor. Third party advertising
organisations are carefully monitored. However, these are not specifically endorsed by, and do not reflect the
views of, Age UK South Lakeland. We cannot be held accountable for any use made of advertised content.
We do not allow advertising within editorial content, except where there are specific links to Age UK South
Lakeland products and services.
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Update
Dignity is about a person, not a task
Early March saw the publication of
a report and recommendations that
was a result of combined efforts
by three organisations: Age UK, the
NHS Confederation and the Local
Government Association. The report
is a ‘call to arms’ to stop, absolutely,
all practice which has a negative
impact on the care and support for
older people who spend time in both
care homes and hospitals. The report
has more than 35 recommendations
that if implemented could make a real
difference to the lives of all of us.
Readers will recall that Age UK South
Lakeland held a listening event last May
here in our area for older people and
managers from the local hospitals trust to
talk about experiences of care and dignity.
People spoke about many issues:
Poor management of systems and
procedures.
Poor communication channels, and
unclear lines of accountability and
responsibility.
Vital diagnostic information of various
kinds, including recent scans and x-rays,
being unavailable at the time needed by
consultants.
Lack of joined-up working practices
between mental health services and
hospital medical wards.
Inadequate dementia awareness on
medical wards in acute hospitals.
Food and nutrition issues including food
being put out of reach, personal dietary
preferences not being provided and food
arriving in an unsuitable form or packaged
inaccessibly. Also, for patients in need of
help with eating and drinking, evidence of
those people not being provided with
assistance.
National pressure
Dianne Jeffrey CBE DL, chair of Age UK
and co-chair of the national Dignity in
Care commission, said:
4
‘Solving the problems will require the
consistent application of good practice
and the rooting out of poor care. But we
also need to trigger a major cultural shift
in the way everyone in care thinks about
dignity to ensure it is person-centred and
not task-focused.
‘This will require empowered
leadership on the ward and in the care
home, as well as in the boardroom. It will
mean changing the way we recruit and
develop staff so they have the right values
as well as skills.
‘We have to do much more to listen
and respond to patients and residents.
The care system must bar the way to
prejudice, and keep our services free from
language that belittles older people and
causes them to be seen as a burden.
Hospitals and care homes should be
beacons to the rest of the community,
demonstrating how we are all the richer
when older people are respected, valued
and celebrated.
‘Achieving all this will mean changing
the way we design, pay for and monitor
services that provide dignified care as the
numbers of older people in care continues
to grow.’
Local needs
Locally we are still keen to hear about
your experiences and it would be great if
you could get in touch by letter, email or
phone. Jonathan Ingram, the editor of the
Magazine and also the coordinator of our
local campaign activity, can be contacted
via the helpline on 01539 728180. We
are hoping that in the next month we can
have a discussion with Sir David
Henshaw, the new chair of the University
Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, to
discuss the report and our findings from
last year.
Jonathan and Barbara Matthews, a
trustee of Age UK South Lakeland,
represented the charity on 6 March at the
mass lobby of central government. They
presented Tim Farron MP with Care in
Crisis petitions from local people
requesting reform of the current care
system. As you are aware the reforms are
not just about the systems by which we
pay for care in later life – one in four of us
can expect to spend up to £100,000 on
care – but also what support we can
expect from the state. We have a growing
older population which is wonderful and
cause for celebration. But some people,
as they get older, need support and we
continue to be one of the lowest spending
countries on social care and support.
We have been challenging locally on
the issues which we know matter to older
people, but have not been successful in
mitigating some of the impact of the deep
spending cuts locally. For example, older
people who access services like day care
have seen a rise in their transport costs
from zero to £1.50 per mile. As we all
know, older people need to cover a lot of
miles to get to services in South Lakeland
– so £1.50 per mile is a substantial cost.
This is, of course, on top of the loss of
some services and increases in charges
in others.
Please continue to talk to us about the
things that are important to you. Our
newly opened shop is there to raise funds
so that we are here every day – so we
continue to be able to provide the support
people in the community of South
Lakeland need. Thank you.
Sonia Mangan
Chief officer, Age UK South Lakeland
We need your support
We will continue to lobby and
influence, but we need your support.
You can still sign the Care in Crisis
petition at one of our shops, at your
lunch club, or by visiting our website
www.ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk
Join us and
enjoy the ride!
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED
SHOP VOLUNTEERS
People to help in our
shops in Grange,
Kendal, Ulverston
and Windermere, our
Furniture Warehouse
in Kendal and our
new Furniture &
Electrical Outlet in
Milnthorpe.
Our new Furniture & Electrical Outlet in Beetham Road,
Milnthorpe is an exciting new venture for us. It’s already
buzzing since the opening on 2 March with shoppers
enjoying what’s on offer – not just furniture and electrical
items, but also clothing and accessories, books, unusual
gifts (and more). Local MP Tim Farron cut the ribbon –
before having a go on the children’s train ride along with
chief officer Sonia Mangan!
Age UK South Lakeland is a busy charity that could not exist
without its many volunteers. We rely on over 200 people of all
ages who give generously of their time. Shop volunteers are a
vital part of the team – people like you can use your skills,
experience and energy to help us raise much needed funds.
Every penny we raise in our shops in South Lakeland is spent on
our local services for older people.
There are lots of other areas in which we need volunteers as
well – whatever your talents or interests, we’re sure to find
something that you’d enjoy doing and which would help us. And
remember, volunteering is a great way to...
Stay active and learn new skills.
Expand and share your knowledge and experience.
Make good use of your free time.
Improve your social life… and have fun!
Another reason to volunteer might be if you’re looking for paid
employment – it’s a good way of keeping your CV current,
gaining experience and improving your chances at interviews.
Whatever your motivation, you’ll be working as part of a team,
contributing directly to a locally appreciated charity and, as soon
as you start, feeling good about putting something back into the
community.
Jean Park
Volunteer support officer
HANDY PERSON
We want someone
who can get round to
our shops and help in
our offices as well.
Use of own vehicle
would be best.
LEAFY LEDGES
VOLUNTEERS
We particularly need
people who could help
make the planting
troughs, perhaps in
their own workshop
or garage. People who
can grow plants
would be good too.
We also need Bridge Builders, offering shortterm support to people; benefit support
volunteers, helping people with applications
for benefits; and a computer trainer to teach
basic computing skills.
If you would like to talk about
any of these roles, please call
Jean Park on
01539 728118.
5
6
Self Importance. A self-portrait, with Rex shown painting himself as he used to be, as chairman of the town council in Windermere
The Artist
‘Getting old is not a problem. Getting old is... it’s a wonderful time of
reminiscence ... So I don’t watch a lot of television ... don’t read the
paper. Not interested in football scores... you know ... And you can’t
drive, they take your licence away, so ... But it’s fun. Life’s... to be
lived, isn’t it? It’s a canvas... and every day, you just [motions with
his hand, as if with a brush on an easel] add a bit more on to your
life...’
A portrait of South Lakeland artist Rex Marsden. Interview:
Jonathan Ingram
I
am about to meet an artist, but I have
to get there in one piece first – I am
driving, concentrating hard, as there is
packed and rutted ice on the road. The
way I have come, through Sandside, skirts
the ever-widening sands and shallow
waters, like ice floes, that will soon
become the sheer expanse of Morecambe
Bay out beyond Arnside.
Snow has fallen this cold February
week, so the sweeping landscape now is
of pristine curving snowfields on the low
sandbanks alternating with broad, calm
– and slowly moving – sea. Glinting in the
sun and reflecting a blue, blue sky, if this
place and point in time could be captured
by an artist it would be a landscape
painting like no other. It is achingly
beautiful.
I am about to meet an artist, it is true.
But it is also true that, for this artist, the
art is intimately bound up with coping with
an illness. It comes across in Rex’s first
words after we are introduced.
‘I was just having me 40 winks ... I
keep this up to date [hands me a black
portfolio binder] ... so that everything
about me is here ... It’s Painting with
Dementia ...
‘My daughter started it and the carers
I have... It’s about pictures ...’
In the next hour or so, tiredness is
something we return to again as part of
the illness. And we also return to art as
part of the illness. But we don’t stop
there. Rex reflects on the pleasures of life
and of creating art, the complex emotions
of growing old and his changing
ambitions... even, more mundanely – and
with a lot of laughter – on the Magazine
you hold in your hands now and on the
day club in which we sit.
And where we sit, in Age UK South
Lakeland’s Arnside day club at Crossfield
House, is rather special. It’s a large high
L-shaped room, with many pictures on
the walls – warm, light and with a gentle
hubbub of chatter from just past our sofa
beyond the crook of the L. There is a
small group there, ensconced in a part of
the space surrounded by windows that
look out, from high up, over the same
view I passed half an hour previously. A
view that is beautiful still. But our spot is
blessed with the comfort of
companionship of these others, while
allowing us space to talk quietly.
We look at some of the pages in the
binder. I see one I recognise. ‘This one
was on my... My grandma had this one on
her wall.’
‘Oh yes, The Hay Wain ... They’re all
here, but they’re not all on display ...’
Many of the pictures are copies of
famous artworks. Artworks so famous, in
fact, that recognition will come frequently
to everyone: The Laughing Cavalier by
Frans Hals. Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl
Earring. Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco of The
Last Supper. The list goes on – Millais,
Turner, Rembrandt... they’re all here. And
it is just a few pages of the portfolio that
we are looking at.
‘If it’s not in there, it didn’t happen...
[laughter]’
It is Rex who introduces the subject of
his illness.
‘I had a stroke you see, about ... I
don’t know ... about 15 years ago ... And
then I had a lot of what they call ministrokes after that. And then the doctors ...
I have a tremor and they thought it was
Parkinson’s ... I’ve been giving them
trouble ever since ... [laughs]’
‘Did you paint before?’
‘No ... well, I was roped in once to
paint some scenery for the WI in Preston
in Lancashire ... But I didn’t paint. The
answer is no. I never bought a canvas,
and I never used oil paints before then ...
The doctor said to me ... as a therapy. I
was trying to regain my voice. You know
... you lose everything.’
Mugs of tea are brought to us. Rex
smiles, ‘I know them two ladies ...’
I laugh, despairingly, at my own
inability to remember names. Rex
sympathises.
‘I can’t remember names, no ... I can’t
remember ... I can tell you day to day
during the war, or when I was a kid, you
7
know, early days, but I can’t tell you what I
had for breakfast ... if I had any at all...’
‘So it was your doctor who suggested
it, doing painting, was it?’
‘Well, he [the doctor] suggested I do
something like painting or a family tree.
And I started ... with both at the same
time. And I did the family tree ... and then
when I got fed up with that ... it got a bit
difficult ... There was a lot of doubt ... And
then I took up painting ...’
I ask whether he had a teacher.
‘No, I’m self-taught. I went to ...
Ambleside and District Art Society, after
about two or three years. They’re very
good artists... I enjoyed that, but I didn’t
go regularly ...’
We take a break to look at some of the
paintings on the walls around us.
‘They’re all by famous artists ... That’s
Turner as a young... he did a self-portrait
of himself ... And that’s Spencer, Lady
Spencer ... And that’s ... a self-portrait of
Lowry ... And that one ... well, if you ever
go in The National Gallery – all these are
either in The National Gallery, The Royal
Academy, or The [National] Portrait Gallery
or [The] Walker Gallery in Liverpool – that,
if you go in The National Gallery, everyone
makes that, it’s Lady Jane Grey ...’
‘These, pictures ... What do you paint
them from?’
‘These, reproductions as they’re called
... I went onto the internet and printed
them off ... and then copied them from
that, you see ...’
There’s another from my grandma’s
walls: When Was the Last Time You Saw
Your Father? (An odd choice, it seems to
me now, but I know that all of these
pictures will be loved, by many people,
and for endless reasons.)
By now we’ve seen pictures on the
main staircase of the building – a wide
area, with real space on the walls, on the
landing and, now, in another room. There
are some canvases leaning up at the side
– including, it would appear, the Mona
Lisa.
It’s one of those uncanny moments, as
when in a room full of waxworks. Is it all
those eyes? Or is it just these eyes? Rex
is proud of his Mona Lisa: ‘I’ve had a lot
of praise about that ... It’s more like Mona
Lisa than Mona Lisa. That’s the original,
they’ve got the forgery ...’
Rex would clearly like to see even
more of the pictures on display. ‘We’ve no
wall space left ... And we’re not allowed to
Part of a set of four paintings entitled ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The Same Place; Different
Seasons’. This panel has been used by the Alzheimer’s Society for one of their Christmas cards
8
put any more nails in [here at Crossfield
House] ... But they’re better than in my
attic ... And we’ve no attic where we’ve
moved to ...’
I ask whether the art has helped Rex with
his illness. ‘Oh yes, I drift off into a dream.
I’m painting, I don’t know what day it is, I
never wear a watch, I don’t know dates ...
and names ... But I know my art... and
when I’m at my easel, I used to, a few
years ago, be able to spend four or five
hours there ...
‘... People think that when you’ve got
dementia you’ve to sit in the corner and
drift off to sleep, because the medication
makes you tired ... I like painting: How
does it help me? It gives me a purpose ...
because you’ve always got something to
do tomorrow. You are sort of... You’re
doing... When I was painting, say, that
[points at a nearby landscape painting] I
might decide to just do the sky, one day,
or whatever ...
‘There’s always something to go back
to the following day. And the day after ... It
carries you forward ... I get... not tired...
exhausted, now, after a short time...’
After a while we get to talking about the
day club itself. ‘To be honest with you...
[laughs] I’m always honest with you... I
could just as well be at home, doing a bit
of painting. But I need someone with me
... I tend to wander off or get lost ...
Anyway, and it’s really so my wife can go
out and have a day to herself, and go
shopping, and all that ... I used to go to
the one in Kendal ... it’s closed down now
... Benson Green ... Then I went to
Ambleside ... which was great. But we’ve
just moved, on New Year’s Day, so this is
the nearest...
‘I’m the only man now, presently,
amongst ten women ... There’s not so
many here today, because of the frost ... I
enjoy coming... And I usually do a bit of
sketching. But I haven’t brought anything
with me today...’
Rex is self-effacing. There is a clearly
a conflict with his wish to show people his
art.
‘It’s very difficult when you are a
painter, or an artist, because they value
Rex Marsden’s art
What is Rex Marsden’s style? For me, it’s romantic,
it’s playful and – I think – it’s ‘fun’. Take the copies of
famous artworks, from Turner’s Hay Wain to the Mona
Lisa. To call them just copies would be to miss so much
of what makes them special.
They have a lightness of touch, and a slight deviation
from the original which is surely no accident in the hands of
such an accomplished painter. Expressions on faces, for
example, are subtlely
different and colours
are that little bit
brighter.
Or are they just
newer? Rex is, at first,
quite clear that they are
simply copies. He notes
that if the original artist
makes a mistake, then
so does he. ‘I’m a
forger ... If I signed
them Constable, or
Picasso ...’ But then
he laughs: he is
modest. ‘I’m not that
good.’
The famous
artworks are just one
part of Rex’s work. His
Rex at work in his back bedroom studio
collections, as he names them, include everything from
wildlife, local landscapes and wildlife, through churches,
bridges and ‘buildings of distinction’ to portraits, historical
recreations and even ‘fantasies’. It is an eclectic body of
work but, reproductions aside, rooted firmly in South
Lakeland.
Everyone will have a different view, and originals are
currently on display in his Easter exhibition at the public
library in Kendal (until 15 April). Paintings which will be
featured include those in a series entitled Lake District
Memories.
You can also see Rex’s pictures at the Cumbria Local
Arts exhibition in Grasmere village hall (6–15 April, open
every day 10–5pm – 50p entrance).
Later on in the year from 29 June to 1 July there will be
a selection of Rex’s wildlife pictures as part of the Silverdale
and Arnside Art and Craft Trail.
If you can’t make it to one of these exhibitions, you can
also look on his website (www.rexmarsden.co.uk) where you
can view the full range of Rex’s art.
Rex’s copies of one of Rembrandt van Rijn’s self-portraits,
entitled Two Circles, and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa
you, how good you are ... What I’m trying
to say is ... people ... think that you’re
showing off ... I always wanted to be rich
and famous, and I’ll never be rich, and I’ll
certainly never be famous... So I’ve given
up on ambition ... [laughter] My ambition
is to enjoy being the only man ... [more
laughter] in the Arnside Age UK [day club]
...’
I start to make my moves to go: we’ve
had a good chat. But Rex catches me with
a comment about the Magazine. I’m
interested.
‘What do you like about it the most...
or what don’t you like?’
‘What I like about it the most is
parochial. It’s South Lakeland ... you see
... If it was a national one – because I do
get the stroke magazine, and the
Alzheimer’s or dementia magazine... but
they’re national ... This tells you about
people ... [fetches January copy]
‘This one is ... South Lakeland. The
format is great ... modern. It’s in tune
with... You could pick that up in... you
know. It’s a good read. Could be thicker ...
You read about people [picks out Jane
Wrightson’s article, which includes a visit
to Dove Cottage: Love letters, flowers,
birds and bees].
‘These ladies [in the day club], they’ve
all a story to tell ... They’re either exheadmistresses, or matrons ... or farmer’s
wives, or whatever. And they’ve all got a
story to tell ... It’s nice to read about them
...’
‘It’s nice to see ... you’re not on your
own. This place is not on it’s own. It’s part
of... little satellite places... And they’re not
looking at their illnesses. They’ve all come
to terms with their situation. I’m in me
9
seventies. And you don’t think, oh well, in
10 years time I might not be here, you
know... So you just enjoy every day ...
‘And humour is the best medicine, it is
... I was so serious, I was chairman of the
council ... I was involved in all sorts of
serious ... trying to make the world spin.
You have a stroke, and for a year or two
you just don’t know anything, and as it
comes back, that side has, the academic
side has gone, and the artistic side has
woken up. So you appreciate colour, and
beauty, and trees. I never used to stand
and look at trees and sunsets and things
like that. I do now. And I don’t read
papers, and I don’t read, you know ... [we
laugh: surely the Magazine is an
exception?]’
‘It’s well put together ... I think it’s
wonderful... You get more information out
of this than you do out of the
Westmorland Gazette.’
We laugh again as I ask him
to pause while I ‘just write that
down’.
‘They have a bit of
competition now, the
Westmorland Gazette ... We all
read this ... and they’re rereadable. And it’s that picture on
the front that instantly tells you:
I’ve read that. It’s in the doctor’s
surgery, it’s in the dentist... it
picks it up ... Lovely.’
As we finish up, Rex is philosophical. He
is keen to re-emphasise the pleasure of
other people’s stories, awakened by
looking at the Magazine, and also of the
positives about his illness.
‘When you’ve had a stroke ... it affects
everybody different ... You’ve had your
MRI scans and all your different things.
And you see a negative with lumps of
black in it... At first it’s frightening, but
after a while, you tend to think of just the
nice, pleasurable things ... it really makes
you emotional, it makes you appreciate
nature... you start to hear the birds.
‘And ... I fall over if I stand still ... I’m
alright moving... So you have limitations.
But you accept it...’
Roundup
859 people sign petition
When 859 people have signed a local
petition (Care in Crisis) you have to sit up
and take notice. Local MP Tim Farron has
promised to ask searching questions in
parliament, and the mass lobby in
Westminster attracted an estimated 1000
people from across the country and
reached two out of three English MPs. We
are still collecting signatures (see page 4),
and we are very grateful to everyone who
has signed so far. JI
Watch out!
We have another report of hoax phone
calls, this time from Broughton in Furness.
Remember: just because someone says
they’re from a company you’ve heard of
or from which you buy services (like an
energy supplier), it doesn’t mean they
really are. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy
to be taken in when you’re put on the
spot. As always, if you’re unsure, call the
Age UK South Lakeland helpline and we
will advise (01539 728180). JI
10
Wacky woolly winners
Thank you again to everyone who took
part in Bobble Day throughout February,
helping to raise vital funds and awareness
for Age UK South Lakeland. Staff at Dr GR
Murray & Partners surgery in Ulverston
wore wacky winter woollies; pupils at
Coniston Church of England school were
joined by older members of the
community for lunch; visitors to the United
Reformed church coffee morning in
Sedbergh gave generously for cakes and
honey kindly supplied by our staff and
volunteers (though I’m not sure my carrot
cake survived the journey – think I need
more practice!)
Pupils at Holme Community School
raised £119. Headteacher Mrs Maria
Gettel was very pleased: ‘I am delighted
that our school raised such an impressive
sum and it has been a good experience
for our children to understand that we
have simple problems close to home that
we can support.’
Suggestions for next year’s Bobble
Lorraine Dawson – teaching assistant in Coniston
and support worker at Age UK South Lakeland’s
Ambleside day club – sporting a wacky winter
woolly scarf
Day are welcome, and keep an eye out for
other fundraising events later this year. If
you’d like to get involved, contact Sally
Bloomer or Amie Fletcher on 01539
814949. Amie Fletcher
What do we care about?
For those involved with Age UK South
Lakeland, it might seem an odd
question. It’s obvious, surely: we care,
passionately, about local older people.
And we make that care count by
working with local older people to help
them retain their independence and
exercise real choice in their lives. It’s
what we do. It’s what we’re good at.
And it drives Age UK South Lakeland
forward.
But at the start of a new financial
year, this month, someone might ask
about some of our new ventures. New
shops, selling insurance products, and
adverts in the Magazine: what’s all that
got to do with caring about local older
people? It’s a reasonable concern.
To address that concern properly,
first we have to look at everything we
do – how we put care into practice.
Take a breath.
We do it with our helpline, lunch
clubs, drop-in surgeries, resource
centres, village agents, community
officers, advocacy service, Happy &
Active events, work with schools, Men
in Sheds, volunteering, listening events,
campaigning, the Magazine, talks to
local groups, computer courses, Bridge
Building, exercise classes, day care, foot
care, home visits, benefit checks…
It’s a long list – there is real depth
and variety to our offer. But that depth
and variety reflects the wide range of
people who we serve. And it all costs
money.
Any local Age UK makes up it’s
income from various sources, be they
grants, contracts from the local
authority, charged for services, legacies
and donations, shops and selling
products like insurance. But recently
there has been a massive change in
funding. It’s no secret. The UK
government has a national austerity
programme.
Bailing out the banks and soaring
national debt is having an impact right
now, in 2012. And it will keep having an
impact for years to come. Age UK South
Lakeland doesn’t exist in isolation.
Austerity affects us too.
A new shop provides a useful
service. People like our shops because
they stock excellent goods at great
prices, and because they are important
for recycling. But, critically, a new shop
is a source of income for our
organisation. It’s about the money to
keep going.
Selling insurance products is a new
and useful service. People have asked
about what we offer and like what we
provide. But, critically, insurance sales
are a source of income for our
organisation. It’s about the money to
keep going.
Adverts in the Magazine do let
people know about useful companies.
Be it solicitor, care service or willwriter,
it’s good to know what’s on offer so that
we can all make our choices. But,
critically, these advertisers are a source
of income for our organisation. It’s about
the money to keep going.
If new shops, insurance sales and
advertising are unsuccessful, then we’ll
have to cut right back on what we do.
It’s as simple as that, and we need your
support.
It bears repetition: we care,
passionately, about local older people.
And we’re determined, through our new
business ventures, not to let austerity
stop us putting that care into practice.
How can I help?
Do, please, keep donating to,
volunteering in and using our
existing and new shops, and
encourage others to do so too.
Similarly, do consider using the
new insurance products that we
are offering, and tell your friends
about them (page 16).
And remember, each advert in the
Magazine means the possibility of
getting more copies of the
Magazine itself, a vital point of
contact and source of information,
to more people.
11
Doctor’s Comment
New joints for old
At the start of this year I looked at the
problem of osteoarthritis – where our
joints start to wear out, causing pain
and disability. Osteoarthritis cannot
be cured, but treatment can ease your
symptoms and prevent them from
affecting your everyday life. I started
to look at the main treatments, which
consist of exercise to improve fitness
and strengthen muscles, and weight
loss if you are overweight. Alongside
these is the use of painkillers to
reduce pain and to allow us to
maintain the function of our joints. I
promised to return to the subject, and
look at other treatments.
When painkillers alone are not
helping, some people find hot or cold
packs applied to the painful joint can help.
Shock absorbing insoles or shoes can
help for arthritis affecting the hips, knees
or feet. Joint injections with steroids can
also provide significant relief from pain
and can improve function. And sometimes
physiotherapists will suggest electrical
stimulation using a TENS machine.
However, there is very little evidence that
acupuncture helps osteoarthritis.
What about joint surgery?
Surgery is only needed in a small number
of cases. It can sometimes be helpful for
osteoarthritis that affects your hips, knees
or other joints, particularly those at the
base of your thumb. Your GP may suggest
surgery if other treatments have not been
effective, or if one of your joints is
severely damaged.
Having surgery for osteoarthritis may
greatly improve your symptoms, mobility
and quality of life. However, surgery
cannot be guaranteed to get rid of your
symptoms altogether, and you may still
experience pain and stiffness.
Unfortunately a few people find things are
12
no better at all, particularly if their
symptoms were not severe.
There are several different types of
surgery for osteoarthritis. You may have
surgery to replace your whole joint, just
the weight-bearing surface (resurfacing),
or to fuse it so it doesn’t move.
Is a joint replacement right for me?
Undergoing a joint replacement is a major
operation and it is important to make the
decision after careful consideration. Hip
and knee replacements are the most
common and there are a few questions to
ask yourself before embarking on one of
these operations:
Is your hip or knee pain so severe that
it interferes with your quality of life and
sleep?
Have medication and other treatments
not worked or caused severe side
effects?
Are everyday tasks difficult or
impossible – things like shopping or
getting out of the bath?
Are you feeling depressed because of
the pain and lack of mobility?
Are you unable to work or have a
normal social life?
While it is sensible not to rush into
surgery, it is also important not to leave
things so long that the joint becomes
severely damaged or you are very
disabled. Only you can make the decision,
but it is often helpful to discuss things
with your family or your GP.
You should expect your surgeon to
discuss all these things with you, but
sadly this doesn’t always happen. Only
last week one of my patients was
immediately offered surgery with no
discussion at all. No questions about how
much pain she had, how far she could
walk, or any discussion about what she
wanted. In fact on most days she can
‘If you find yourself
suffering with
osteoarthritis,
surgery is usually
not the immediate
answer’
walk a mile on the flat, and has no pain at
night, although she does have quite bad
pain going up and down stairs. After
thinking things through she has decided
to wait until things are quite a bit worse.
So, if you find yourself suffering with
osteoarthritis, surgery is usually not the
immediate answer. Don’t be afraid to keep
your joint active, and if it is a weightbearing joint, try to lose weight if you are
overweight. Many people don’t want to
use regular painkillers – but it may be all
you need. However, if you get to the point
where other treatments have failed,
modern surgery can give you a new lease
of life.
Dr Hugh Reeve
GP, Nutwood Surgery
Grange over Sands
Langdale lamb
‘Absolutely wonderful. Not often you
get the chance to get back to the
school you attended all those years
ago.’
Dot, grandma and volunteer
‘We’ve been really keen to work with
older adults. We see intergenerational
learning as really important. It has
been, I think, really important to see
people who are 70, 80 working with
four and five year olds. I just think it’s
been delightful.’
Mark Squires, head teacher, Langdale
primary school
We’ve really enjoyed the project
because we’ve done some different
things that we wouldn’t normally do
with playgroup. It gave us a chance to
mix with children from the school,
which is good.’
Heather, parent at Under-5s group
Continuing our look at some of Age UK
South Lakeland’s work from a forthcoming
publication. Words: Nicki Smith.
A
t Langdale, the village hall became
the hub of all project activities for
local older residents, the parent
and toddler group and young children
from the nearby primary school. Initial
planning with participants explored
‘celebrating the land’, and covered
various subjects relevant to the area such
as the importance of sheep farming and
growing vegetables – from seed to table.
A visit to the school vegetable patch to
see what the children were growing
inspired baking and tasting with all
participants and volunteers:
Baking and tasting carrot cake Very
popular – everyone wanted the recipe.
Tasting raw vegetables Carrots, pea
pods, spinach and peppers – it led on to a
discussion of recipe combinations and
methods for stir fries.
Fresh fruit salad This was the toddlers’
favourite – it was made and tasted
together too.
Craft activities at the village hall also
included widening knowledge of
vegetables through creating edible
collages, and observational drawing and
printing based on vegetable and fruit
arrangements.
Local sheep farming inspired young
and old to work together to make felt.
Great fun was shared, from selecting the
wool tops inspired by the colours of their
local landscape to getting rather wet while
vigorously working the wool fibres through
the various feltmaking stages. Adding
embroidery embellishment on the
completed felt panel based on Langdale’s
rural landscape gave an opportunity for
the older participants to show their
younger neighbours traditional sewing
skills.
All workshops included preparation for
the final celebration – planning, selecting
and tasting recipes, including burgers
using locally sourced lamb. The
‘I think it’s an excellent idea to mix the
generations and have them doing
things together. I think life should be
like that all the time.’
Rosemary Park, school governor and
secretary of Older Folks Committee
‘I liked the fact that the kids could get
their hands dirty, muck in and have a
really good time.’
Karen, parent at Under-5s group
community felt that it was important that
their children understood where their food
came from and how it was raised.
Everyone involved was invited to
school to celebrate the end of the project
with a community barbeque. Food was
brought in by all and local lamb burgers,
sausages and a vegetable stir fry were
cooked on a barbeque. Everyone enjoyed
cooking, eating and singing together
outside in the beauty of Langdale.
The final celebration had an amazing
atmosphere. It reflected the great
community spirit, excellent collaboration
and the growing partnerships between
different groups, young and old.
13
letters&emails
Lighter touches
I have just spent an hour or so looking
through and reading the Magazine. I look
forward to it, and applaud the whole idea,
but now let’s have some lighter touches!
I couldn’t wait to read the two lovely
poems this month [January/February
2012] and, of course, Ernest’s Diary (and
even the ad for dentures had two cheerful
faces showing off their new teeth…).
While I’m on the subject of what really
pleases people, I see you want volunteers
to be handy persons. I’ve experienced
their help myself and would recommend
them, so I hope the volunteers roll up. Can
you find a good cartoonist also?
SBO, Arnside
Reply This feedback is great: thank you.
It’s very useful when people take the time
to write down their thoughts on the
Magazine so that we can see what’s
working well, what’s working less well and
how we could improve. We can’t please
everyone, of course, but we do our best.
Cartoons would be great!
It’s also good when people send in
material – there are lots of ways to
contribute, from Special Places (page 15)
to the new Rattlebag section (page 18), as
well as letters and emails. In fact,
whatever ideas you may have, do get in
touch: it really is good to have as many
people involved as possible.
Last, we do want handypeople as
volunteers, but don’t want to cause
confusion. The council’s Handy Person
scheme is useful for small repairs – call
01539 797776 during weekday office
hours. We need a handyperson volunteer
who can get round to our shops and help
in our offices. If you’re interested in that,
call 01539 728118 and ask for Jean
Park. JI
Online banking
Most of my life I have had a Post Office
savings account, and when I get my
pension from the Post Office I put a small
amount of money in to pay my telephone
(and other) bills. I live in the country; our
Post Office is only open on three days but,
like most, find it handy and do not want it
to close. However, I received a letter last
week to say that they were going to close
this account and I had to transfer to a
Volunteering
We have a wide variety of
opportunuties, and you’ll be
making a positive difference
to the lives of others.
Call Jean Park on 01539
728118.
14
new one which could only be used on the
computer. This is of no use to me or to
many older people. Have they any idea
how people live? Many of my older friends
haven’t a computer. What are they
supposed to do? I think they are doing
their best to close Post Offices.
Jean Denney, Lyth Valley
Reply Given the way in which
assumptions are made about the use of
computers, it’s safe to say that many
organisations don’t have much idea about
how some people use their services – or
don’t care. The need to have good
services that don’t sideline people without
a computer is very important. As an
organisation, Age UK South Lakeland will
keep highlighting this need.
If you do have a computer, but find it
daunting to use, or you are thinking about
making those first steps, do ask us about
computer courses – see the next letter. JI
Computer courses
Responding to an invitation to an Age UK
South Lakeland computer course
I learnt such a lot on the computer course
[by Age UK South Lakeland], with very
helpful tutors who not only provided us
with a programme to work to, but also
answered all our questions. I now feel
very confident using the computer. It has
given me a lot of scope, and I am now
looking forward to the next course, which
I feel is more advanced – especially how
to save money online. Having all the
equipment and course materials provided
is an added bonus.
Audrey Frost, Yealand Redmayne
Reply Thank you so much for your letter.
It is always useful to get feedback about
what we do – good or bad, we always
learn from it. Our courses will continue to
run over the summer in Kendal. We are
also branching out and looking for other
venues around South Lakeland, so look
out for details in the Magazine or call me
on 01539 814945. Jean Park
Get in Touch
Please send your letters to the
Magazine editor, Age UK South
Lakeland, 17 Finkle Street, Kendal
LA9 4AB including a full name,
postal address and phone number
(or email admin@
ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk). Unless
stated otherwise, it is assumed that
these may be published in the
Magazine and for this purpose they
may be edited.
Days in the life
It was cancer, but amid all the tears it became clear that getting
better was vital, if only for the sake of other people.
Unwanted furniture & electrical?
Remember we’ll collect them
for FREE
Every penny raised from sales
is spent locally providing vital
services
Special Places
© Rex Marsden
The white drawing room at Blackwell – taking friends there
and seeing their faces light up when they go from the dark
panelled hall into this airy, light room and see the delicate
plasterwork and Windermere beyond. The window seat
beckons.
Do you have a special place? Up to 40 words – somewhere
that’s special to you now, a moment in time or a place you
remember? Please send these to the editor (details
opposite).
Following the tonsillectomy, I was given a period of 20 days
to allow healing before my next operation to remove my
neck glands. This was a strange time as I knew that I needed
recovery time, but I also wanted to get rid of this thing growing
in my neck.
I had the required CT scan to establish whether the tumour
had spread to my lungs. I was terrified, because if there was
evidence of any spread, my condition would not be treatable. I
had an allergic reaction to the dye and turned a lovely shade of
pink on my face, neck, shoulder and arm.
I was given an antihistamine tablet to take to reduce the
effects. I knew the side effects included drowsiness and the
recommendation was not to drive, so I informed the staff that I
had to collect my daughter from school and drive home – a
round trip of 10 miles. They suggested that I would probably be
OK as I wasn’t going far. Suffice to say I declined to take the
tablet until I got home.
Later that day I had an appointment with my GP. She was
reassuring and reinforced the fact that my condition was
treatable. I discussed my concerns with her about the junior
doctors as I was still very angry and felt let down. I didn’t want to
make a formal complaint, but I did ask her to use my story as a
teaching scenario. She did explain that the practice had only
ever had one patient with tonsillar cancer, so obviously the fact
that it is rare would mean that it was not high in the thoughts of
the doctors on a daily basis.
She then continued to talk me through the next stages of my
treatment, which would include talking about options for my next
operation with the surgeon at Preston.
Patient D
To be continued. If events described raise any questions or
concerns for you, please contact the Age UK South Lakeland
helpline on 01539 728180. You may also wish to share your
experiences with other readers: we welcome your letters and
emails. Please send these to the editor (details opposite).
Love, love, love quiz – answers
1. Love story; 2. Darby and
Joan; 3. Verona; 4. Eros;
5. Dumfries and Galloway;
6. The Kiss; 7. Banns;
8. Polyandry; 9. Cana;
10. Richard Rodgers;
11. Aphrodisiac; 12. Chastity belt;
13. Casanova; 14. Cilla Black; 15.
Lovebug; 16. Virgil; 17. Civil Partnership;
18. Pompadour; 19. Let me count the
ways; 20. Philadelphia.
The love, love, love quiz was in the
January/February issue of the Magazine.
Well done to Mrs RL Petts, Worthing
who wins a £15 book token as the
winner of the competition quiz for
January/February. Thank you to
everyone who entered… And
especially for the declarations of love,
scented letters and
rose petals!
15
Tailor-made products
and services for the
over 50s
• Home Insurance • Car Insurance
• Travel Insurance • Gas and Electricity
• Personal Alarms • Funeral Plans
For a no-obligation quote, visit:
Age UK South Lakeland
17 Finkle Street
Kendal LA9 4AB
Tel: 01539 814947
(open 10am–3pm Mon to Fri)
or call 08000 853 741 or visit
www.ageuk.org.uk/buy
Home, car and travel insurance are provided by Ageas Insurance Limited. Gas and Electricity
is provided by E.ON Energy Solutions Limited.
Age UK is a registered trademark of Age UK (Charity no 1128267). The use of the name and logo
Age UK is done so under a licence agreement between Age UK and Age UK Enterprises Limited,
its commercial services arm. Net profits are donated to Age UK. Age UK Enterprises Limited, Linhay House,
Ashburton, Devon TQ13 7UP. ID9975 11/10
MP2210V2APR11 SL034829_12
16
There’s talk of an iceberg...
T
he Titanic is unsinkable… There
have been countless other disasters
more callous of life, limb and
property. But the events that unfolded on
a chilly North Atlantic morning a century
ago have lost little of their power to
fascinate and intrigue.
100 year ago this month the pride of
the White Star Line foundered after
collision with an iceberg. It was late on the
evening of 14 April, 1912, and less than a
third of the 2,224 people aboard were
saved. Here in this eleven-storey floating
city, in their Louis Quatorze staterooms,
were the glitterati of transatlantic society;
and deep in the bowels of the ship were
the ‘tempest torn’ from the Old World en
route to a better life in the New. Here was
the hubris of strutting capitalism and
rampant technology facing down the
forces of nature.
Fiction and fact
You couldn’t make it up – except that in
1898, Morgan Robertson, an American
author, did. He wrecked a fabulous North
Atlantic liner on an iceberg, and its
technical spec was uncannily similar to
Titanic. He even called his ship Titan.
Sadly, apart from the basic premise,
Futility is a pretty turgid read.
For me, the best single account of the
actual sinking appeared in 1956, weaving
first hand recollections of survivors into a
You couldn’t make it up – except that in
1898, Morgan Robertson, an American
author, did
compelling minute by minute narrative. A
Night to Remember was also the title of a
sombre, moving 1958 British film based
on Walter Lord’s book. James Cameron’s
1997 blockbuster may have won 11
Oscars and grossed almost $2 billion...
but why bother with Mills and Buffoonery
when there are enough true stories to fill
a dozen movies?
Ah yes, the truth. The seven-piece
ship’s orchestra is said to have played
heroically almost to the end. But was their
final elegy Nearer, My God, to Thee or the
barely known – but equally poignant
– Song d’Automne? Fittingly, this is the
last of 23 selections lovingly recreated by
Ian Whitcomb’s White Star Orchestra on
an evocative CD.
Last orders
A few years ago, around the anniversary
of the sinking, my wife and I gave a Titanic
dinner party sourced from an elegant
book of menus and recipes, Last Dinner
on the Titanic. Six of us trenchered our
way through eleven courses: de rigueur
for first class passengers. Surprisingly, at
the end of the evening, none of us felt
bloated or even vaguely tipsy. Small
helpings, you see.
Robert Ballard and his associates
located the wreck in 1985. Since then,
Imax cameras have voyeured through the
drowned portals and almost 6,000
artefacts have been recovered to sate the
demands of exhibitions and museums.
Ballard has expressed concern that such
pillaging hastens the deterioration of the
hulk and that Titanic should be left to its
ghosts.
Ghosts like Benjamin Guggenheim, the
American millionaire, and his valet,
evening dressed and ‘prepared to go
down like gentlemen’. Or Thomas
Andrews, the ship’s architect, standing
lifebelt-less in the smoking room, his eyes
fixed steadfastly before him. And even,
perhaps, the universally vilified J Bruce
Ismay, managing director of the White
Star Line, who stepped quietly into lifeboat
C. But as HG Wells remarked at the time,
‘Let no untried man say he would have
behaved better in his place.’ Something
for each of us to search our souls and
ponder.
Ben Goodman
17
A recce of
recent wrecks
L
arge passenger ships still founder
today – most recently the Costa
Concordia, on a reef off the west
coast of Italy, on the evening of 12
January. Not a unique event , and the last
in a long line since Titanic.
For the Costa Concordia, reports
revealed that the vessel’s Captain had
taken his ship close inshore so that his
passengers would have a good view of
the coastline and the island of Giglio. I
remember watching the RMS Queen
Elizabeth II steaming close inshore off the
Cornish coast – the local newspaper
reported that this had been done to allow
passengers to wave at the donkeys
owned by a well known author. I clearly
recall being told as a naval cadet that 15
nautical miles was considered to be a
sensible distance to stand off any
shoreline, unless the vessel is closing in
to enter a port.
A fire in a harbour
What of other wrecks? Loss of the French
Line’s handsome liner Normandie took
place in harbour. Her short career as a
passenger liner was cut short by the
outbreak of World War II and she was
interned on her arrival in New York on 28
August 1939 never to sail again.
Eventually taken over by the American
War Department with the intention of
converting her into a fast troopship, the
work was nearly completed when on 9
April 1942 a spark from a welder’s torch
ignited a bale of lifejackets. The fire
spread very quickly, and the ship’s crew
and firefighters pumped considerable
quantities of water into the upper decks of
the ship in their efforts to extinguish the
fire – the ship was unbalanced and
capsized into the shallow water of the
harbour.
Zig-zag manoeuvres
During 1942 the Cunard White Star liner
RMS Queen Mary was carrying more than
18
15,000 US servicemen and crew from the
United States. She met the anti-aircraft
cruiser HMS Curacao, her escort into
Liverpool but, whilst carrying out zig-zag
manoeuvres, the two ships collided when
one or other bridge officer zigged when
he should have zagged. The right-angled
collision caused the liner to cut the cruiser
in half and 338 members of the cruiser’s
crew were lost; 108 were rescued by
escorting destroyers. The bows of the
liner were seriously damaged and the ship
was lucky in that the underside of her hull
was not damaged as she rode over the
warship. Responsibility for the navigational
error which caused the high speed
collision was never publicly established.
Faulty navigation
The sinking of the Royal Mail Lines cargo
liner Magdalana on 25 April 1949 was
quite different. The ship had left Santos
fully equipped with modern navigational
aids, such as radar and an echo sounder,
but these weren’t switched on. During the
night compass bearings were measured
on lighthouses and a star sight was taken,
all of which indicated that the ship was
several miles north of her expected
position. It was realised too late that the
magnetic compass on the monkey island
(above the bridge) which was being used
to take the bearings was seriously out of
true. The ship hit rocks and was seriously
damaged, and although all passengers
were removed safely, later on, whilst
being towed towards Rio, she struck more
rocks. This time she sank.
There are others. Weather, human
error, explosions: they’ve all played their
part. Does any of this affect our
willingness to travel by sea? No: these
disastrous voyages only represent a tiny
fraction of the thousands completed
without incident. One needs to keep the
odds on it happening into perspective
(and keep hoping for the best!)
Mike Wolfenden
Turner prized
Turner and his Contemporaries
Abbot Hall, Kendal
If you’re inspired by the art in this issue of
the Magazine, the Turner exhibition at
Kendal’s Abbot Hall is still running up to
14 April (£6). It’s a fantastic display of
watercolour pictures assembled by Sir
Hickman Bacon almost 100 years ago.
There are about 50 paintings, and the
effect is tremendous. The Turner section
is filled with images from his travels in
Switzerland, Italy and Germany, as well as
several of places like Margate, where he
lived in his childhood. These paintings and
sketches are 300 years old, and for those
who did not have the means to travel,
they must have been a revelation. Most of
the studies are of water – flat, calm lakes
or tempestuous waves and stormy skies.
They are full of energy and life: you can
feel the salt on your lips as you look at the
Rough Sea Beating Against Margate Jetty,
from 1840, feel you are sitting beside the
artist as he works his magic. A rare
delight. Jean Park
A stack of good discs
20th Century Fox Cinemascope
Fanfare By Alfred Newman
20 seconds worth of Old Hollywood’s
swaggering splendour and absurd
grandiloquence always lifts the spirit. If
you hear it in Nero’s coffee shop, it’ll be
my mobile...
This Was My Love By Frank Sinatra
So much more to Ol’ Blue Eyes than
Vegas excess, and a fine Nelson Riddle
arrangement.
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas
Tallis By Vaughan Williams
Sublime string fan tracery in timeless
cathedrals of Englishness.
American Patrol By Glenn Miller
A staid old march transformed: relentless
It’s Easter time, and eggs are on the mind. A soufflé: just the
ticket.
drive, irresistible momentum and the
razor-sharp precision of the ultimate
swing band.
Pavane pour une Infante Défunte By
Ravel
It has to be the orchestral version. Close
your eyes and a ghostly princess dances
her stately dance in the moonlit halls of
the Escorial Palace.
Goldberg Variations By JS Bach
Music to succour both mind and the spirit.
Ben Goodman – regular columnist, lover
of music and occasional songster
PS Our scroogey editor only allowed six
choices instead of the statutory eight, as
Desert Island Discs would allow. What he
doesn’t know is that, now I live on a
desert island, I do have a capacious flash
drive containing the rest of my collection
(concealed about my person before
maroonment).
Please send in your own stack of half a
dozen good discs, with a few words
explaining what makes them special
– up to 150 words. Or it can be a stack
of good books, a stack of good films...
in fact just about anything that takes
your fancy. We’d really like to hear from
you.
Reviews of films, books and
performances are welcome too –
anything that might inspire others.
Performances don’t have to be
international – something by the
Coniston Occasionals would be perfect.
And books and films don’t have to be
brand new – new to you is good. A
great read picked up in one of our
shops, perhaps, or a gem of a DVD or
video you’d overlooked 30 years ago
would hit the spot. Again, up to 150
words.
Please send these to the editor –
postal and email addresses on the
contents page.
Twice baked cheese soufflés
For one hungry person, but these also keep in the fridge or
freezer
Ingredients
225ml/8fl oz milk
Half a sliced onion
Bay leaf
A few black peppercorns
Grated nutmeg
25g/1oz butter
100g/3–4oz strong grated cheddar
1tbsp chopped chives
1tsp mustard – whichever is your favourite
25g/1oz flour
2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites
Method
Turn the oven to 180C.
Cut circles of baking parchment to cover
the base of a ramekin (or ramekins).
Infuse the milk by adding the onion, bay
leaf, peppercorns and nutmeg – heat to
boiling point in a pan or microwave, then
allow to cool for 15 minutes and sieve.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour:
cook for a couple of minutes, then slowly
add the sieved milk, stirring all the time to
prevent lumps. Bring to the boil and then
cook for 2–3 minutes to thicken it up and
remove from the heat.
Add the grated cheddar, chopped chives,
mustard, pepper and salt. Add the egg
yolks and stir in. Whisk up the egg whites
in a clean bowl until thick, and fold into
the cheese mixture.
Pour into your prepared ramekins and place these in a roasting tin. Pour boiling water
into the tin to come half way up the sides of the ramekins, and then place in the oven
and cook for about 15 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool before removing from the ramekins. The soufflés will keep for
3 days in this state, or can be frozen.
Top tip
When ready to use, reheat the oven to 200C. Place the soufflés on a baking sheet. Heat
through for 15–20 minutes until golden and hot. They’re great served with a green
salad.
Jules Drummond-Hay
19
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Did anyone see Richard Wilson
(Victor Meldrew as was) on Channel
4 grappling with automated phone
systems and call centres? The
programme – On Hold – was made
in cooperation with Age UK, though
it’s not only older people who are fed
up with the way things are going.
We long for a human being on the
other end of the phone,
someone to ask,
someone to explain
to – but as you have
probably found out,
it’s getting harder and
harder to find one.
The robots are
beginning to take over.
Some firms have now
done away completely
with humans and it’s all
key pressing. Why?
Simple: humans cost far
more than a computer. A
company can buy an
auto system for a few
thousand pounds and
that’s it. Just one
human ‘advisor’ would
cost at least £20,000 a
year all in. It’s an easy
decision if companies
don’t care about service and have no
consideration for customers.
talk, talk?
If you want to talk to a real live person
you are usually given baffling options to
choose, then put on hold, played (mostly)
hideous music, thanked for your patience
and told that your custom is valued.
Apparently the banks are the quickest at
answering calls, but some of the big
energy companies (they are among the
20
worst) can make you wait for up to half
an hour to sort out the bill you don’t
understand or deal with a query. Not good
for our blood pressure. Worse, call
centres usually use premium rate phone
lines (0845 and the like): waiting can cost
you up to 40p a minute. That’s a lot of
money to spend in half an hour.
My bank is usually pretty good at
picking up the phone, though it helps to
know when the quiet times are to avoid a
queue – my dad hated queuing and I
have inherited his impatience. And at the
other end they employ friendly, helpful
scousers (the call centre is based in
Skelmersdale) who are always a pleasure
to talk to.
But not all accents are as easy to
understand. I often find Glasgow call
centres difficult, with South Wales not far
behind. Then there are the outsourced
call centres operating from abroad (to
save costs of course). Many are based in
Bangalore, the ‘call centre capital of the
world’.
at?
could you repeat th
I had to ring my internet service provider’s
‘technical support’ line the other day and
found myself speaking to a young woman
who was very polite, knowledgeable and
willing to help but spoke rapidly in a
strong accent. I found myself interrupting
every few seconds with ‘could you repeat
that?’ It might have helped if I had
understood what on earth she was saying
– my query was about computer stuff and
I can’t take in a rapid fire list of arcane
instructions just like that.
So what can we do about it all?
Probably not a lot (it’s called progress).
But at least we can get our gripes aired in
the Magazine.
Tony Shelton
Ernest’s Diary
21 January
This was a very good day. No 1 daughter
came from Nottingham and took us to The
Lowry Centre on the former dock area of
Manchester. Media City is up and running,
and trams run through the area. The
development is extraordinary since our
last visit in 1990.
There was an exhibition of paintings
by a French impressionist painter who
had worked in Manchester, Adolphe
Valette. He painted the rain, fog and
industry from 1906 to 1928, was
Principal Art Master at Manchester School
of Art, and Master of Drawing at The
Victoria University (Manchester). Lowry
was one of his students. He died in
France in 1942.
From 1959, in my lunch hour, I would
visit the art galleries of towns in
Lancashire and Cheshire. In Rochdale
Road Art Gallery were nine paintings by
Valette, all owned by Manchester City Art
Gallery.
Our first house in 1956 needed a
painting. I bought two pictures from a
small gallery off Cross Street, the owner
of which was a sculptor. Now, the sculptor
told me he had been asked by Madame
Valette to sell some of her late husband’s
paintings for her. This time I picked out
four paintings. Mrs Ernest was not
pleased when I arrived home and told her
I had spent two months’ salary. That was
the year when we started our holidays on
camp sites.
We had a wonderful day at The Lowry.
25 January
We had an appointment for our annual
blood tests, pressures and breathing
measurements. Now these days, I follow
instructions carefully – pressures were
fine, breathing was fine. Giving samples of
blood for test was not. I had clenched my
fist, but then being told to open it slowly, I
didn’t. We had to try the other arm and
this time I opened my fist SLOWLY. I may
not have qualified for a Did Not Cry
Badge, but to have a small plaster on
each arm was a first.
26 January
We visited the audiology department at
Westmorland General Hospital. I was the
carer for Mrs E, and I assured her I would
behave. For your information, on arrival,
you take a numbered card from a
dispenser in the waiting room. Mrs E was
No 12. I could spot Nos 8, 9 and 10, and
Nos 11, 13 and 14 arrived, so I asked,
very politely, where Nos 6 and 7 were.
The answer was, ‘No 4 has been in a long
time, No 5 has not returned from walkies,
No 6 has gone to find her and No 7 will
go in as soon as either No 4 comes out or
the consultant returns from a coffee
break.’
All I said then was ‘Where may I get a
cup of coffee?’ Everyone had a lovely time
discussing systems, coffee arrangements
and the cafeteria. The consultant
returned, No 4 came from room 2, No 6
returned with No 5, No 7 was with the
returned consultant and we all had a
wonderful time talking. No14 was waving
to somebody up the corridor at dentistry. I
assumed dentistry was waving at me so I
walked there to offer help because Nos 3
and 14 were talking to each other. The
receptionist in dentistry did not need
assistance; she was waving to her father
who was No 14.
By the time I returned to the waiting
room, Mrs E’s hearing aid tube had been
reconnected, and she was thrilled to have
learnt how to increase volume. We had a
lovely morning at the hospital and the
audiology patients (or are they
customers?) were very happy.
27 January
We learnt that Daughters 1 and 2 are to
have a weekend in Bath for a reunion with
relations. The good news for me is that I
have no spare cash for them. Pension day
is in ten days time, and we have disposed
of much of our cash in the attic. The other
news is that they return here together.
Hope they bring some Bath buns.
As I am short of cash, there is time to
read Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. I know
there are references to Lewis guns,
trench warfare and tunnelling in the book.
I know my father was in front line battles
from call-up in 1917 to demobilisation at
the age of 19 in 1919. His only reference
to me about that war was when he was
aged 45, after demonstrating how to use
a sticky bomb to home guard colleagues
– he discovered, when he was caught in
the blast from his demonstration, that he
could move faster as a 19 year old.
Ernest Schofield
North Country Wills
Local specialist Willwriter offering free home
visits and fixed prices.
Wills – Lasting Power of Attorney – Planning for
Long Term Care
Freephone: 0800 043 4260
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.northcountrywills.co.uk
This firm is compliant with the IPW Code of Practice
21
Competition Quiz
Cumbria and
Cumbrians
Now this stuff we should all
know, right? Set by Grand
Inquisitor
1. Highest mountain in England (7, 4)
2. Other terminus of narrow gauge railway
that starts in Ravenglass (7)
3. Kendal’s parliamentary constituency
(11, 3, 8)
4. Surname of the founder of iconic
freight transport company based in
Carlisle (7)
5. Where Wordsworth is said to have
composed the sonnet that begins:
‘Earth hath not anything to show more
fair’ (11, 6)
6. Large lake immediately to the south of
Keswick (12)
7. Home ground of Carlisle United Football
Club (7, 4)
8. Fruit for which the Lyth Valley is especially noted (6)
9. Towering landmark to the northeast of Ulverston commemorating Sir John Barrow
(4, 8)
10. 19th century polymath who once lived at Brantwood (4, 6)
11. One of ‘the kingdoms of the Old North’ and a visitors’ centre near Penrith (6)
12. Long-distance footpath starting in Ilkley and finishing in Bowness (5, 3)
13. Town in the Allerdale district devastated by flooding in 2009 (11)
14. Part of the Irish Sea which separates Cumbria from Dumfries and Galloway (6, 5)
15. Rock band with a nautical name three of whose members are Kendalians (7, 3, 5)
16. Cumbrian farmer/huntsman immortalised in song (4, 4)
17. Large reservoir in the Mardale valley constructed to supply water to the Manchester
area (10)
18. Ambleside educational centre now part of the University of Cumbria (9, 5, 7)
19. Kendal day job from which Alfred Wainwright retired in 1967 (7, 9)
20. She wrote and starred in a 2006 TV version of the diaries of the Barrow housewife
Nella Last (8, 4)
Write to us at the Magazine (quiz), Age UK South Lakeland, 17 Finkle Street, Kendal LA9
4AB including a full name, postal address and phone number. The first correct entry
pulled from the competition hat will be as happy as AW on the top of a Cumbrian peak
with a £15 book token. The closing date for this competition is 30 April, and it is open to
everyone except staff of Age UK South Lakeland.
Help is just a phone call
away 01539 728180
The Age UK South Lakeland helpline is
for all your questions and problems. It’s
also a ‘one-stop shop’ for you to reach
the rest of our services.
The helpline is open Monday to Friday
9am–5pm, but you can leave a message
at any time and we’ll be pleased to get
back to you. You can also email helpline@
ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk or write a
letter.
A CARE SERVICE
designed to make a difference
Stay independent in your
own home:
Personal care • Sitting service •
Night service • Live in care •
Shopping/domestic •
Meal preparation • Laundry •
Writing letters/bills •
Visiting friends • Appointments
“Our staff will go that extra mile
to ensure that you receive the
highest standard of service”
Heydays Care & Support Service
Ulpha Farm, Meathop
Grange over Sands
015395 52548/07827 964360
Email: [email protected]
Registered with the Care Quality Commission
22
Diary April & May
Our village agents are listed beside
each area, and all events involve
Age UK South Lakeland unless noted
otherwise. To contact your village
agent, and for information or advice,
please call the helpline on 01539
728180.
Note that Ambleside & Grasmere is
now listed under ‘Central Lakes’.
Arnside & Beetham Margaret Parker
No specific events
Broughton in Furness, Kirkby in Furness
& Crake Valley Louise MacArthur
3 Apr/1 May Info point, coffee morning,
Methodist church, Broughton 10.30–
11.30am
Central Lakes Tony McMichael
Every Weds Info point, Ambleside library
10am–noon
Coniston & Hawkshead Pam Kirkbride
4 Apr/2 May Info point, hearing aid clinic,
Coniston Institute 10.30–11.30am
18 Apr/16 May Wednesday club, market
hall, Hawkshead 10am–noon
25 Apr/30 May Traidcraft fair, St Andrews,
Coniston 10am–1pm
Grange over Sands Brian McCann
11 Apr/9 May Info point, Methodist
church, Grange 10am–noon
18 Apr/16 May Info point, Strand Court,
Grange 10–11.30am
27 Apr/25 May Info point, Cancer Drop-in,
parish hall, Grange 2–4pm
Kendal No village agent
Every weekday You can visit the Age UK
South Lakeland resource centre, 17 Finkle
St 9.30am–4pm.
1 Apr To make space for the new exercise
area below our Finkle St office, volunteers
are needed to help excavate the cellar. We
also need people to try the new sports
equipment – please come to reception and
ask for your personal Long Weight.
21 Apr Parkinson’s UK coffee morning,
Kendal town hall 9.30am–noon
25 Apr Volunteer induction course
9.30am–12.30pm
24 May Volunteer induction course 1–4pm
Kirkby Lonsdale, Crooklands & Endmoor
Jules Drummond-Hay
Every Thurs Info point, Kirkby Lonsdale
library 10am–noon
2, 16 Apr/21 May Monday club, Kirkby
Lonsdale institute 2–4pm
12 Apr/10 May Café D, reading room,
Kirkby Lonsdale institute 2–4pm (£1.50).
For anyone living with memory loss or
dementia, or their friends, family and
carers – coffee, activities and information.
18 Apr/16 May Evergreen club, Endmoor
village hall 2–4pm
19 Apr/17 May Book club, Kirkby Lonsdale
institute 3–5pm
Lyth Valley & Staveley in Cartmel
Brian McCann
3 Apr/1 May Witherslack talking group,
school hall 2–4pm
25 Apr/23 May Info point, Crosthwaite
Exchange, memorial hall 2–4pm
Milnthorpe, Burton & Holme Ruth Taylor
2 Apr Info point, Burton memorial hall
10–11.30am
2 Apr Seated exercise class, Holme parish
hall 2–4pm
5 Apr Info point, Holme parish hall 10am–
noon
13 Apr Info point, Milnthorpe Methodist
church hall 10–noon
23 Apr Info point, Milnthorpe library
10.30am–noon
25 Apr Silver Songsters singing group,
Burton memorial hall 1.30–3.00pm
26 Apr Young at Heart – social group at
Milnthorpe Methodist church hall 1.30–
3.00pm
Sedbergh & Dent Linda Greensmith
4 Apr/2 May Info point, United Reformed
Church coffee morning, Sedbergh 10am–
noon
13 Apr/11 May Info point, Sedgwick room,
Dent memorial hall 1.30–3pm
Staveley & Burneside Wendi Lethbridge
3, 17 Apr/1, 15, 29 May Seated exercise
class, Ings 2–3pm (£1.50)
10, 24 Apr/8, 22 May Seated exercise
class, Staveley institute 2–3pm (£1.50)
Swarthmoor & Low Furness Julie Dawes
2 Apr/14 May Info point, Tea ‘n’ Games
session, Swarthmoor Football Club
1.30–4pm
4 Apr/2 May Craft group, Swarthmoor
reading room 2–4pm (£1 including
refreshments)
11 Apr/9 May Craft group, Urswick parish
room 2–4pm (£1 including refreshments)
12 Apr/10 May Info point, Coronation hall,
Ulverston 9am–noon
27 Apr/25 May Info point, Coffee and
Chat, Swarthmoor Football Club 10am–
noon
Ulverston Jo Hurst
Every day except Sun You can visit the
Age UK South Lakeland resource centre,
19–21 New Market St 9.30am–4.30pm.
Every Tues, Weds and Thurs 10am–noon
there will be someone to answer your
questions.
Every Mon Gentle exercise class, Lakes
Leisure, Ulverston 10.45–11.45am (£1.50
including refreshments)
Every Thurs Gentle exercise class, Lakes
Leisure, Ulverston 1–2pm (£1.50 including
refreshments)
Every Fri Coffee & Chat, Ulverston parish
church 10–noon
23