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Meridian Vol 6 No 11 May 2007
www.wodenseniors.org.au Journal of Woden Seniors Tel 6282 2573
Fete raises$2400
Club Vice-President Barry Hoganhas his face painted by artistAnna Birch. Well done, Anna!A distinct improvement!
ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, who opened the fete, chats wth members.
THIS year’s autumn fete raised$2400. While club president
Anne Murray’s target of $10,000 wasprobably over-optimistic, the resultwas nonetheless disappointing, andinadequate reward for the enormouseffort by club members. [AnneMurray discusses the outcome, andspeculates on future fetes and futurefund-raising efforts on page 3.]
Putting aside the disappointingfinancial return, the fete was success-ful in that it provided enormous funfor participants and visitors alike,demonstrating again the strongfellowship within the club.
The fete was opened by ChiefMinister Jon Stanhope, who wasintroduced by Graeme Hellyer, whosaid that the club continued to under-take considerable improvements as itimplemented its Master Plan. Graemethanked the ACT Government forsubstantial grants it had made in thepast, although clearly the club wouldneed to continue seeking to identifyways to raise money.
Mr Stanhope said he was pleasedto be invited to open the fete. It was
the fourth consecutive year that hehad done so, and he considered theclub a model for how seniors’ clubsshould be conducted. He commendedclub management for its initiative andfar-sightedness, and congratulatedmembers for the enthusiastic way theysupported events such as the fete.
Mr Stanhope re-emphasised theimportance of clubs such as WodenSeniors in providing for a Canberrapopulation that was increasing rapidly,and at the same time would increas-ingly be made up of older people. Heassured his audience that his Govern-ment would examine sympatheticallyany proposals the club might makefor future developments . D.B.
Printing and distribution ofMeridian is paid for by the club’ssponsors, the Hellenic Club beingparticularly generous. We nowwelcome new sponsors, Noel Laneand Marcia Delander, real estateagents who have formed a partner-ship under Richard Luton Proper-ties. Noel and Marcia will advertisein Meridian for at least a year.
"Mature" people themselves,Noel and Marcia have increasinglyfound themselves specialising inhelping older clients who havereached "decision time" - "Ourhouse is too big for us. The gardenis becoming onerous. We’d like tomove, but it seems so complicatedthese days. And where do we go?"
Noel and Marcia don’t pretendthere are easy answers. But it is asituation familiar to them, and onethey are experienced in overcoming.
Noel enjoyed a successfulcareer in the Public Service beforebecoming a real estate agent tenyears ago. With a background infinance, economics, accounting andmanagement, Noel is an idealchoice for anyone wishing to sell,or buy, a home.
Marcia has a background in thebuilding industry and can beparticularly helpful advising onmaintenance and sprucing up yourhome prior to sale. Marcia workedin the non-government healthsector prior to becoming a realestate agent three years ago.
Meet Noel and Marcia
THE club has received fundsthrough the ACT Women’s Grants
Program to run a one-day leadershipworkshop for women members.
The workshop will be run byGrahame Hellyer and Alan Hodges onMonday 28 May.
Participating in the day will giveyou a better understanding of yourwork style and how you relate toother people. It will also help youunderstand other people and how toget the best out of them (ever won-dered why other people niggle you, oryou have difficulty working withsomeone?). In summary, it will:
Increase cooperationBuild self-esteemReduce conflictSolve people problems.The day will also include sessions
on subjects such as how to workeffectively in committees.
We hope that women who takepart will be happier playing a moreactive role in the Club, and we aresure it will also help participants inother aspects of their lives.
The day will run from 9.30 to 2.30and lunch will be provided. We can
Wanted! Women preparedto make a difference
NEED HELP WITHYOUR TOENAILS?
My home pedicure serviceincludes:
• Soaking your feet• Toenail cutting and filing• Gentle Foot massage
All in the comfort of yourown home
Cost $25*
Fingernail cutting and filing anoptional extra
Frances Rose6231 0371
Member, Foot and Hand CarersAssociation
I cannot treat ingrown toenailsor corns; I suggest you see apodiatrist for conditions such
as these.
*until end 2007
As from 1 July 2007 new membersjoining the club will find theirmembership fee (and car parking)goes from their date of joining - thatis, if you join in October you will bedue for renewal the followingOctober. (At present all membershipsend on 30 June each year.)
This change is now going to bepossible with the magic of e-mailsending you a reminder in the monthprior to your renewal. So if you havee-mail and have not let us know nowis the time.
Send your email address to us [email protected]
Members not on e-mail will becontacted through the post, so don’tworry, we haven’t forgotten you. It isalso very important that membersnotify us of any changes to theirdetails - that is, changes to phonenumber, address, emergency contact,etc. Eventually this system will savethe bottleneck that occurs when allmembers are trying to renew in July.
New membership deals
assure you that anyone who attendswill have a fun day and that it willmake a difference to your life. Andremember it is FREE.
The club is allocating some of theplaces to the Canberra and BelconnenSeniors Clubs.
Anyone who is interested or wantsto discuss it further should contactAnne Murray at the club (6282 2573),or leave your name with DavidTemple, at the office.
OBITUARY
Vale Win Barnes
MEMBERS will have been sad-dened to hear of the passing of
Win Barnes.She died on 20 March just a few
months short of her 86th birthday.Win had been a member of Woden
Seniors for many years, and was theconductor of the choir (the WodenSenior Singers) from 1991 to 2001.Even after “handing over the baton”to Joyleen Litherland, she continuedto be involved as Music Director,until ill-health restricted her activi-ties.
Her husband Ron still continueshis involvement with the choir. Winwas a very special lady who went outof her way to help people.
Her home was always like a drop-in-centre with visitors welcome,coming and going at all times.
She was very involved with theBaptist Church at Hughes and theMirinjani Hostel at Weston. She willbe missed and remembered by all.
Vale Win! God Bless. Gail Giuliano
Wealthy old lady goes to Africa,taking her aged poodle, Cuddles.
One day Cuddles becomes lost,and sees a leopard heading towardshim with the intention of havinglunch. Cuddles thinks, "I'm in bigtrouble now!", and then, noticingbones on the ground, he settles downto chew on them with his back to theapproaching leopard. Just as theleopard is about to leap Cuddlesexclaims loudly, "Boy, that was onedelicious leopard! I wonder if thereare any more around here?"
The leopard, terrified, halts inmid-stride, and slinks away. "Whew!",he says, "That was close!"
A monkey, who had been watchingfrom a nearby tree, figures he cantrade his information with the leopardfor protection, hares after the junglecat, spills the beans and strikes a deal.
The leopard is furious at beingmade a fool of and says, "Here,Cheetah or whatever your name is,hop on my back and see what's goingto happen to that conniving canine!"
Now Cuddles, who had seen themonkey head off after the leopard andguessed he was up to no good, seesthe vengeful leopard returning.Instead of running, Cuddles sits downwith his back to the leopard and hispassenger, pretending he hasn't seenthem. When they get close enough tohear, Cuddles complains, "Where'sthat damn monkey? I sent him off anhour ago to bring me another leop-ard!"
Moral of this story: Don't messwith oldies. Age and treachery willalways overcome youth and skill!
And the lesson tobe learned is . . .
Page 2
Page 3
WE began our fund-raisingprogram this year for the
ongoing operation of the club and forits development with a fete and aconcert, both held during Seniors’Week, in March.
The fete was enjoyed by all - thosewho came to buy and the many peoplewho participated and contributed inso many ways. Thank you so much.
The concert, too, which took placeat the Canberra Southern Cross Club,provided immense enjoyment to allwho attended, and Margaret Wright(see page 5) captures the occasion forus splendidly. We are most grateful tothe CSCC, and in particular to itsChief Executive Officer Greg Mitchell,for providing such a splendid venue,"Top of the Cross", with its superblighting and sound, free of charge.
Rodney Clancy, a young musicianand musical director of the ACTSingers and the Canberra YouthChoir, took on the role of our musicaldirector at no cost and did a wonder-ful job. Thank you, Rodney. Thenthere were the outstanding perform-ers, whose only reward was ourenjoyment and appreciation of their
artistry. Thank you everyone.Outstanding successes, then. Fete
and concert. Measured in terms ofenjoyment, and "bonding" that comesfrom joint endeavour, successfullyconcluded. However, both events fellwell below our expectations for fundraising. The fete raised $2400 and theconcert $1800, and particularlydisappointing was the one hundredvacant seats at the concert.
Ever the optimist, I had hoped thatthe two ventures would raise $10,000,and that we would raise $100,000 intotal this calendar year. I accept thatmy hopes of reaching such a target arenow very remote. At the next meetingof the Management Committee fundraising will be the major issue forconsideration. Any ideas, or sugges-tions, from members would be mostwelcome.
These past two months I have hadthe great pleasure of playing the pianofor our choir at their functions atvarious nursing homes, playing asupporting role to Dorothy Rafferty. Itis rewarding to be part of an activitythat clearly brings enormous pleasureto so many people. However, my other
commitments mean that I am not asreliable as is needed, and our wonder-ful choir director, Joyleen Litherland,is seeking the involvement of anotherpianist. I am sure there are accom-plished pianists in the club, and I urgeyou to share the role with Dorothy.
The formal application for Stage 1of the Master Plan has been submittedby our architects Small QuintonColeman to the ACT Land andPlanning Authority. Copies of theplans are available to all members fortheir perusal. It will take some weeksbefore an answer is forthcoming.
Best wishes to you all.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Where to from now?
Anne Murray
bordello - blase greetingcantaloupe - unable to run off to marrycircumnavigation - a bar mitzvah on acruise linercockaleekie - prostate problemarsenic - having sat on a razor bladeannounce - 28 gramsangiogram - Irish folk singerhobnobbing - casual sex with a goblinhullabaloo - how to greet a bearhundred - a fear of Germansmarigold - a way to get rich quick
Uxbridge Dictionary
Making the most of thePharmaceutical Benefits SchemeIf you need a lot of medicine in a calendar year, the PBS Safety Nethelps you with the cost of medicine. Once you reach a Safety Netthreshold, you can apply for a PBS Safety Net card. Your PBS medi-cine will be less expensive (or free) for the rest of the calendar year.The PBS Safety Net threshold from January 2007 is $960.10 or 56prescriptions for concession and veteran card holders. This year themaximum patient contribution is $30.70 for general patients and $4.90for concession.When writing a prescription your doctor may suggest a brand thatcould cost more than the usual patient contribution. When this happensyour pharmacy can often change the brand of your medication toimprove the price without compromising on quality. Just ask yourpharmacy.Keep a record of your PBS medicine on a prescription record formwhich you can get from your pharmacy. Each time you have a PBSmedicine supplied, hand your prescription record form to the pharma-cist so the supply can be recorded. Your pharmacy will also be able tokeep an electronic record for you on their computer.When you are close to reaching the Safety Net threshold, talk to yourpharmacist about how you can apply for a Safety Net card. When yourpharmacist has issued your Safety Net card, medicines will be cheaperor free for the rest of the calendar year.Your doctor might give you a prescription for a medicine that is notavailable on the PBS, sometimes called a private prescription. Yourdoctor will indicate this on your prescription and you will need to paythe full price for the medicine at the pharmacy. The cost of theseprescriptions does not count towards your PBS Safety Net.If you buy a PBS medicine within 20 days of a previous supply of thesame medicine, the cost may not count towards your PBS Safety Netthreshold. Even if you have already reached the Safety Net you mayhave to pay your pre-Safety amount.PHARMACIESCooleman Court 02 6288 1867: [email protected] 02 6231 6550: [email protected] Plaza 02 6231 2453: [email protected] Marketplace 02 6284 8555: [email protected] Arcade 02 6295 0059: [email protected] Plaza 02 6282 1414: [email protected]
Head Office: 44 Sydney Avenue, Barton. PO Box 4078, Manuka, ACT 2603.Tel 02 6262 8177. [email protected]
We offer a 10% Seniors’ Discount on allitems excluding scripts
All pharmacies open seven daysPage 4
Hope you have taken note of theYMCA exercise programs at the clubbecause, unfortunately, unless numbersimprove they will be discontinued.Monday mornings, 8 to 9, we have asession for men who want to getserious. Tuesday mornings, 10 to 11,we have gentle exercise for everyone.This is suitable for people who wantto remain active, but recognise theymove a bit slower than they used to.Wednesday mornings, 8.30 to 9.30,we have what is described as an "everactive group". This is a high impactsession, and an opportunity to have alittle fun while enjoying the benefitsof exercise. Thursdays mornings, 8.45to 9.45, we have an "ever active" ses-sion, followed by a "limited mobility"session. Need to know more? Ask me.OUR BOWLERS DID US PROUD
On April 1 (no, the date is notsignificant!) I joined a group of ourmembers at the Canberra SouthernCross Club bowls day. Four of themcompeted, while I cheered from thesidelines. You would have beenproud of them. They played strong,did good, got in their faces and allthat stuff, and won 20 to 4 afterseven ends. Carol Greentree went onto play another game but she wuzrobbed! Lost by a single bowl. TheCSCC was real good to us. Donated$335 to our club. Thank you, CSCC.BUY YOUR CLUB PEN FOR $2
Seen the club’s new ballpoints?Real snazzy, red, with a yellow Smileyface. At $2 each a bargain. Proceedsgo to help the club. Call at the office,I’ll sell you one, or two, or three . . .THANKS, MULCH SPREADERS
On February 24 we had a workingbee to spread mulch. Six membersand I turned up early, and moved realfast for two hours, but then sloweddown, so that we ended up takingabout eight hours to complete the job.Thank you to the members whoturned up. It would be nice to seemore volunteers, but perhaps we needto do better at making members awarewhen we are looking for help.
AND THANKS AGAINFinally, thank you to all individu-
als and groups who helped me whenAnne was on holiday recently. Makesdoing my job a pleasure, adding to thesense of involvement. Thank you.
FROM DAVID TEMPLE’S DESK
Exercise programs
AN enthusiastic audience thor- oughly enjoyed the WSCC's
Annual Sunday Afternoon Concert atthe Top of the Cross (CanberraSouthern Cross Club) on 18 March.
With Anne Murray as the veryable and jovial MC, the items movedsmoothly along, giving musicalvariety in a well planned concert.Thanks are due to the MusicalDirector, Rodney Clancy, who wasalso the director and conductor of twoof the groups.
The Woden Valley Youth Choir'sIntermediate Group of fifteen young-sters showed their discipline and skillunder the direction of Alpha Gregory,and piano accompanist David Moffat.The young voices were well balanced,and my particular favourites fromtheir bracket were the haunting“Trees” and the unison “Let there bePeace on Earth”.
Two members of Andrea Orwin’sStudio presented three well knownsongs. Stephen Hines’ rich bass voicegave us Jerome Kern’s “Ol’ ManRiver”, followed by “I Feel Pretty”sung with verve by Rosemary Loham.The two singers joined in the lovelyduet “Bess, you is my Woman Now”by Gershwin. Pip Candy accompaniedsensitively on the piano.
The Canberra Youth Choir –formed over forty years ago – dis-played its continuing high standard ofchoral singing. The voices wereunforced and well blended, and likethe singers in the first choir, were verydisciplined and precise in followingtheir conductor’s directions. Thetwenty-four members ranged in agefrom teens to early twenties, and their“Bless this House” demonstrated abeautiful tone – even on the highfortissimo notes! “Whistle Down theWind” was less familiar, and it wasoutstanding with its clear solo vocalintroduction and nice articulation.There were only four boys in thechoir, and their voices added arichness in the deeper harmonies.Michael Clancy conducted andAnthony Smith ably accompanied onthe piano.
Two members of the CanberraPhilharmonic Society, Michael Politiand Denise Stephenson, with thebeautifully sensitive piano accompa-niment of Shirley Cramp, demon-strated their singing and stageexperience with solos and duets byCole Porter, Rodgers andHammerstein, Johann Strauss, LloydWebber, and also “Stars” from LesMisérables. W. G. James, composer ofthe popular Australian ChristmasCarols, wrote the wonderfullyevocative “Stock Rider’s Song”.Michael brought it to life withfeeling, and with the galloping notesfrom the piano, made this a memo-rable item. Michael and Denise (inher gorgeous black beaded ‘twentiesdress and props of gloves, parasol andstole) were deservedly given a greatovation.
After the interval, the fourteenmembers of the ACT Singers,conducted by the versatile RodneyClancy, were next to entertain us.They sang with energy and enjoyment,and managed difficult harmonies andfast words very well, maintaining afine rhythmic quality. They blendedwell with their piano accompaniment,played by Dianna Nixon. They sang“One More Day”, “Rhythm of Life”,“Razzle Dazzle” and I especiallyenjoyed “If I Had Words”– a beautifulmelody, very well sung.
The afternoon concluded with abracket by the very polishedBrindabella Chorus. These are allwomen, who wear glittery jackets andsway as they sing with obvious joy.They are very ably directed by GlendaMillgate. This is a group whosedynamics, articulation and tonalquality could not be faulted, and thedeep female voices gave lovelyharmonies. Their final song, “I amAustralian”, was exquisite, and it wasto the delight of the audience (whowere invited to join in the chorus)that it was sung again as an encore.
Quality performances delightconcert audience at the Cross
By Margaret Wright
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Selling a propertyBy Marcia Delander and Noel Lane
Page 5
Selling a Property is the first articleof a proposed series on residentialreal estate topics in Meridian.
We intend to address over time arange of matters, with the aim ofpresenting material that readers findinteresting, if not valuable.
Most members have bought and soldproperties. Many continually considertheir real estate options. Should we moveto our next home now, or should wewait until it is more opportune?
An owner’s decision to sell ahome or investment property triggersa multi-faceted process, generallyinvolving seller, buyers, solicitors,Australian Capital Territory Planningand Land Authority (ACTPLA), realestate agent, financial provider andproperty inspector. All these as theyproceed must have regard to therelevant legislation.
Initially key decisions by the sellerinclude the selections of appropriateagent, solicitor and property inspec-tor. Other early considerations arehow to market the property and howmuch can the market be expected topay for the property. Is it better toauction the property, put it on themarket at a price, or adopt some othermethod of marketing?
Other questions need to be resolved.What will be the most effective market-ing program and an appropriate market-ing budget? What is the best way topresent the property to maximize thereturn to the owner? How can thechosen standard of presentation beattained?, and what is the bestarrangement for buyer inspections?
The better the communication andconsultation between parties the morelikely matters will flow smoothly. Alittle reflection will show that it isvery easy for things to go off the railsif not carefully managed.
Because a role of the agent is tooptimize the return for the seller, andhaving regard to the multi-factedprocess for marketing and selling aproperty, the value of an excellentseller-agent relationship cannot beover-emphasised. Not the least, strongteamwork between the seller andagent provides a sound basis innegotiating the optimum price for theseller.
When does my TV getturned off – permanently?
By Grahame Hellyer
THE TV broadcasts that we have been watchingsince TV was first introduced are now referred
to as "analogue", to distinguish them from the new"digital" broadcasts. All the traditional TV channelsare now broadcast in both analogue and digital.
Analogue TV will cease. When the commercialchannels went to the expense of introducing digitaltransmissions, the Government told them that afterseven years they would be able to stop the analoguetransmissions – that meant that the old TV setswould stop working! This deadline has been ex-tended once but in a few years the analogue broad-casts will stop and we will only be able to watch TVif we buy a digital set (or a Set Top Box, STB,which is an add-on to our old TVs to receive adigital transmission).
What is the difference with digital TV? In someways there is not much difference. There are onlytwo extra channels at the moment and one of thoseis SBS’s foreign language news broadcasts. Theother is ABC2 which is mainly repeats of ABCcurrent affairs programs or children’s shows whichhave already been broadcast on the main ABCchannel. The ABC has two "radio" channels (popand jazz) which can be received on digital TV sets,and SBS also has two "radio" channels.
The major difference at the moment is that mostdigital programs are broadcast in wide screen. Thepicture quality will also be better on a digital set orusing a set top box, but you may not notice anydifference on a smaller TV. You may have alreadynoticed that some channels are sending wide screenpictures over the existing analogue broadcast, whichmeans you get black bars at the top and bottom ofthe picture on a standard screen and the actualpicture looks quite small.
What will you have to do? The minimum youwill have to do before the analogue signal is turnedoff is buy a Standard Definition STB. This is not amajor problem now, as they can be bought for ascheaply as $60 (although a good brand will costtwice that and a High Definition one will cost twicethat again). With a STB you plug the antenna intothe box and plug the box into the TV just as youplug in a VCR or DVD player (on older sets youmay find you do not have enough input plugs onyour set – or on really old ones no inputs at all). Youthen use the remote which comes with the STB tochange channels.
You may, however, decide to get the full benefitof digital television (and incidentally of your DVD
player – films certainly look more cinema-like on awide screen) by buying a wide screen TV. (Youwould be foolish now to buy a new TV which wasnot wide screen. Wide screen TVs have beendropping significantly in price every 6 months. A 42inch plasma screen which cost $9000 3 years ago isnow well below $2000.) If you do decide to buy youhave a choice of LCD or Plasma screens. (There arealso conventional wide screen TVs, but fewer andfewer of them.) You don’t have to know how thesediffer except that plasma are not made smaller than104 cm, also called 42 inch (confusingly bothmeasurements are used for TVs), and, for a givensize, plasma are cheaper and at least as good. BothLCD and plasma are flat and also quite thin, unlikeconventional TVs, which stick out the back nearlyas far as they are high.
You also have to decide whether to get a set witha digital tuner built-in or buy a separate Set TopBox. Life is a lot easier with a digital tuner built-inand therefore only one remote control! If you arewondering what size to get I would recommend a 42inch plasma for the living room if you sit about 2.4m(8ft) from the set. But this depends on your eye sightand preferences. It may seem large at first but yousoon get used to it. A 32-inch LCD screen is suitablefor a smaller room.
Another issue to consider is sound. Some havebetter sound than others and some have simulatedsurround sound which makes it sound a bit more likea cinema. (Even though the only speakers are those inthe set it sounds as though the sound is around you.)
A couple of other considerations: digital TVs arevery complex bits of electronics. You might considertaking out a 5 year insurance policy when you buyone to extend the warranty which comes with theset. Also if your antenna is very old you may haveto upgrade it (with digital TV you either get a verygood picture or you get nothing at all, your oldanalogue TV may have been able to give you a poorquality, but liveable, picture from a bad antenna). Ialso believe it is sensible to buy a good brand,although you may save money by buying a cheap Chinesebrand if you are willing to take a risk! Finally don’tget taken in by salesmen. The "street price", ie, theprice the shop is actually prepared to sell for, isprobably 10% below the listed price in the shop – oraround the price they show for sales "specials".
I haven’t discussed the difference between HighDefinition and Standard Definition. If you get a setwith built-in digital tuner it will almost certainly behigh definition. If you are just getting a STB foryour current TV you might as well just get a stan-dard definition STB.
I hope to write more in future Meridians. Alsowatch for lunch-time talks on related subjects.
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Images from theAnnual Fete
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I MUST have been an impression-able child. I recall incidents as
though they occurred yesterday. Taketattoos. I have an abhorrence of them.I remember, on a rainy summer day,standing outside a Blackpool "tattooparlour" with my father, looking at"designs" displayed in a tattooist’swindow. Dragons, flowers, and heartspierced by arrows, that sort of thing.No doubt we were “passing away” thetime, waiting for the rain to stop,much as one did when watching“Blackpool” being embedded in rock.
Asked to respond to "tattoo", Iwould have said "Popeye", and then"forearm" and "anchor". Had I given itfurther consideration, I wouldprobably have come up with fair-ground "tattooed ladies". Tattoos, Ibelieved, were for freak shows andseamen like Popeye, and pirates.
My father had much to do with myprejudice. He said young men weretattooed on holiday when they had“been drinking” and in response tothe urging of other young men, whenthey had nothing else to do because itwas raining (this with a grim look inthe direction of the Irish Sea, whichcould not be seen through the drivingrain). They quickly regretted being
“done”, and having a tattoo removed"scarred them for life". Being "scarredfor life" I should explain filled mewith horror, instantly summoning upan image of Claude Raines having abowl of blue acid thrown into his facein Phantom of the Opera and, shriek-ing with pain, splashing throughParis sewers (brightly illuminated andalso an attractive blue, I remember).
"Don’t get tattooed", my fatheradvised, thereby adding another"don’t" to a lengthening list, headedby smoking and drinking. At thatstage in my life he did not think itnecessary to warn me off girls: I hadmade it clear enough that I could notimagine why anyone would want tobe bothered with them. Come to thinkof it, my father must not have had thebenefit of similar warnings against thedeleterious effects of tobacco andalcohol from his father. Or, if he did,he wasn’t paying attention.
I am reminded of that childhoodincident at Blackpool when I see allabout me young people - men andwomen - with tattoos, not just ontheir forearms, but seemingly all overtheir bodies. Why do they subjectthemselves to what I regard asbarbarism? Why has a practice been
resurrected that appeared to havebecome obsolete? Only the other daymy attractive hairdresser showed meher tattoo, and I will spare my readers’blushes by refraining from tellingwhere it was. “Very nice”, I said.
On television and in movies actorstake off their clothes to reveal theirtattoos and young people presumablyreason that if it is fashionable forsuccessful actors to have them, thensurely it follows that those who wantto live the dream should have themalso? Presumably, however, actorswash theirs off (real ones would beinappropriate in the assembly- andbedrooms of Pride and Prejudicewouldn’t they?), while those who getreal ones, are stuck with them. As areso many sportsmen and women, foot-ballers in particular. Perhaps attractiveand fashionable on 20-year-old bodies(although I don’t think so). But, on60-year-old bodies? Ugh!!! They arescarred for life. Dennis Blewett
A barbaric practice resurrected
The easiest way to find some-thing lost around the house is tobuy a replacement.
Never take life seriously.Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Health nuts are going to feelstupid someday, lying in hospitalsdying of nothing.
Ponder on these
