AofA's Hot To Trot Talking Points

Every Friday

Always great to peruse the week’s talking points. This week from the death of the talented and incredible Sly Stone to older athletics….

1. We like to cover older people doing sports well. This is Jane Horder doing the hurdles. It gives us all hope. And Alex Rotas is a photographer who focuses exactly on this area. Thanks Alex for informing us visually and words-wise.

   ‘I was at Yate & District Athletic Club on Sunday for their wonderfully run and understandably increasingly popular annual championships. In action here are Jane Horder, 65+, triumphant and focused as ever in the 300m and already looking forward to this distance becoming 200m when she enters the 70+ age group in two years' time, and, because I sometimes get criticised for 'ignoring the men', Christopher Pruski, winning the men's 70+ event with a throw of 29.58m; Mike Smith, 60+ heading for a powerful long jump of 4.18m in the open Welsh event; Kieran McDonnell going for a season's best of 29.21 in the men's 70+ 200m and youngster (by my standards) Craig Scott also crossing the line with a season's best of 13.72 in the men's 50+ 100m. Actually I've just realised they're all 'youngsters' by my standards and I can't decide whether that's depressing or encouraging.Let's stay with it being encouraging, I think.'

2. We lamented the death of the greatly talented Sly Stone. We sent him all our love and we’ve got Dance To The Music on and we hope he has too.

3. Many of us have been to see The Salt Path based on Raynor Wyn’s book which documented her husband, Moth, and her, losing their home after investing in a dodgy business and deciding to walk the 600 mile coastal path from Devon into Cornwall. Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs play the couple. The landscapes are stunning. Director Marianne Elliot does a good job of getting to the emotional core of this crazy and inspiring journey. Most of us enjoyed it although probably not as much as the book.

4. It was World Environment Day yesterday and this brilliant repair group The Fix It Group 23 in Leicestershire inspired by the BBC's Repair Shop mounted

   a massive repair day.

   'Group founder John Fitzgerald worked for Royal Mail for 20 years but had always enjoyed fixing neighbours' household items.

   He said: "I noticed how many people didn't have anyone to fix things for them. A lot of people haven't got tools anymore.

   "The old handy person who had a little corner shop where you could take something in to be fixed are gone."

   Mr Fitzgerald said the group had grown beyond his wildest dreams with about 20 repairers giving up their time for free every month.'

5. Yes, this is a funeral. We were deeply inspired by this funeral story in terms of what is possible. One person posted that he’d like one just like this. This was written by the CIC Good Funeral Guide.

   'It is the funeral of the Amazing Guy, magician Thom Peterson, who died on March 8th 2023, aged just 58. He had battled Glioblastoma brain cancer for 11 months.

   As well as being the most incredible magician, Thom is the husband, best friend and most dearly beloved of the equally inspirational @conjurers_kitchen who has been a friend of the GFG for years, creating unique and extraordinary cakes for our events over the years.

   When Thom died, exactly two years and three months ago today, Anna continued caring for Thom at home for three days, as friends gathered to support her and to grieve for him.

   On 11th March, after a home funeral, Anna and their friends placed Thom in his beautifully decorated coffin and took him to the crematorium in their truck.

   And then, just before an unforgettable ‘Run of the Inflatables’ (recreating a lockdown adventure that had brought so much laughter in a dark time) there was an address to the friends who had gathered.

   There was no pulpit, so their friend Bonnie climbed a tree and read ‘You want a physicist to speak at your funeral’, the perfect reading from Aaron Freeman.

   So much love and thanks to Anna for giving us permission to share these photos of an amazing funeral, totally befitting your inspirational, unique, unforgettable, and now slightly less orderly Amazing Guy.’

   

   6. Do join us for the Annual Advantages of Age picnic on Sunday June 29th. Bring food to share, songs, poems. We will meet at Hampstead Heath Overground station at 12 45 and wait until 1 then make our way to a spot by the lake weather permitting. Sunday, June 29

   Advantages of Age Summer Picnic

   The Annual Advantages of Age Picnic! Our annual picnic is back at Hampstead Heath, London. Meet old friends, make new ones.

   Date and time

   Sunday, June 29 · 12:45 - 4pm GMT+1

   Location

   Hampstead Heath Railway Station

   4 South End Road London NW3 2PY

   Show map

   About this event

   • Event lasts 3 hours 15 minutes

   Just reminding you about this PICNIC...BRING A POEM, A SONG AND LET'S MEET UP.

   We're meeting at 12.45 pm precisely (15 mins waiting) at Hampstead Heath Overground station outside by the fruit stall and then we'll go off and find somewhere on Hampstead Heath.

   Do come along and meet other AoAers.

   We'd love to meet you if you're new or one of the less new!!!

   

   '