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Gertrude49's bio
Married to Don, we have four children and two grandchildren. A Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and a participant in the Health and Care Network run by the RSA. I am working on researching and developing new an innovative approaches to care and housing for our age group. -
Gertrude49's latest comments
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30th Dec 2023Gertrude49 commented on:
Do you support the delay to the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars?Until we have sufficient infrastructure for plugging in I can't see this move as being anything but reasonable. I would like to use my car less, but since our public transport in Wales is deficient I shall have to stick to my little petrol fuelled motor.ViewDate:
11th Sep 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
The English question: What is the nation's identity?I think the "deep slumber" has just ended, looking at the Swedish election resultsViewDate:
11th Sep 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
The English question: What is the nation's identity?I am English by birth - or British if you take into account my Welsh and Scots ancestry. However, the English are being brainwashed steadily into being ashamed of themselves - for being English. Ask a French person if they are proud of being French, a German if they are proud to be German and you will usually get an affirmative. The Welsh are rightfully proud to be Welsh and the Scots love Scotland. Good for them. I actually heard a complete prat of a Cambridge student say that it smacked of "colonialism" to be proud of being English. Do the Germans, Dutch or French - who also had empires and colonies - feel that way? I don't think so. We have adopted PC to a ridiculous degree and it is used to bully us. Personally I don't play the PC game and refuse to do so - it is no replacement for good manners and consideration. Nor do I let anyone ever tell me that my race and culture is inferior to any other - because it is not. It is as good as anyone else's. If it were so inferior a culture do tell me why we have so many people wanting to live there.ViewDate:
11th Sep 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Would you consider retiring abroad?Cyprus gets to the high 30s in summer and is very hot. It can drop to around 5 in the winter and it rains like mad. You can ski up on Troodos as it snows. A pleasant place to live but be very careful. Make sure, if you buy, that the current owner has a Kocan (title deed) in their possession. Otherwise don't touch! Try and get one of the traditional houses as they are built for the climate. The modern places are thin shells of concrete and you will freeze or fry! The local hospitals are ok and the private ones are very expensive as are drugs - at present a lot of the Greek Cypriots are crossing the border to the North to buy medicines at a third of the price. There is ongoing dislike between north and south - but both are totally safe and peaceful.ViewDate:
11th Sep 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Would you consider retiring abroad?I have been retired abroad for 14 years. I have enjoyed it immensely but maybe should share a few useful experiences with you. Don't be dazzled by TV programmes or being on a holiday. Do your homework by renting in a country for a few months and see if you really like it - especially in the heat of summer and the depths of winter. Take plenty of time finding out about the legalities involved in buying a home. What and who is to be trusted and what are the processes to buying? What financial outlays are there? Ask other Brits about their experiences - I could write a book about mine! Don't get duped as so many have been. Can you get your title deeds easily? Can you manage the language? It helps to do so. We moan in the UK that incoming migrants don't seem to bother learning English but too many Brits expect everyone to speak English wherever they happen to be. Health services - what are they, how good are they and how much do they cost? What impact might there be on your pension if you move abroad? Cost of living - it can be high in some areas. Ease of movement - can you get back to the UK quickly and easily if you want to? Air fares are rising.... Resale - can you sell up easily or would it take years to get free of the encumbrance of your home in the sun? So - a few pointers before you start. Hope it helpsViewDate:
11th Sep 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Are you looking for an alternative to a mainstream retirement home?It all sounds very good - and I am a great supporter of green technology in the home environment. However, I would want to know more about contracts of purchase, what obligations there are, what happens if one needs extended care - do we have to move house or go into a home? Can we have pets? Lots of points to be answered.ViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI hope your ankle recovers very soon and do see if you can find a local group through Cruse if you feel it will benefit you.ViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsThe groups are led and supported by trained counsellors. It is a place for those who have been bereaved to meet up and talk to each other and also to arrange for personal counselling if they need it. Cruse is always rather short of people to do counselling on a one to one basis, but they get to you as soon as they can. Start with the phone call and go from there by asking if there is a group near you and what support you can get locally. There is much to be gained by meeting up with those who are travelling the same road as yourself, as you will find that there are many shared experiences. The most frequently heard phrase is "I think I'm going mad". Bereavement can bring on odd behaviour patterns. In fact it is the one time in life when the abnormal is, in its way, sort of normal. I get asked if hearing and seeing the dead person is normal - yes it is. I get asked if physical as well as mental pain is normal - yes , it is. I have seen eating disorders, drinking disorders, lack of concentration, bursts of aggression - the list of reactions is very long. It is a very stressful time both physically and mentally and although we are each different in our experience and reaction you will find that there are commonalities. That in itself is comforting as it then makes you realise you are not alone in the dark world of bereavement. Let me know how you get on. All the bestViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI can't recall if I said thank you. So - thank youViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsThank you for this information. I shall go and have a look.ViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsAngel58. I am informed that you have replied to a statement I made. Or do my email tells me. However, as the notification is not linked to the response you left I have no idea what you had to say. Awfully sorry but I have hunted high and low so please accept my apologies. Maybe Silversurfers could sort this out - it is hardly a difficult problem to solve in this day and age and it would so help the communications they say they are trying to promote.ViewDate:
9th Jul 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Win one of Three copies of No Security on DVD by The Rolling StonesHow well I remember going to the Hyde Park Concert in 1969, Bliss.ViewDate:
15th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Hair and fashion trends from the 60sI recall the beehive being more late fifties to very early sixties and then being phased out for the "mod" look of long hair and a fringe. Dusty Springfield kept the beehive going for a lot longer, however. I had long hair until the late 60s and then went very Mia Farrow - it was so easy to care for as all one had to do was get out of bed in the morning and pretty well scratch one's head and it was in place. No more hours spent on brushing and washing and getting the ends to curl under! Relief. Then there was all the fun of hair pieces in elaborate curls. A friend of mine used to sleep sitting upright every night with tissue wrapped around her head so as not to spoil her very elaborate appendage Meanwhile I snored away in comfort with my head deep in the comfort of the pillow.ViewDate:
14th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsAll the best with the future. It is a long and winding path but one gets to the end of it in time. One day you will think of Cliff and instead of the pain of remembering there will be more pleasure in the memory. Don't expect too much of yourself, everyone has a unique way of handling grief,, there is no single pattern we follow. It would be so much easier if there were as then one would know what to expect and could plan for it. I shall be thinking of you.ViewDate:
13th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsSorry to hear about the loss of your partner in life. I worked for Cruse Bereavement counselling for a time and one of things we encountered was the total insensitivity of some individuals to the situation of the bereaved. Sometimes it is embarrassment and sometimes plain blunder as people are not sure what to say or do. It leads to the most awful outbursts of totally tactless twittery. They have no idea of the powerful emotions and confusion such loss brings and that you need your own time to settle your life, to clear away things at an appropriate time to you, to rant and roar and scream with anger and frustration when you want to etc. It is incomprehensible to anyone who has not gone through it. You have my heartfelt sympathy. If you feel it might benefit there could well be a Cruse group near to you - if so then it might help as they provide a sensitive ear to the situation you are in as well as being happy to talk about anything and everything. The contact number is 0808 808 1677ViewDate:
13th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsThe modern prefabs are quite remarkable and they can go up to any size and price. I have been looking at self build myself (hence my interest in these) and they are my preferred option to the park homes as one can change the interior if one needs to with far greater ease. I also like the idea of a secure community but am not keen on gates - one I have seen recently had a barrier that the residents used a fob to open but the barriers are open all day long and only closed at night.ViewDate:
5th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsThe alternative to the park home is the pre-fab. They are used all over the continent these days and are quite fabulous. Not only beautiful but well insu;lated and usually come with solar or photovoltaic panels. I think the price you quote is about right, too and there shouldn't be a high ground rent. I have researched a lot of care packages and the contracts are either extortionate or incomprehensible! What do you think of the idea of a prefab?ViewDate:
5th Jun 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsNot in the slightest bit offended. You could set one a network on the web. I think there would be a lot of applicants for the post of Chair, though. And if one ran out of hot air then one could always put a whoopee cushion on the seat!ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Should childhood vaccination be mandatory?Ah! I see. I have learnt summat today, then. I wasn't aware of that. ThanksViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
The best free online university coursesHello - your course was dated for 2017. Is it to be repeated? I would be very interested indeed.ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
The best free online university coursesAnd there is also meant to be an "n" in the word "in"...... to quote Homer Simpson "D'OH" Hoist with my own petard - that'll teach me!ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
The best free online university coursesHello, Rachel. some very good stuff on here. I fancy the Egyptology. By the way - there is an "s" i the word "Assistant". But my noticing it shows that I have read what you have written.ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Should childhood vaccination be mandatory?Absolutely agree. I haven't got your medical background but I have lived all over the world with the Forces and have seen the devastation in populations abroad caused by preventable diseases. My own children were vaccinated and they, thank goodness, have done the same for theirs but I do have some relatives who won't make shift to do so for their children because they have a false belief that the vaccines are damaging to the kids' health. There is "too much risk" is what I am told. It doesn't occur to them that there is less risk of death or damage from a vaccine or immunisation than the kids are exposed to crossing the road outside school in rush hour.ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Should childhood vaccination be mandatory?The forces people are, as you rightly say, pumped full of stuff when they go to war or even on exercise abroad. One cannot imagine what that cocktail of drugs might be doing to a person's system.ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Should childhood vaccination be mandatory?I think what LynetteOg is saying is that had the vaccine been available and administered then her child would not have had to suffer with a most unpleasant illness twice over. Shingles is related to the chicken pox bug - it's the same virus.ViewDate:
25th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Should childhood vaccination be mandatory?One of the reasons that we don't have outbreaks of major illnesses like polio, smallpox, diptheria etc is down to the immunisation programmes of earlier years. I have first hand experience in our family of the devastation of polio, a relative contracted it and it has crippled her severely. She had not been immunised. I also had a young schoolfriend die of it. That was the 1950s when we had a big problem with the disease. The decrease in the number of outbreaks from these illnesses in relation to immunisation programmes is not coincidental. Cleaner and better living conditions help but are not the complete answer - in fact now we are being told kids are too clean! A large number of the younger generations seem to believe these bugs have been beaten and many are not immunising. Incidents of Measles are on the increase, who knows what diseases will follow? Any of them could return. There has also been (in my view) a highly irresponsible campaign against protection for children. Yes there are some risks - but the diseases themselves can kill. I can understand parents being concerned about MMR as it seems a big dose all at one go. Perhaps it could be done separately. However, I still think that to prevent the reappearance of these illnesses, or to reduce their intensity in a victim, Immunisation and vaccination should be mandatory.ViewDate:
19th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Do you think St George’s Day and St David’s should be made national holidays?I have lived abroad a lot of my life. In most countries pride in one;s heritage is seen as the norm, celebrating it is regarded as natural. The Irish, quite rightly, celebrate St Patrick's so we in the UK should equally celebrate St George, St Andrew and St David in the same way.ViewDate:
14th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Would you move into a retirement home?Hi. As yet I am in the planning stage. My enquiry is to gauge in general what our age group would really like to have. Having seen some of the excellent villages that they have in Europe, and the alternative building systems used I was asking in general, So what would you like, Lionel?ViewDate:
13th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Would you move into a retirement home?I am working with several others of our age group on a new approach to housing and care. Have a peek at the Speaker's Corner and, should you wish to, could you let me know what your thoughts are on housing and care.ViewDate:
13th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Are you concerned about the economic impact of Brexit?I understand your concerns but in fact we in Britain received no hep whatever from anyone to rebuild. We were hardly unscathed - we had lost millions defending ourselves and the source of much of our income was (quite rightly) deserting us in the form of our Empire. The EU was great as the EEC, that was as far as it needed to go. Ceding any authority over any aspect of our country was not a good move - particularly as that was what we had just resisted doing with the loss of so many lives! As for leaving - we did as much in 1534 when we broke with the Catholic church and - yet again - nobody in Europe liked us for doing it. We shall eventually bob back up again - the inimical badly behaved bunch of islands that has never really been European. We shall survive - if they ever let us go, It seems that it's s hard as being a bee trying to get off fly paper!!ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Are you concerned about the economic impact of Brexit?They are signed off - by themselves - and the books have not balanced for years. Technology will continue to provide work. We have the most advanced computer graphics and film industry in the world as well as beig extremely advanced in AI. Before the EU days we were a vibrant, energetic and extremely busy country - that has vanished since the EEC became the EU. Yes - he does look like one, doesn't he?ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI think it's called "the old boy network". They all get to know the lobbyists, of course. So then they get cushy jobs.ViewDate:
12th May 2018ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI also support dignity in dying and think that one should be free to control one's exit from the old mortal coil. It seems to me that the main argument is about people being manipulated out of their homes/money etc by unscrupulous relatives. Legal euthanasia is well established on several areas of the US and there has been no evidence to date of any such devious behaviour. Anyway - it's our body and we should be free to dispose of it if it is a burden beyond bearing. A dignified exit should be a right.ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Speakers Corner CommentsI m working on developing a totally new approach to retirement housing. I would like to do a bit of market research so here are some questions: 1 - What do YOU want from a retirement village or complex - or whatever name you would like to give it? 2 - What sort of home/house would you like to have? Feel free to say how many bedrooms and bathrooms etc. Garden'? Pets? 3 - Are you addicted to bricks and mortar or would you consider other options? If so - what? Are you aware of that build and construction options are available? 4 - What would you feel to be a fair price to pay for a retirement home? 5 - What do you feel is a fair price to pay for full care? By the way - I am 68 and my husband is 80 - we are not part of any retirement business. I am just really fed up with seeing what is on offer, plus the costs and would like to make waves - very BIG waves. Are you up for helping me? If so then please let me know your thoughts.ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Are you looking for an alternative to a mainstream retirement home?I think the idea of Passivhaus accommodation is an excellent one, but more needs to be done to make potential clients buy into the idea that it isn't "hippy" living. The idea of sharing is also a good one -but again there needs to be an assurance that cliques or dominant members don't take over the running of a group to the detriment of others. What literature do you have? How do you intend to manage the group? What conflict resolution processes will there be? What form does ownership take? Lots of questions to be answered - but what a good idea.ViewDate:
12th May 2018Gertrude49 commented on:
Do Millennials deserve £10K for doing nothing?I think that too much money is demanded up front from our younger generation. The cost of further education has become far too high and they are landed with debt the minute they start earning a salary worth giving the name! It is hard to save for a mortgage when you are saddled that young with that sort of repayment. The price of housing has shot up because we are allowing people who are not even resident in our country to buy up chunks of it and then sit on it for a very long time Ditto many building firms! We could reduce the cost of Uni - or raise the level of income at which payback is demanded and build eco-friendly starter homes with low running costs that they can use for a fixed period before having to move on. Stop foreign investors buying land - other countries have extremely strict rules that protect their people from such chicanery. Also make it very hard for builders to hog land or wriggle out of their social housing obligations. That should help the kids a great deal more than a handout that could go on who knows what? -
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