University-Based Retirement Communities: A New Retirement Model?

University-based retirement communities (UBRCs) are gaining popularity, offering an alternative to traditional retirement living. While this model is expanding in the U.S., could university-based retirement communities work in the UK? Could they provide intellectual stimulation, intergenerational engagement, and a sense of purpose in later life? Or are there better, more inclusive ways to achieve these […]

Feminism Then and Now: What’s Changed, and What Hasn’t?

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s recent piece in The Independent calls for a revival of feminism. I welcomed it. Like her, I came of age in the 1970s, when feminism was a movement, not a brand. We didn’t just talk about equality, we fought for it. We challenged the system, questioned norms, and rejected the idea that our […]

Imbolc: Embracing New Beginnings in Career and Life

As the wheel of the year turns to Imbolc on February 1st/2nd, we witness nature’s first stirrings of spring. Those earliest primroses pushing through frost-touched earth remind us that even in life’s wintertime, new growth is always possible. This ancient Celtic festival, marking the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox, has long been celebrated […]

The Weight of Expectations: My Personal Journey Through Comfort, Struggle, and Acceptance

Reading about Kate Manne’s reflections in Unshrinking hit close to home. Her insights on fatphobia and the societal pressures surrounding weight resonated deeply with my own experiences. At 67, I’ve lived through decades of navigating a world where my size felt like a defining factor—a source of both internal battles and external judgment. I’ve struggled […]

What the Maasai Taught Me About Positive Ageing

Earlier this year, living with a Maasai tribe, my understanding of ageing and retirement has been profoundly challenged. Despite my years of research in positive retirement and a PhD focused on finding meaning in later life, this experience offered fresh perspectives on how we might approach our later years. In Western society, we often frame […]