It should be no surprise that COVID vaccination remains the issue that dominates your comments, mainly in favour. But just as I had my first jab, another interesting question has arisen-- should the Fifty Up Club even consider such vexed questions? As my arm gently aches after AstraZeneca shot one, I make no excuse for writing about the benefits of the vaccine for over 50s and indeed ... Read more

The newest profile in our ‘A-Team Series’ on modern ageing is Steve Kavanagh. Steve lives in North Kellyville in Sydney. He’s had his own business since 2002 and as you read on you’ll see that maybe his life deserves a book rather than a profile! Tell us about yourself and what’s challenged you? I am 62  and when I turned 60 I wondered about my fitness. I previously had been very c... Read more

Bill and Melinda Gates announce they are getting divorced https://t.co/yaI58inCWR pic.twitter.com/swBXkBj6AH — New York Post (@nypost) May 3, 2021 Three factors conspired to make the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce announcement so interesting for stickybeaks, but only one need concern us here. Their wealth and fame are two apparent reasons for the attention, but what do the statistic... Read more

It’s another small step, or should that be stroke (?), towards some kind of post-COVID normalcy. And the start of the winter swimming season at Bondi on Sunday also heralds an event where age makes no difference to the results. Every year on opening day at the start of May, the Bondi Icebergs dump ice blocks into the famous beachside pool. Like so many enthusiastic polar bears (the... Read more

The old political refrain of “It’s the economy, stupid” has an echo in the vaccine debate with “It’s the environment which counts.” We're not speaking about polar bears. The environment, in this case, is where you live and the degree of threat perceived or otherwise from the pandemic. It’s this factor that may have a significant effect on vaccine hesitancy. I realised that this week a... Read more

The newest subject in our ‘A-Team Series’ on Modern Ageing is FiftyUp Club member Kerrie Kauter, from Arncliffe in Sydney.   "My name is Kerrie Kauter and I am 61 years young. I live in Arncliffe Sydney and I have done all kinds of jobs from pumping petrol to being the product and underwriting manager for one of the largest insurance companies in Australia." What story do you w... Read more

Welcome to our new series on Modern Ageing, called 'The A-Team'. Di Robinson, age 62, lives in Bondi and has performed a range of roles in her still-going, hard working life as a director in tertiary education and the government sector. She’s worked in Indonesia and the UK and is now involved in the health sector. What story do you want to share about 'growing up' beyond 50 in this era of... Read more

We buried my lovely mother-in-law last week, and some friends expressed surprise on discovering how old she was. When I say 76 years, they can’t believe how young she was, which made me think, what’s the right age to die these days? There are various life expectancy calculators, and the first I tried (see here) for dear old Granny suggested she might have lived another 22 years to the... Read more

How much of a rush are we in, or how hesitant are we, about getting a fast-tracked COVID vaccine? You're over 50, the government’s giving you a head start, and future travel may depend on it... so what are you going to do? There’s been some confusion, but from May 3 those older than fifty can get the AstraZeneca shot in state-run clinics. GPs can start giving it from May 17. But wh... Read more

SEASONS DO CHANGE, VACCINES MAY VACILLATE, BUT GREY NOMADS ARE ON THE ROAD AGAIN! Along with many others, I've been on the road this week running and riding around Canberra, the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps. And it seems as if after all the COVID disruptions of last year, the 'grey nomads' are returning to their happy hunting grounds along with hoards of others. It's great to be ... Read more