I have had the dubious joy of helping out an activity group for the ‘over 55s’.  Looking at the make up of the attendees, I’m thinking they probably did all join when they were 55, and none have left, some 30 years down the line.  You can guess the ages of the majority.  My heart sank as I entered that sadly battered old community hall – I was dreading the gummy ramblings of a lot of old biddies.  How wrong was I!   Through the regular contact every fortnight, playing just a couple of games of  bingo and a variety of snap card game, I have come to really appreciate their bonding over the years.  How they interat  with one another.   These ladies are really bright and knowledgeable about many current affairs, geography, reading matter, and arithmetic.  Their limited education seems to have equipped them all with sound minds and ability to learn and absorb information constantly throughout their long, contented lives.