Mary Henry (Independent)

That poem included the line "Rage, rage against the dying of the light". Those poems are much better than the other sad one. I loved the poem about the old woman in Italy who was going to refuse to be moved from the square. She was not able to move around very much but she could take part in what was going on the square. They were trying to move her to a house on the hill but she was going to resist.

We must determinedly resist any changes in our lifestyle which people want us to make. We have a responsibility to help those of our colleagues who are finding it more difficult to resist and to help them to ensure they get everything to which they are entitled and that they continue to mind their bank accounts and pay their bills. It is always good to try to keep control of financial affairs and to ensure older people do so. If one loses control of something such as one's financial affairs, a huge part of one's life is taken away. Anytime I have been involved in financial dealings with older people, I make sure I deal with them and not with go-betweens who sometimes believe one should let them take over.

I agree with Senator O'Rourke in that I would be terrified of going on a cruise. What would one do if the people were dreadful and one wanted to get off the ship? How would one manage that?