CHARLES DICKENS AND THE GREAT THEATRE OF THE WORLD by Simon Callow (Harper Press £16-99) is written in that erudite, engaging, exuberant, thoroughly readable manner so typical of Simon Callow. Dickens’s theatrical showmanship, the sheer energy he put into the performance, in his readings tours ofEngland and America, which resulted in his early death is vividly recorded. Simon Callow is the best solo Dickens act since Emlyn Williams’s recreation of the readings.
THE SELECTED LETTERS OF CHARLES DICKENS edited by Jenny Hartley (OUP £20). Dickens wrote over 14,000 letters. This edition publishes 450 of them, immediate, acute, and eloquent, a record of him in a variety of roles, child, family man, novelist, friend and social commentator. Can you imagine reading all of Dickens’s novels? Can you imagine writing all of Dickens’s novels? When did he find the time to write 12 letters a day? His energy was phenomenal. Inimitable.
THE DICKENS DICTIONARY by John Sutherland (Icon £9-99) is an A-Z with a light, expert, quirky, abbreviated yet scholarly touch: great fun as he explores a wide variety of subjects, including baby farming, cannibalism, Christmas, dead babies, fog, murder, spontaneous combustion, smells, zoo horrors, etc, etc, etc.
THE OXFORD COMPANION TO CHARLES DICKENS (OUP £25), more serious, is absolutely invaluable to scholars, students and Dickens enthusiasts in its wide-ranging information, mini-essays covering the private and the public man, his life, works and cultural context, people, events, places and institutions. It, too, is great for dipping into.
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Campaigns & Issues
Caring Britain: One in four take on role of carers as “Sandwich Generation” rejects care home option for elderly parents
Notions of a selfish society are cast aside today as new research reveals that the 45-60 age group is shouldering the responsibility of looking after elderly parents. Despite active levels of family engagement, all but a minority find it hard to have the conversation about long-term care needs, and for most, care homes are not an option.
News
Graham Norton invites the nation to Party for Parkinson’s for The Queen’s Jubilee
Popular BBC TV Presenter and arguably the nation’s favourite party host, Graham Norton, has issued a rallying cry – urging everyone to Party for Parkinson’s this summer.
Familiar with glitzy nightlife and besquinned party gear, Graham is channelling his love of social occasions into backing a new campaign aimed at helping people with Parkinson’s by sprinkling a little party magic across the UK.
Whether it’s a barbecue, street or house party, Parkinson’s UK alongside Graham, hopes to encourage people to turn their gatherings into a real cause for celebration by helping to raise funds for the charity.
Competitions & Fun
Win a pair of tickets to South Pacific
This breathtaking and lavish Lincoln Center Theatre production reinvented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical.
It swept the 2008 Tony Awards, played for two years to sold-out houses on Broadway and was televised across America.
Reader Offers
You could win one of three superb weekend breaks in Silver Travel Advisor’s “Best of British” Diamond Jubilee celebration this month
Silver Travel Advisor is a friendly website packed with advice, tips, information and honest reviews written by and for silver travellers (aged over 50).
A team of advisors are on hand to answer queries (for free), and you can share your own experiences too.
It’s time to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee this month with an amazing British prize draw:
Win a two night stay for two people at Flackley Ash Hotel , Rye, East Sussex
Health & Wellbeing
Volunteering is good for your health, but undervalued
Older people who volunteer are less depressed, have a better quality of life and are happier with their lives, according to a new study published by leading older people’s charity, WRVS.
At a time when older people’s health is at risk because of cuts to services, increasing volunteering amongst older people offers a new route to improving their wellbeing. However, despite the pressing needs of their older populations, many local authorities have failed to grasp this opportunity.
Property & Finance
Older people need specialist housing
Britain’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of the elderly, despite a rapidly-ageing population and a growing demand for retirement housing, a charity has warned. Housing charity Shelter has found that if demand remains at current levels supply would have to increase by over 70 per cent in the next 20 years in order to keep up.
The report explored the housing options available to those over 55 - a group that will make up one in three people in England by 2030.
Lifestyle
Grandparents better than nurseries
Young children looked after by their grandparents often develop better than those who are placed in nurseries, researchers have found. Spending time being cared for by family members leaves children more emotionally secure with wider vocabularies, the study said.
The research indicated that middle class families are more likely to use relatives to provide care while less affluent families often send their children to nurseries.
Travel & Leisure
Families take grandparents on holiday
Many families will be packing more than suitcases into their cars for this year's summer holidays - they will also be making room for grandma and granddad.
That's the finding of a major holiday parks group, Best of British, which reports a growing trend for couples with kids to join up with grandparents for holidays.
Have you noticed that that those advocating rises in pension levels to absurd levels like this are all very much younger and have no experience of the ageing process?