Interview with inspirational Jaki Graham on life after 50 and her journey from disco diva to jazz
Fabafterfifty: Lifestyle
With so many options available to us at this exciting stage of our lives- how do we make the best of them.
Do we take up brand new interests or return to those we had little time for earlier ? We can revisit how we see our working lives – do we return to work, change careers, set up new businesses? How do we go about it? What about money? Have we made the right decisions to give ourselves a secure future?
Our experts and guest contributors are on hand to help us through all these areas.
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Interview by Ceri Wheeldon From international success as a soul diva in the 80s with hits including ‘Round and Round’ and ‘What’s the Name of Your Game’ to singing Gershwin and Duke Ellington with big bands today , Jaki Graham is proof that you can have longevity and thriving career in the music business in your 50s. I caught up with Jaki to ask her about her life and philosophy. How did you approach your own 50th birthday? I didn’t even think about it! I thought of it as just another day and just another birthday. My family and friends made more of it than I did! My wedding anniversary is just a few days before my birthday, and we tend to celebrate that more, especially as we were celebrating 36 years of marriage! 36 years of marriage is quite an achievement today – and particularly rare in your industry....
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Getting on with the in-laws! Lulu offers her tips on becoming a mother-in-law
Article by Lulu. While every newly married couple is warned about nightmare mother-in-laws (we’ve all heard the jokes), something that is not mentioned is the sudden change in the balance of the family as a whole when one of your children gets married. As well as gaining a daughter or son, you are gaining a whole other family who will become part of yours for ever. Their advice will be just as important as yours and their role just as key. You will all attend the same ‘big’ events. You will love and care about the same people. And if you are lucky enough, you will become co-grandparents – and both be quite sure no-one has loved this grandchild quite like you! Hoping my son’s wife would like his mother When my son Jordan met Alanna, I was thrilled for him to have found such a loving, kind and beautiful...
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What are the best courses to take for over 50s?
Article by Ceri Wheeldon It is never too late to learn a new skill, develop a new interest or even revisit old interests we left behind when we were younger due to lack of time and family and work commitments taking over as priority. Just because we turn 50 does not mean that we aren’t curious. A new website called Love to Learn (www.lovetolearn.co.uk) has recognised this and conducted in-depth research into what us over 50s are most interested in. Ceri Wheeldon chats to Gill Jackson, Director of Love to Learn, to find out more: So tell us about the research you’ve just done We’ve conducted two big pieces of research over the last few months and specifically honed in on the 50+ generation. We found that adults in their 50s are overwhelmingly upbeat about the benefits of their age group. They have greater freedom and financial security and 87%...
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The Little Black Dress Book: How to dress perfectly for any occasion
Review by Ceri Wheeldon Fashion fades, style is eternal – Yves Saint Laurent. Tracy Martin helps all women find their own individual style with confidence. I have always had a passion for clothes – just ask my husband who despairs of the amount of wardrobe space I need, so this is the perfect book for me to have sitting on my dressing table. It would also make a lovely birthday gift for friends. In The Little Black Dress book Tracy Martin talks you through how to dress for practically any occasion, from weddings to picnics in the park. Not only in the LBD but trousers, skirts, accessories and mixing vintage with high street finds. Textiles, shape, cut and design are all taken into account in helping to create your own personal style guide. Great tips to revisit our style over 50 Tracy guides you through the process of finding your...
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PRIME event- opportunity to network – Nicola Horlick is guest speaker
Posted by Ceri Wheeldon I am a strong supporter of PRIME (Princes’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise) . They provide excellent resources and mentoring for those over 50 setting up a business. Networking at PRIME offers an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded individuals, as well as benefitting from the expertise shared by industry keynote speakers. The next (free) event is September 26th in London. Nicola Horlick well known entrepreneur and financier who paved the way for women in business , showing that family and getting to the top were both possible, is the keynote speaker for the London event. I’m attending, why not join me? For details of this and other PRIME events check out the PRIME website http://www.prime.org.uk/events/
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Film Review and competition: Albert Nobbs (with Glenn Close). Win the DVD
Review by Ceri Wheeldon I have tremendous respect and admiration for Glenn Close as an actress. Having seen her play the lead role in Albert Nobbs, it is easy to see why she was nominated for an Oscar for the role. For those unfamiliar with the film , Glenn Close plays the part of a woman having to live as a man to survive in 19th century Ireland. Throughout the film you can feel her pain as she constantly lives in fear of being discovered and fights the isolation living her life as a man brings, but with a dream of escaping from the lonely situation she finds herself in. Not a ‘feel good’ film, but a film which highlights the lengths women had to go to in order to survive in a man’s world, in relatively recent history. With an excellent supporting cast, including Janet McTeer (who also received...
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Top tips for thriving when you move home or relocate midlife
Article by Sue Ritchie When my son was nine, I sold our house, packed our cases and he and I flew to Borneo, in South East Asia, to live and work. That was 10 years ago. Josh is now 18, and in a few weeks time he’ll be starting University. I know that he’s feeling nervous, and maybe a little anxious about this new change. I also know that his earlier experiences in life will have helped him to deal with new people and new surroundings confidently, and with a minimum of self doubt. He can relate our past moves to how he’s feeling now and use that knowledge to put his ‘wobbles’ in perspective. There aren’t many 18 year olds with those kinds of memories to draw on. Making a move in mid-life is something many of us begin to think about and luckily for us, we do have...![Sue Ritchie image [800x600]](http://www.fabafterfifty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Sue-Ritchie-image-800x600-150x150.jpg)
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Shirlie Kemp talks about her artwork and Life after 50…
Interview by Ceri Wheeldon Shirlie Kemp talks to Fabafterfifty about her life and reinvention in her 50s. I fell in love with Shirlie’s artwork and asked so asked her to share with Fabafterfifty how her new career came about! Shirlie is no stranger to reinvention having had to change career track very early on. Known as being part of pop duo Pepsi and Shirlie, and Wham! surprisingly Shirlie didn’t set out to have a musical career – in fact Shirlie had wanted to work with horses and was training to be a riding instructor when at the age of 17 she developed terrible hayfever- putting an end to her equestrian dreams. But as one door closed another opened…as Shirlie explains: A change of career direction “ Just as was having to rethink what I could do for a living my two friends George (Michael) and Andrew (Ridgely) were just starting...
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Treat Yourself over 50 at the Most Discerning Spas in Europe
Article by Steph Sheehan By the time we reach our 50s we all deserve a bit of pampering! So whether you have a special birthday to celebrate, or just want to get away for a bit of ‘me’ time here are just a few options: Wish you were here? Take a break from the ordinary with this wish-list of Europe’s most exclusive spas. If it’s indulgent treatments or incredible views that get your travel cravings going, this selection of discerning spas will cater to all your distinguished tastes. Greece, Eagles Palace Found in the stunning scenery of northern Greece is the Eagles Palace. In the shadow of Mount Athos, near the charming village of Ouranoupoli, the spa hotel has a private Blue Flag beach with golden sands and bright azure waters. In partnership with Elemis and Apivita, the spa has been awarded the title of ‘Best Day Spa...
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Are you ready to start dating again after divorce, separation or partner loss?
Article by Teresa Welch How do you know if you are ready for dating again after relationship collapse? For some the thought of dating again fills them with dread, and for others they can’t wait to get back in the dating scene. Having suddenly become single myself after a 12 year marriage ended and with two very small children, dating was the last thing on my mind, and naively at only 34 I thought that when I was ready it would be easy. How wrong could I have been? No one tells you that your life will never be the same again. Different, but never the same. Through chance in the early day’s I did go on a couple of dates. I was going through a divorce & that was my main concern & affecting every area of my life. So of course the whole dating experience was me boring...
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