Iris Bedell
Iris Bedell was until her retirement a company director in a business supplying and repairing office equipment, based in the City of London, a career she began at the age of 52, after she was widowed. Iris is now 80; she studied English literature for many years with the U3A and is still studying French. She is on the committee of Friends of Wansfell College 2, established in 2005 following the sale by the local authority of the premises of the original Wansfell College, which offered short residential courses to adult learners. Wansfell 2 is run by the Principal and Friends and continues to hold some weekend courses in a small local hotel, though many fewer than previously. The overwhelming majority of its students are over 60, and many regulars are over 80. Iris has two daughters and six grandchildren.
In praise of aimless learning
I dreaded retiring from work in 1992. I felt there would be no structure to my week. Fine for a holiday, but I worried about waking on a Monday morning every day of the year wondering, “what can I do this week?” Being retired can be a burden. There is too often a feeling of [...]
Where are the clothes for older women?
I have a feeling that this may seem rather frivolous when compared to the problems that many older people experience. I celebrated my eightieth birthday last year and it seems that clothing stores are not in the least interested in the growing number of women who, although elderly, don’t wish to look dowdy. I am [...]