Women in their 50s have more fun and freedom than ever before. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports.

SOME grandmothers opt for perms and blue rinses but not Prue Allison. Her shocking pink hair extensions mark her out from the crowd.

"I had been feeling a bit under the weather so when I went to see my hairdresser, I asked her to do something to my hair that would make me smile. I came out with bright pink hair extensions," she says.

"I've succumbed to going grey, but there's no reason why I have to do it gracefully. The pink extensions are great fun and some of my friends have even had it done now. It looks like I've set a bit of trend."

Prue, who celebrated her 59th birthday at the weekend, is one of a growing number of fiftysomething women who are living life to the full, regardless of their age.

According to a new survey, women over 50 feel they have more choices in everything, whether it's work, relationships or leisure. They have more independence, more freedom, better health and more fun than women of the same age 50 years ago.

The findings emerged from the Jubilee Report, a new in-depth study that compares the attitudes of women in their 50s today and those from the start of the Queen's reign.

The study was carried out by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) on behalf of the Choices Campaign, which aims to educate women about the options available to them when going through the menopause.

Kate Fox, SIRC co-director, says: "The research surprisingly reveals that all aspects of women's lives - health, work, sex, career, relationships, travel, energy, happiness - improve after the onset of the menopause. I was really taken aback by the findings. I'd heard people say that life begins at 50 but as a scientist, I needed evidence to believe such statements. Now I have some."

Prue is certainly showing no signs of slowing down. She says: "I am 60 next year and when I look back and think of my grandmother at that age, we seem so different. When she used to go to the over 60s club with her friends, I thought they were really geriatric. I'm almost her age now and I don't feel like that at all. I just want to enjoy myself and make the most of life."

At the age of 56, when most women are thinking about taking things easy, Prue embarked on a 100km trek in the Himalayas in aid of Imperial Cancer Research. High up in the mountains, with the snow-capped peaks above her and isolated villages below, she says she felt free and more alive than she had done in years. "It was exhilarating. It gave me a completely new lease of life and opened up new avenues for me and new interests away from my family. It was a wonderful experience.

"I decided to do it when my youngest son finished university. When your children grow up, it leaves a void in your life but it also gives you more freedom. When I did the trek, I wanted to do something for myself. I didn't want to sit and vegetate, I wanted to see the world."

Prue, who lives in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, used to work in the family's quarrying and farming business but is now retired. She spends a lot of time with her six grandchildren but she also finds several hours a week to indulge her new hobby - art.

Two years ago, she joined a sculpture class and enjoyed it so much she enrolled on a fine art degree course at Cleveland College of Art and Design. "I've always been interested in art but I'd never had time to do it properly. People often think it's too late to take up new things but it isn't. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and I intend to carry on."

As well as examining women's lifestyles, the Jubilee Report looked at health issues, particularly the menopause. In the past, it was both something to be feared and a taboo subject. But, according to the report, this is no longer the case and many women find their lives actually get better after the menopause. The improvement was most noticeable among those taking hormone replacement therapy, which the report nicknamed HRHs (Hormone Rich and Happy).

The menopause conjures up images of hot flushes, rapid weight gain and night sweats. There can also be serious long-term health problems such as osteoporosis

Dr Diana Mansour works at the Grangerville Clinic in Newcastle, where she holds two menopause clinics a week. Women are referred to the clinic by their GPs and can receive help with specific problems.

"Three or four out of ten women can experience really severe symptoms but there are some women who don't have any at all. That's perfectly normal too. Alternative treatments can help but, in the most severe cases, it's only really HRT that can make a difference," she says.

There have been a number of scare stories about HRT over the years, linking it to breast cancer but, according to Dr Mansour, the risks are small.

"Perhaps an extra six women out of 1,000 will develop breast cancer over the next 20 years as a result of taking HRT but when you compare it to the background risks of just being a woman in this country, the benefits far outweigh it. There are a lot of women who find their lives are turned round by HRT.

"Women are living longer and they have much greater expectations of life after the menopause than they had even a few years ago. In the past, they may have thought that life stops at 50 but, for a lot of them, it's actually just the start."