It's been another good week for grown-ups - always cheering for those of us hurtling too fast through our middle years. Granted, 102-year-old Rose Cottle was in the news because she is about to lose her flat in an old people's complex. On the other hand, anyone who had seen or heard Miss Cottle on television, delivering a petition to 10 Downing Street, would have found it impossible to pity or patronise her. She was intelligent, articulate and quite capable of making mincemeat of government policy.

Recent fears about pension provision means that we could all be working on until our late 60s or early 70s. Some people make that seem ridiculously soon to stop.

Dame Maggie Smith, 67, is not just still working but has been nominated for an Oscar for her role in Gosford Park. Dora Bryan is 78, and high-kicking her way to rave reviews in a stage version of The Full Monty. She's contracted to do eight shows a week for the next year. Exhausting even to think about. She can still do the splits as well. People who work with her have all fallen hopelessly in love with her, describing her as a "delight" with "real star quality".

Life hasn't been particularly kind to her, bloody awful in fact, but she's had no facelifts, wears no wigs and says: "Life is about keeping going". Even the gruelling schedule of the show isn't onerous. "It's wonderful," she beams, "a holiday to be in it." Such optimism is infectious. As I read that, I found myself beaming happily back at the page.

A new series on Radio 4 showed how many creative people do their best work in old age - Mary Wesley and PD James spoke well and jazz singer George Melly proved, yet again, that being grown up doesn't automatically mean you are sensible. Well, that's a relief.

A generation below, but still hardly in the first flush of youth, grey-haired Trevor McDonald and Michael Buerk, and self confessed "old trout" Kate Adie have been voted the nation's favourite news presenters, well above the younger and prettier Kirsty, Katy, Mary and Fiona. That was part of a study done by the ITC and Help the Aged who are calling for more positive images of older people on television. Seems to me that older people are doing enough for themselves, without any guidelines or quotas.

There was, however, one fly in the ointment. Ellen Channon, 54, and Peter Wellens, 27, have been living together for seven years and wanted to get married.

But the minister of the United Reformed Church refused, saying their relationship, with such a large age difference was "ill-advised".

Still, maybe she thought young Peter wouldn't be able to keep up with his older bride...

PHILIP Green, the man who bought BHS and made it successful as Marks & Spencer was sliding down the tubes, gave a bit of a party on Cyprus last week - it apparently cost him £5m.

Gulp.

The guests came dressed as Romans, all togas and tiaras and chartered jets.

Yes, of course it was dreadfully over the top. Yes, of course there are many, many deserving causes that could do wonderful work with £5 million. Yes, of course there is something offensive about such conspicuous consumption.

But gosh, when so many people are so boringly puritanical about their wealth, it makes a very cheering change to see someone rich and successful actually enjoying their money and sharing that pleasure with their pals. Otherwise, what is it all for?

Anyway, surely it is the duty of the filthy rich to give the rest of us something to gawp at.

THE best thing about life in Mrs Thomas' infant class back in the 1950s, was that when we came from play at lunchtime, we all had to push our little sand trays to one side, fold our arms on our desks, put our heads down and have a little snooze.

It was bliss for us - and probably a nice breather for Mrs Thomas as well.

But she was clearly ahead of her time, for now a study by Nasa, the American space research agency, claims that not just infants' classes, but offices and business would work better after a little zzz. It clears the mind, aids thinking and improves productivity.

And there I was thinking that the continentals had siestas just to conduct love affairs.

Still, if Nasa says it, it must be right. Zzzzzzzzzz...

Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2002