Annus mirabilis/annus
horribilis*
(*or Good year/bad year)
Media and PR Officer Rebecca Law describes the rise of the
'supergran' and other lighter moments of 2011 featuring older
people.
When photographer, Sacha Goldberger, took to dressing up his
91-year-old grandmother, Frederika, as a superhero for a series of
wonderfully entertaining shots at the end of 2010, we should have
known something was afoot.
Using a combination of real-life studio techniques and computer
trickery, Frederika - or, "Super Mamika" was pictured scaling
buildings, flying and riding on the wing of a plane. Sacha claims
he came up with idea when his grandmother became lonely and started
to show signs of depression, but it's likely the photographer could
feel in his water that 2011 was going to spell the rise of the
Super Gran.
For Super Mamika proved not to be a stand-alone hero. She blazed
a burning trail for a host of do-good Grandmas who followed in her
wake. In February this year, 71-year-old Ann Timpson became a
national heroine after foiling a sledgehammer raid on a jeweller's
shop in Northampton by bashing the six armed robbers with her
handbag.
In the YouTube video, which went global and sparked mass media
interest, Ann can be seen sprinting from the other side the road to
take on the gang as they attempt to smash their way into the
jeweller's. Ann says she initially thought one lad was being beaten
up and ran to his aid, "only then," she said, "did I realise they
were smashing glass and that it was a raid. There was a scooter in
my path revving up, but by now, I was in full flight and started
whacking the lads over the head with my shopping bag."
Ann's antics were followed, just weeks later, by those of
67-year-old Susan Jenner (aka Supergran 2, thanks to the Daily
Mail) who took on a pair of thugs who started smashing glass
displays at the antiques shop where she worked in Battle, East
Sussex. Mrs Jenner said, after the attack, "I honestly don't think
they thought these two women would fight back."
And who could forget grandmother, Pauline Pearce, who became an
internet sensation after bravely taking on the rioting youths in
Hackney with an impassioned speech, urging them to stop the
violence, which was spreading its way through the UK.
"We're not all gathering together and fighting for a cause," she
yelled, "we're running down Foot Locker and thieving shoes."
"There were people chucking missiles," Pauline told The
Sun after the event,"but when I started speaking, they all
stood and listened…but I didn't realise it would turn to this.
Someone told me I was on Twitter - I said 'who?'"
Pauline found herself backed by hundreds of thousands of people,
including former Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, before later
being swept off to this year's Conservative Party conference to try
her hand at tackling fringe meetings and ministers.
There may not have been a spot of spandex or a cape to be seen
on any one of this triumvirate, but don't let that fool you. Just
like Clark Kent before stepping into his phone box, Mr Benn before
stepping through the magic door of his changing room, or Eric
Twinge, before necking a banana to reveal his superhuman alter-ego,
Bananaman, the hero was lying within, just waiting for the right
moment to be unleashed for the good of society.
Now in the festive spirit that we are, we don't want to be seen
to be condoning violence, nor indeed, pensioners putting themselves
in the line of danger, but it is high time that we reassessed our
assumptions and stereotypes of older people as frail tea-drinkers
who are a drain on society. These ladies all showed the courage to
step up and step in when others didn't dare. We'd say this year
turned out to be more a case of "gran"nus mirabilis, than annus
mirabilis.
2011 however proved to be not quite such a good year for the
boys who managed to get themselves into all sorts of bother
(clearly it's not just the young ones who are made of frogs and
snails and puppy-dogs' tails). In any scenario, you name it - love,
finances, fitness - you can be guaranteed, somewhere there was a
chap wreaking havoc with it.
Take 90-year-old Wilf Cooper from Lockleaze in Bristol, for
example. Wilf found himself in a spot of trouble after his wife
finally got wind of his double life. Contrary to what you may be
thinking, Wilf was not guilty of indulging in illicit trysts,
gambling or drinking but of sneaking out and secretly running half
marathons.
Wilf had already successfully completed six events behind his
wife's back - who believed Wilf to be watching the races from the
sidelines - before being caught out by a neighbour who spotted him
on TV. "He was in the doghouse that day," said Mrs Cooper in an
interview in the Daily Mail.
77-year-old Richard Philips from Essex, found himself in a bit of
a fix this year too, when he spent 11 hours pinned to his bed after
his ceiling collapsed under the weight of 7,000 yachting magazines.
Mr Philips was discovered by a worried neighbour after his carer
said he hadn't heard from him. Firefighters spent 45 minutes
removing boxes and rubble from his home and Mr Philips escaped,
luckily, unharmed.
Then this festive season, never mind the jingling bells,
residents of and tourists to Blackpool's Golden Mile found
themselves listening to the sound of £35,000 in notes whistling
down the wind. A 75-year-old who had been carrying his life savings
in a Quality Street tin was set upon by thieves who made off with
the box.
When they stopped outside to see what was in the tin, a large
gust of wind scattered the cash, throwing it along the seafront.
Passers-by chased the "windfall" while the thieves put what they
could into their pockets.
According to the Daily Mail,around £8,000 was picked up
off the ground and a further £15,000 was handed back to the man
after the robbers were searched, but sadly, another £12,000 is
still missing.
And finally, our heartstrings were tugged by 81-year-old William
Houghton, who found himself unlucky in love this year. Following a
brief encounter with a mystery woman on the no.8 bus from
Canterbury to Margate, Mr Houghton placed a lonely hearts ad in his
local paper, the Thanet Times in an effort to reconnect
with her. Attempting to woo "his lovely lady" Mr Houghton bought
two tickets for a musical at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and
a bouquet, but she failed to show.
William told This is Kent:"I waited at the ticket
office, and even left her ticket there in case she arrived late."
Sadly, though, Mr Houghton's love went unrequited. Mr Houghton
remains hopeful though - he has the full support of his local paper
which is helping him in his quest for love - and he is hoping he
can still track down his heart's desire before he heads off to
Tenerife in the New Year.
