Another New Adventure in Later Life

Chiswick resident Maggy Pigott's new book on how to age joyfully

Maggy Pigott is a Chiswick resident who wants to inspire others on having a happy, fulfilled and joyful 'third age'.

Her book, ‘How To Age Joyfully: Eight Steps to a Happier, Fuller Life’ is packed with practical tips and inspirational quotations and has been described as ‘beautifully designed’, and 'uplifting’. Dame Judi Dench has written the foreword.

Since the book was published in July, she has been interviewed on BBC Woman's Hour, featured at the Chiswick Book Festival, and taken part in a podcast for Reader's Digest. It is also going to be published in the USA and Canada.

Maggy, who has lived in Chiswick since 1979 says: "There's a narrative of decline, that old age is miserable and it's not true. Research has shown that people are at their happiest aged 16-19 and again after they hit 65."

While older people can get depressed due to ill health, loss, isolation and loneliness, Maggy believes that the answer lies in changing the mindset and availing of the many groups and activities that are specifically catering for older people.

She had a high flying career in the Ministry of Justice and is a qualified barrister and was one of the first women in the UK to promote job-sharing and campaign for flexible working- the idea was unheard of back in 1988, she says. Maggy job-shared for 23 years- with seven jobs and promotions between her and her job-share partner. The two women were honoured with a CBE each in 2009.

But Maggy had to retire from work aged 59 due to ill health, and found herself feeling somewhat depressed as she had loved her career.

"It's difficult if you have bad health as you get older but many people do go through periods of illness and come out the other side of it. If you don't have financial security it's tough. I don't deny that I feel lucky that I have got my family and am in reasonable health although I do have to take a lot of tablets for various conditions."

As she recovered, Maggy discovered a passion for dancing which led her to join Open Age’s dance (and other) classes in 2013 and, more recently, become a member and Trustee of Sage Dance Company. She is now vice-chair of the organisation, and is hopeful that one day there will be a branch in Chiswick- the closest one is in Hammersmith & Fulham.

The book came about as a result of her successful Twitter account Age Joyfully @AgeingBetter.

Maggy said she found that not many older people wanted to engage with Twitter but she thought it would be a platform to present a more positive view of ageing. She started off her Twitter account with a goal of having 100 followers- now it is just over 7,000.

With the success of her Twitter feed people started to ask her to write more, and the idea for the book was born. She worked on it, off an on, for a couple of years.

Her book has been endorsed by several health and ageing experts, (ex Health Minister) Alan Johnson, Gyles Brandreth and Dame Judi Dench wrote the foreword.

"I think ageing is more a problem for younger people who look into the future and fear it because they think it will be ghastly. That is because of the way it is presented in the media, that old age is a time of depression and dependence. The public image is not the reality for most people.

"Partly that is due to the lack of contact of the younger generation with older people. We use to live in multi generational families but now people are more isolated as they get older."

Twitter: Maggy Pigott @MaggyPigott; Age Joyfully @AgeingBetter.

How to Age Joyfully: Eight Steps to a Happier, Fuller Life’. Summersdale Publishers Ltd, is available in on Amazon.

October 7, 2019