| The divorce statistics for couples over 50 is | | | | and her local National Trust group. In addition to |
| steadily rising and it seems that it is often the | | | | this she attends a weekly City & Guilds |
| woman that initiates the divorce in this age group. | | | | embroidery class and has, together with a group |
| It has been speculated that the triggers for this | | | | of friends, formed a 'social' club with who she |
| are children leaving home or retirement and the | | | | regularly goes to the theatre, museums, historic |
| sudden realisation that the couple have nothing in | | | | houses and lunch. Their most recent escapade |
| common any more. Perhaps it is also because | | | | was a boat trip with lunch included. |
| women have realised that there are so many | | | | So women are no longer stuck at home cooking |
| opportunities to learn new things, try new hobbies | | | | and cleaning and men are having to learn to look |
| and meet new people that they no longer feel | | | | after themselves more. Fortunately my father |
| that they have to stay in a loveless marriage. | | | | has always been happy to make himself some |
| Retired women have steadily been gaining | | | | lunch and do a bit of housework, which is just as |
| independence over the last few years. No longer | | | | well with my mother being out so often. |
| do women stay at home cooking and knitting as | | | | Unfortunately not all men are so capable and |
| my grandmother did but now they join clubs, | | | | perhaps it is these men whose wives are walking |
| meet new people and try new things. My mother, | | | | out after 30+ years of marriage. |
| who is now 72, is always out - her social life is | | | | The message seems to be 'sisters are doing it |
| better than mine! She belongs to a gardening club, | | | | for themselves' and I say that's great. |
| a reading club, a wine club, a sewing club, the WI | | | | |