Here is one of Joyce Stirling’s columns in its entirety, from The Best of Joyce Stirling, published 1963, to give a better idea of her writing style…

Some Advice to those “Getting On” in Life.

A man aged 189 has been discovered living in a remote village in Persia. It is reported that Sayed Ali is in good health, can see and hear, and can produce documents and papers to prove his great age. Well… I can produce documents and papers to prove mine. But I don’t intend to.

Age is a funny thing. There is a depressing period one arrives at in life which is known as ‘getting on’. ‘Oh, her?’ we say. ‘She must be getting on.’

This does not mean that the person under discussion is progressing favourably in her business or her health. It simply means that she is ‘getting on’ toward the grave.

When you first start ‘getting on’ you try to keep it dark. People who are ‘getting on’ suffer from lack of memory. It is important, for instance, when you’re ‘getting on’, never to remember any important event such as World War 1 or the sinking of the Titanic.

You must never remember anything that happened in the last half-century. Talk about the Great Fire of London or the War of the Roses and you’re safe enough. Talk about Scott’s expedition to the Antarctic, and you’re sunk.

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