OAPs feel the benefit in activities fortnight

OLDER islanders are getting active as part of a fortnight of activities for Generali Worldwide's Get Active Stay Active programme.

An election 'moanafesto' (A round-up of the 'not-so-good times' of the past four years)

I'M STILL trying to make up my mind whether or not to turn out on election day. There are 81 candidates island wide but, due to an accident of address, I am not permitted by law to even consider placing my cross against 70 of them. When I think back to this most recent worst States ever I know deep down that there must have been some good moments but I find it hard to get past a catalogue of not-so-good times like the T&R £2.6m. Lagan fraud, C&E's attempts to blow an identical amount on an off-island shiny new replacement for the perfectly serviceable Leopardess, PSD's £8m. loss on the abandoned Pfos case, the £750,000 gifted to the milkmen, the attempt to re-brand Aurigny for a mere £1m., the £330m. loan voted through with seemingly no one realising that it would cost £15m. to set up. Fingers crossed that the forthcoming Union v. The States pension court case is not lost.

Elderly 'hit' the hardest when it comes to States' policies

HOW unfair that whenever the States want to cut costs, the mature and elderly seem to be first on the hit list. Never mind that these are the very people who have paid the most into the system. Elderly residential care/benefit is to be restricted (in favour of so-called 'care in the community'), the over-75 free TV licence is to vanish, and OAP free prescriptions may also be abolished. And the pension age is gradually increasing from 65 to 70 eventually – God help those in manual labour jobs, struggling around the building site on their Zimmer frames.

Pensioners have already paid their way

I AM a Guernseyman, aged 66, and I have never before felt the need to write to the Open Lines column of the Guernsey Press. I am incensed at the proposals that are coming up to be debated in the States in October to limit the annual increase in the rate of old age pension paid to the elderly in Guernsey. I am one of the lucky pensioners as I have two occupational pensions to back up my old age pension, but I struggle to know how anyone manages now on the basic OAP. For our States members to propose cutting the annual rate of increase is beyond belief.

OAP and friends hurt in baseball bat attack

TWO men thrown out of a Vale pub for picking on a regular waited for their victim to leave and attacked him and two of his friends with a baseball bat, a licensee has confirmed.

No Spring now that we're elected

WHAT was billed as the States of Change heralding a Sarnian Spring is now seen to be perilously close to same old…

The third way

Pensioners' friend works on getting them more money

IT IS early days, but there is a lot of research going on in a corner of the Vale into how to increase financial support for pensioners.

OAP hurt after armed police storm wrong flat

ARMED police used a battering ram to smash through a pensioner's front door while she desperately tried to keep them out, fearing that they were intruders.

Electricity rise: OAPs will eat and not heat

FURTHER rises in electricity prices will mean some pensioners considering food over heating, OAP representatives have warned.

Pregnant carer is jailed for burgling disabled OAP

A STATES-EMPLOYED carer who burgled an elderly, disabled woman's home as she lay asleep in bed was yesterday sent to prison for 10 months.

Local rider could become a star

VIVIEN JONES will compete at the Horse of the Year Show after qualifying for the national final of the Search for a Star competition.

The OAP deal is just the ticket for Blues' Jack

LOCAL supporters of Stoke City and Manchester City will be on the edge of their seats today when the two clubs battle it out in the FA Cup final.

Ormerer hunts in vain for sense in OAP prosecution

AS ORMERERS took advantage of yesterday's low tide concerns were expressed about the recent prosecution of two men.

Battling OAP takes on the bureaucrats

A PENSIONER is refusing to take down a fence that protects her family from a 10ft drop, despite losing a planning appeal.