Letter: Age concern

Sir: One of the more awkward decisions to be made in recognising the contribution old people can make to society, through work concerns the loss of physical power and declining physical energy that come with age ("It is no longer good enough just to be nice to old people", 23 June).

Until e-commerce is fully up and running, a major snag is the need to travel to work.

Before I retired I enjoyed my work in Westminster and Waterloo, but I was only too glad to give up the one-and-three-quarter hours of travel at each end of the active day for the bare 17 miles separating my home in Selsdon from my work.

By 9.15 in the mornings I felt very much like Bristowe in the cartoon, whose "get up and go just got up and went".

Perhaps, but too late for some of us, this snag will be overcome. Meanwhile, we do what we can nearer home in either voluntary or paid capacities.

MICHAEL ATKINSON

Ilkley,

West Yorkshire