Edinburgh Silver Surfers and the Get Up and Go Awards

The Silver Surfers & The Get Up +Go Awards 2005

We are improving our skills by leaps and bounds – we must be better than we thought because this year we were nominated for an award under the Get Up +Go Scheme. This scheme was set up by the City Fathers to encourage the over 50’s to keep mind and body active. If the groups represented in the City Chambers on 19th July were any kind of yardstick, Edinburgh’s over 50’s are doing very well thank you!

The Silver Surfers were represented by Honor, Ailie, Kath and Margaret, very ably supported by Jenny, PoL and his inevitable cameras. But then without Jenny and the team there would be no Silver Surfers. On arrival at the Chambers there was registration and refreshments – lemonade in case anyone was interested (no alcohol which might clash with medication!!!) and then we had the opening remarks from Irene Garden – Chairperson of OPEF. This was followed by a brief history of the event from Glenda Watt and a speech of welcome from Councillor Henderson.

Then we got down to the nitty-gritty of the afternoon. We were given profiles of the various nominees and this was followed by the presentation of the ‘Highly Commended’ certificates. And the Silver Surfers were included in the Highly Commended class. We were so proud of ourselves and wished so much that all the surfers could have been sharing it with us. This proves that while life may begin at forty… it certainly does not end when we hit fifty.

THe Surfers at the Get Up +Go Awards 2005

In fact most retired people lead very active lives; help out with grandchildren, have a wide variety of hobbies and still find time for charity work – or as in the case of the Silver Surfers, tackle the great mystery of computers head on and find out not only that we still have active grey cells but we sure can use them. Computers may be a bit scary at first sight but once the basics are mastered a whole new world opens up.

The afternoon ended with lunch and entertainments; the Out and About Group of ladies danced and mimed to the music of ‘Hey Big spender’ and during the buffet lunch the ‘Easy Street Quartet’ – a Barber Shop Group, performing for the last time – serenaded the gathering with nice relaxing melodies. The Surfers, Jenny and PoL had a lovely, memorable afternoon and once we are in our new premises (following the move from Dalry House), the certificate will be proudly displayed alongside our other awards.

(Postscript:- The event finished promptly at 1:30pm and with time to spare Jenny and PoL took Honor and Margaret to Caledonian Crescent to see the new premises. It is almost literally round the corner from our original home at Dalry House and so we are still in the area... And for that we are thankful.)