This is an intense, moving, ultimately hopeful film, and it’s a superb example of the bogs of anger and self-isolation that many older men get stuck in. The film’s focus is an elderly couple, played to perfection by Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp. One of the delights of this movie for us oldies is to … Read more
Depression is one of the biggest problems for men beyond 50. We all feel low sometimes, but depression is long-term – I’ve met many mature men who have been depressed for years, often on antidepressants continually, and are resigned to living in semi-gloom indefinitely. How would you know if you’re depressed? Typical symptoms are self-dislike, … Read more
GUEST POST by Ger Murphy Jack(56) came to see me at my psychotherapy practice some months ago complaining of depressive episodes and lack of motivation. As he spoke he revealed that he had been experiencing strong feelings of loneliness and isolation following his wife’s recent work changes, which meant she had taken on a demanding … Read more
Guest blog by Daniel Korner It’s interesting to think of how the men’s group that I got involved with in Devon first started. It was actually the women in the community where I lived at that time that brought in the idea. From their interest in sharing a women’s circle, and conversations about women’s work … Read more
Good friendships can oil the gearbox, making big change easier, and ice the cake, adding extra delight to life. But there’s an art to growing and sustaining good friends. Here are my top tips on this: Be willing to experiment: trying a range of approaches with a variety of people increases your chances of success. … Read more
Men generally grow up seeing other men as competitors, and mostly have poorer support networks and interactive skills than women. Perhaps that was useful when fighting for the last bison on the plains, but it doesn’t help most men in 2015. These days, most of us need high emotional intelligence and collaboration skills just to … Read more
Even better with women! Older men are hardly a trendy topic, and to celebrate them is unheard of. So this event which I organised at Bridport Arts Centre could be unique. And despite my tendency to be critical of most things, including myself, I can only describe the evening as a total success. My motive … Read more
900 sheds in Australia: just starting in UK Men’s Sheds are simply a largeish space where men can use or learn skills like woodworking, and enjoy informal social contact. It’s often said that men relate to each other better shoulder-to-shoulder than face-to-face, which is why this simple idea works so well. An unusual feature of … Read more
Highlights and the back story It was actually four months before the launch of my book that The Times decided they wanted to run a major feature on it, and asked if they could send a reporter along to a workshop. This can be a risky move, but I said yes, provided that their reporter … Read more
Giles Coren has only named half the story There was an excellent piece by Giles Coren in The Times, on Saturday September 28, headlined My daughter has more choices than my son. He writes, “I found myself holding my baby son and feeling a sadness for him…He is a boy, and that means that he … Read more
Hear Alan’s interview with Katie Martin of Radio Solent, discussing his new book Out of the Woods
New life skills, new friendships, new inspiration The weekend of November 11 – 13, 2011 at Hazel Hill Wood was a big occasion for me: the first weekend workshop, in fact the first open event of any kind, for the Men Beyond 50 project. After 13 months of working on faith that men beyond 50 … Read more