When I retired from general practice six years ago aged 60, I was often asked when I had made this decision, and my answer was always: “The day I started work.” I believe 60 is a reasonable retirement age for any high-pressure job. The media and the government should stop blaming hard-working GPs for retiring “early” (Report, 29 October). In any case, working 50 to 60 hours a week for most of my career, I think I put in a pretty good shift!
Dr Tony Hirst
Darwen, Lancashire
• Your feature on post-50 fitness (Second act sensations! Meet the people who reached peak fitness – after turning 50, 2 November) chimed perfectly with my own experience. I started running at 55, completed the London Marathon at 58 and learned to tap-dance at 63 during lockdown. There’s something about raging “against the dying of the light” that brings such confidence and joy.
Alison Solemani
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
• To encourage others in their 70s, at the age of 73, I’m disappointed if I don’t cycle 30 miles or walk five miles a day. My motivation is that I weigh less than I did in my 20s.
Sam White
Lewes, East Sussex
• The now-free Espírito Santo could link up at Manchester City with Jesus, should the latter’s interim “father”, Josep Guardiola, be at all trinitarianally inclined (Conte poised to take over as Tottenham manager after Nuno sacked, 1 November).
Fr Alec Mitchell
Holyhead, Anglesey
• A land value tax owes more to the American economist Henry George (1839-97) than to Lloyd George (Letters, 1 November).
Terry Carbro
Sleights, North Yorkshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
