During the last couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of seeing both ends of the age spectrum at work in various ways. I

was at the Chancellor's Society evening at the University of Sussex when Lord Attenborough, the current Chancellor, introduced a special, showing of his latest film 'Grey Owl' and answered questions from a packed audience.

It is no secret that Lord Attenborough might be categorised as The Third Age if one was looking for a label to pin on this astonishing man. But to see him in action you could be forgiven for thinking that he was about half his calendar age.

He was suffering from a bad throat infection but insisted on doing the full question and answer session and chatted informally with many of the audience afterwards. It would have been a shame for the audience if he had decided to cancel his appearance but the possibility did not seem to have occurred to him.

He could still croak or growl, he could stand up and he had a job to do and he did it superbly. The film was a feast for the eye and a delight to watch, but for most of the audience Dickie Attenborough was the star.

As a result of the money raised that evening the Silver Jubilee Scholarship Fund, a scheme unique to Sussex University, will be able to help more young people with sensory or physical disabilities to go to university by providing them with the special aids for which no other funding is available.

At the other end of the age range I was invited to join Argus columnist Adam Trimingham and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Francis Tonks, to judge a round of the Rotary public speaking competition for schools.

We were all struck with the poise and air of authority which the young people showed as they addressed an audience of parents and friends on a variety of subjects.

We had to choose a winner but we all felt it was a pity that there had to be losers. But of course they were only losers in the sense that they had not won this particular competition. What they will have gained in self-awareness and presentation will stand them all in good stead as they go on to get jobs or go to university.

The third encounter I enjoyed, with what might almost be labelled The First Age, was at a performance at Dorothy Stringer School of Guys and Dolls. There is a tradition at Stringer of putting on excellent performances, both musical and dramatic, and I have been privileged to see many of them over the years.

I am still amazed at the performances turned in by boys and girls of all ages in shows from Romeo and Juliet to Gilbert and Sullivan to West Side Story.

We hear so much about the undesirable side of the younger generation but when we see splendid team work with such excellent results we should acknowledge it with loud applause.

Just as we did for the Third Age member, Lord Attenborough. It's been a good week for all ages.

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