In the daytime, awake, now, her thoughts are mostly of Derek. She has his old dressing gown, some of his ashes and a teddy Kerry had made for her out of one of his shirts. She has his diaries, too, so she can read about what they did together, and other things she didn’t know. It wasn’t that the home didn’t feel real. It was more like a parallel society, where life moved a little slower and with greater gentleness, according to established routines. A cup of tea in bed at six, a wash, breakfast, coffee in the lounge at 10, lunch at 12, a cup of tea at two, an afternoon activity, high tea at four, telly, another wash, a hot drink, bed.

If it’s true that as we age we gradually regress, Mary and Derek had, perhaps, reached adolescence. It matched how Mary felt in her head. She often said she was a young person in a bashed-up body. In her mind, she could get up and dance for you. With Derek, they could play at being young again, in a way, mooning at each other all day long because they had no other obligations. They could fall in love like 16-year-olds: the love of people with no responsibility. It’s different, meeting someone late in life. You know you won’t have long, so the love feels more urgent. It’s closer to first love, though it’s probably the last. There’s none of the logistics that can cloud a relationship in middle age: who’s doing what, who’s paying the bills, who’s cooking. Mary and Derek had nothing to do, or none of those things anyway. Well, that was rubbish, she thought, until it was true. Halfway through Chelsea she met Nicholas, who was studying at an agricultural college in Guildford. She felt divided: what mattered more, pursuing a career in sport or being with this man? She loved sport, but she had never felt for someone before; not properly.That’s her version, anyway. Everyone will be old in their own way. And what does anyone really know about being old until they are old themselves? It’s just how we are with children: imagining they’re all the same, until their individuality insists upon itself.

The Little Mermaid desperately wishes to be human. What happens when the sea witch grants her wish? Mary wanted to run faster. Her father told her to join an athletics club, and Mary wondered if she was brave enough to take the bus on her own. She was. They served hot Ribena at the club. It wasn’t long before she was running 100 metres, 400 metres, hurdles, then for the English schools’ national team. One time, she won a medal, a dull old thing: third place. With Derek, it all fell away. They were consumed by each other. They tried to be respectful. They were never found naked in the hall, at least, but they made noises once or twice. Other residents complained; the carers found it awkward. Jacquie and Kerry had to be drafted in to have some words with their respective elders: if you’re going to do things, shut your door and keep the volume down. The days took on a new shape. Derek would sneak down to Mary’s room as early as he could. And yes, they were intimate. Not the whole way, but the desire was intense. You don’t stop feeling those things just because you’re old. Derek didn’t seem to mind her body’s various betrayals. She could give you a list: Mary and Derek hadn’t reached that point yet. In fact, Mary insisted on doing things for herself, and encouraged others to do the same. She had a little rule: she’d only help someone cut up their food if they’d attempted the task at least twice by themselves.

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Without him, without the distraction and company of him, she depends on other things to enliven the daily repetition. Spillages, stumbles, visitors. Someone will come in to see their mum. Everyone stops by Mary’s chair to have a chat. She’s the hungriest for interaction. Sometimes, the staff will put someone in the chair next to her because they know she’ll talk to them. Each Read it yourself book is very carefully written to include many key, high-frequency words that are vital for learning to read, as well as a limited number of story words that are introduced and practised throughout. Simple sentences and frequently repeated words help to build the confidence of beginner readers and the four different levels of books support children all the way from very first reading practice through to independent, fluent reading. The Little Mermaid is a Level 4 Read it yourself book, ideal for children who are ready to read longer stories with a wider vocabulary and are keen to start reading independently. Read more Details In the rectangle of chairs in the lounge, most of the ladies are quiet, or asleep. One to the right of Mary, the lady with the beautiful hair, comes in with her book, which she places carefully on the table in front of her before lowering her chin to her chest and closing her eyes.

When a room came up, Carol offered it to Mary. It made sense. She didn’t want to be a burden to her daughter. And really, she couldn’t have asked for a nicer place than Easterlea. It didn’t smell of wee or bleach, as these places often do. Her room was at the front, with large windows that looked out on the car park, so she could see all the comings and goings from the real world, as she called it. Read it yourself with Ladybird is one of Ladybird's best-selling series. For over thirty-five years it has helped young children who are learning to read develop and improve their reading skills. The Gingerbread Man is a Level 2 Read it yourself title, ideal for children who have received some initial reading instruction and can read short, simple sentences with help. Read more Details Old Brown has taken a book that belonged to Peter Rabbit's dad. What happens when the rabbits go to an island to look for the bookAll institutions offer some form of infantilisation, with their timetables and structures. In a care home, it is only more pronounced. The routines, the activities, craft sessions and singalongs, the tactful management of incontinence and naps: it is all a breath from nursery school. There are kind people, mostly women, doing things for you, sometimes talking to you as if you don’t fully understand, washing and feeding you, if you need it. Grammar Skill: Adjectives Adverbs Conjunctions Past continuous Past tense Phonics Prepositions Present simple Present tense Pronouns Questions Questions and answers Simple past And yet, at the same time, it’s not all doom and gloom. She wants you to know that. There are upsides to growing old! You can be more outrageous, more outspoken, more honest. You don’t have to be pushed into things you don’t want to do. You don’t have to do anything. She has spent her life cooking and caring and cleaning and earning and making sure everyone was all right and there was shepherd’s pie on the table and cuffs turned over, and now she can finally relax. Today, she has nowhere pressing to be.