"Well, that's just the way I am."
If you want to talk about discouragement, that phrase is one that discourages me.
Though not a swearing man, I am always sorely tempted to try my hand when I hear that.
Please spare me your speeches about "That's just the way I am."
I've heard that from too many people who wanted to sin and call it psychology.
- Jeffrey R. Holland
One month before turning 95, Patricia Routledge wrote this, she died today aged 96.
“I’ll be turning 95 this coming Monday. When I was younger, I often worried I wasn’t good enough—that I’d never be cast again, that I’d disappoint my mother. But these days begin in peace and end in gratitude.”
In my forties, my life finally began to make sense. Before that, I’d performed steadily—provincial stages, radio plays, West End productions—but felt somewhat lost. I was searching for something within myself, a home I hadn’t yet found.
At 50, I took a television role that many of you would later know me by—Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances. I thought it would just be a minor role, a brief moment. I never expected it to become beloved across the globe. That character taught me to embrace my quirks and quietly healed something deep within me.
At 60, I started learning Italian—not for my career, but simply so I could sing opera in its native tongue. I learned the gentle art of living alone without loneliness, reading poetry aloud each night—not to perfect diction, but to soothe my spirit.
At 70, I returned to Shakespearean theatre, a place I once thought I’d aged out of. This time, there was nothing to prove. I stepped onto those legendary boards with calmness. The audience felt that serenity. I had stopped performing; I was simply being.
At 80, I discovered watercolor painting. I painted flowers from my garden, nostalgic hats from my youth, and faces glimpsed on the London Underground—each painting was a silent memory made tangible.
Now, at 95, I write letters by hand. I’m learning the simple joy of baking rye bread. I still breathe deeply each morning. Laughter remains precious, though I no longer feel the need to make others laugh. Quietness is sweeter than ever.
I’m writing this today to share something simple and true:
Growing older isn’t a final act—it can be life’s most exquisite chapter if you allow yourself to bloom once more.
Let the years ahead be your treasure years.
You don’t have to be perfect, famous, or adored.
You only need to be present—fully—for the life that’s yours.
With warmth and gentle love,
— Patricia Routledge
RIP
There is no insurrection against you because they are on your side. The insurrection is against the U.S. government, and they make it clear. Have your team reach out to me and I can arrange for you to go undercover with my colleagues. No problem since you say it’s so safe, right?
@gr8danejim1 @akafaceUS Shatner 100% was not there when his wife, an accomplished swimmer, drowned in their backyard swimming pool. He is a fraud and allegedly a murderer.
As of July 15, 2025, 3,401 migrants arrived via 56 small boats this month (source: UK Gov data). Numbers peaked mid-month but dropped to zero on July 15, post new UK-France deal.
Overall, arrivals have increased since Starmer took office in July 2024, with 2025's first half up 48% vs 2024, on track for a record ~85,000 total. Recent pacts aim to reverse this.
Democrats and the media are trying to hide details about the homicide at the Utah "No Kings" protest. One of their volunteer "peacekeepers" may have wrongly assumed an armed radical leftist was a MAGA threat and fired rounds toward him, killing a bystander.https://t.co/ep4QPu7Sny
Slowed-down footage from the Salt Lake City "No Kings" shooting shows one of the volunteer "peacekeepers" firing into the crowd. Arturo Gamboa, dressed in black, runs away when the shots are fired and his rifle wasn't pointed at anyone (in this video). Gamboa, a far-left Antifa-supporting Latino revolutionary-type, has been charged with m—rder for the bystander being killed by the unnamed peacekeeper.
@Grinch_Fingers Starmer was at the Reckitt R&D Hull building, specifically he was in the area of the building called Innovation Hall below the nicknamed "Harry Potter" stairs.
This is outrageous.
It's why I made bail reform an Emergency Item.
We must prevent leftist judges from releasing dangerous murderers out on our streets.
Those responsible for this release should be held legally liable if anyone is harmed by this criminal.