Shownotes
Hello, listeners, it’s Siobhan Daniels here, your host of the Retirement Rebel podcast. I hope you're all ready to dive into another episode where we challenge the typical conventions of ageing and retirement. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to a truly inspiring guest, Suzi Grant, who embodies everything the Retirement Rebel stands for.
In our conversation, Suzi and I explore three key subjects that resonate with so many of us who are navigating this wonderfully rebellious phase of our lives.
The first topic we unwrap is the impact of health on our independence, particularly as it pertains to driving. Suzi bravely discusses her struggle with eye conditions and how they have influenced her ability to drive. It's a poignant example of the curveballs life throws at us, and how we handle them can define our older years. It's an important conversation because it touches on the heart of what many of us fear—losing our autonomy. But, as you'll hear, Suzi is all about finding alternative solutions and maintaining her zest for life regardless.
Secondly, we recount our adventures in solo travel later in life. There's something truly liberating about heading off into the unknown on your own, and both Suzi and I have tales to tell on that front. We also get real about the fears and safety concerns that come with travelling solo, something I know a lot of you can relate to. But we also stress the importance of not letting those concerns diminish our desire to experience life fully. Suzi’s spirit and advice are truly inspirational for any woman considering a solo trip, no matter what age.
Lastly, we delve into the importance of pursuing your passions and ignoring negative influences, especially as they pertain to age. Suzi, who became a trained nutritionist around her 50th birthday, exemplifies this wonderfully. We both agree – age should not be a barrier to living life passionately. It's why Suzi's dislike for labels such as 'middle-aged' or 'old' resonates with me so much, and I think it will with you too. It's about being seen and not overlooked, challenging those stereotypes, and inspiring others to do the same.
Throughout this episode, Suzi offers her wisdom on how living by the sea in Brighton helped manifest her vibrancy, how we can embrace our quirkiness, and why it’s never too late to reinvent ourselves.
Don’t forget to follow / subscribe to the podcast for FREE on your podcast app of choice, or play it directly from the website: www.retirementrebel.co.uk
Key Points:
00:00 Got tougher with thick skin, no one messin'.
04:21 Hung out in bars, then got into advertising.
06:18 Neighbour's 92, had cool teaching career. Smart lady!
10:49 Started at Capital Radio, then moved to TV.
14:54 Mum's passing made me rethink everything, you know?
16:45 Living life to the fullest after hitting 60!
19:22 Brighton totally changed her life, you know.
21:56 Siobhan encourages doing things yourself, not relying on others.
27:51 Partying at Portsmouth festival, no more camping.
30:28 Discover your passion, ignore the haters, be happy!
34:00 Love the podcasts, but fed up with menopause chat.
39:07 Awesome woman in her 70s living life!
Guest Info
Suzi Grant is a former television and radio reporter/presenter turned nutritionist and author, who has become a prominent voice in the positive ageing movement. After retiring at age 60, she started the blog "Alternative Ageing" at 65 to spread her message of growing older with style, health, and confidence. Suzi's platform, which includes a blog, YouTube channel, and social media accounts, focuses on fashion, travel, lifestyle, and healthy ageing. She has written several health books, including "Alternative Ageing: The Natural Way To Hold Back The Years," and has been featured in media outlets like BBC Radio and the New York Times. Suzi inspires women to embrace ageing and live vibrantly, without feeling invisible or irrelevant.
Links and Resources:
- Suzi Grant as a resource for inspiration on living vibrantly in older age, also known as alternative ageing with a significant social media following
- Brighton, as a place where Suzi Grant found happiness and self-expression
- YouTube, cited as a valuable tool for learning and resourcefulness for solo travellers
- Social media platforms where listeners can connect with and follow "Retirement Rebel" and its community
- Suzi Grant's books on nutrition, potentially available for sale online or in bookstores
- Specific radio or television programs Suzi Grant worked for in the past, which may be accessible in media archives
Quotes:
The Enduring Power of Friendship: "Well, I was shared a dormitory. There were only four of us because we were quite grown up and they are still very close friends. I mean, one of them is on my YouTube all the time and the other one lives in Bali, but we're still really good friends all these years later, growing old disgracefully together."
Embracing Life Changes: "But when I came back very soon after that, I was writing. I think I'd done one book and I had another book deal with Penguin and I just sat and thought, why am I staying in London when I love the seaside and love living by the sea? Why on earth am I living here still wearing black, navy blue or beige every single day? And I moved to Brighton and that's when my whole life changed, because I wasn't on camera, so I could wear exactly what I like. I mean, I was always colourful."
Finding Happiness in Simple Things: "please find your passion, lose your fear, don't listen to the negative minis or so, but what we call the negative and do what is going to make you happy."
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Website: www.retirementrebel.co.uk
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Copyright 2024 Siobhan Daniels
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Transcripts
On today's programme, I'm speaking to Susie Grant, also known as alternative ageing. She's in her seventy? S and has over a hundred thousand followers on social media and is one of my inspirations for ageing. Well, we discussed how the death of her mother in her early 60s was a big wake up call for Susie, who then went on to write several nutritional books. We also spoke about how she strongly believes that women can do anything that they set their minds to, which I'm a great advocate of too. But before we get started, can I ask that you give us a follow on your podcast app or Instagram? Now let's get started with the podcast. Welcome to retirement. Rebel Life after 60. I'm your host, Siobhan Daniels.
Siobhan Daniels [:Join me on a journey to meet inspiring rebels who've redefined retirement. Together we'll explore new passions, triumphs over challenges, and discover the vibrant possibilities of life after 60. This is about living boldly, not just ageing. So, are you ready to rebel? Last week I spoke to Sarah Thornley, who's in her 60s. She's not only competed in a national paddleboarding competition, but went on to become a UK champion paddleboarder. We discussed how important it is to pursue your dreams even after bringing up your children. If you haven't already listened to it, I urge you to give it a listen. Welcome Susie, author, broadcaster and content creator, and my.
Suzi Grant [:No, no. Hello, Siobhan. Lovely to see you. But you're my inspiration from those days when I met you, when we were in between lockdowns and I came to visit Dora the explorer and we sort of travelled around near where I live, Rottingdine. Oh, it was so good to meet you. I'm so inspired by you and all your fellow guests. So much so that for those who don't know me, I wrote Siobhan this morning and said, I feel like an imposter. I'm not doing anything brave.
Siobhan Daniels [:No, you are certainly not an imposter. I mean, like you say, we've only met a couple of times, but I have to say both times that I've come away from those meetings. I've been so excited about the opportunities in life and everything. And I think it's your no nonsense approach to life. Is that something you've always been like or something that's become stronger as you've got older?
Suzi Grant [:It's definitely become stronger as I've got older. But you and I share the same history inasmuch as we were both working in radio and television. So you have to grow a thick skin in that industry. And I know that privately we've compared notes, but if an editor really annoyed me, and this is the 80s going into the 90s, but if a news editor really annoyed me and was much shorter than me, I remember actually standing up and going, why are you talking to me like that? How dare you talk to me like that? And actually I've got my wires crossed. And he wasn't being rude at all. I think I have always been like that, which is why nobody messed with me. I've been very fortunate in life. Nobody's ever messed with me.
Suzi Grant [:I don't think they were there.
Siobhan Daniels [:It's your spiritedness. You're such a spirited woman, though, and I absolutely love that. And it sounds like you've always been like that.
Suzi Grant [:I think I was probably described on school reports as a highly spirited child. But don't forget both my mother and father were trained journalists. So I've sort of got that no nonsense approach in my genes, I think. Plus the madness that runs through our family, the eccentricity, I should say, not madness.
Siobhan Daniels [:So what kind of journalism did your parents work in? And did you always know that you'd end up in journalism?
Suzi Grant [:No, I didn't. I went into the ghastly world of advertising first. It appealed to me. Well, BBC was my very, very first job and I often show that's why I love a particular hotel in London, the Langham, because literally we used to drink in the bar there. This is in the lot of drinking.
Siobhan Daniels [:Went side by side with journalism in those days, didn't it?
Suzi Grant [:Didn't it ever? Oh my God. Right up to the late 80s, we were spending all day in bars and restaurants. And then I went into advertising. I have no idea why, but I did the same sort of thing there. I got into production. I produced videos and they were really new in the late 70s, early eighty s. I did corporate videos, I did live events. So basically what I do now linked very well with what I did then.
Suzi Grant [:My parents, as far as their journal. My dad was a proper journalist. He joined the evening news when he was 14 years old.
Siobhan Daniels [:Siobhan, goodness me, people went to work.
Suzi Grant [:Very early in those days and he was a foreign correspondent. He was sent all over the place. He was much better journalist than me. Writing wise, proper hard news. I never liked hard news. I like features. I've always loved features and that's why I love what I do now. It's features, it's soft, it's entertaining, it's informative but not dry.
Suzi Grant [:But dad was a proper journalist. And he met my mum who was bulgarian and was at the Prague University where he was working and she was studying journalism and they fell in love and he brought her back to England and I popped out a year later. So she never actually got on with her career in journalism.
Siobhan Daniels [:That was often the case with women in those days, wasn't it?
Suzi Grant [:Very sad, isn't it? I don't think she ever forgave him for that really.
Siobhan Daniels [:But I think that's why an awful lot of women who are in their sixty s, seventy s, eighty s and beyond now want to repurpose their lives because they gave up a dream many years before because they were in love, because they wanted to bring up the children but they gave up that dream and now because we're living longer, they've got that space, haven't they? To revisit often that dream and to surpass their dreams.
Suzi Grant [:I agree. Yeah, it's definitely older than me because everybody worked when I was at working age everybody did very. Nobody became a housewife only like they did in the 50s. So to my neighbor's 92 and she would have brought up her children in the. She was a school teacher all her life, she's still got all her marbles. She's incredibly bright. I think a lot of it. She wasn't the majority, admittedly she was very much the minority but I think if you're a strong woman and have the right kind of husband they probably did have careers but we didn't hear about it a lot.
Suzi Grant [:Does that make sense to you? What about your mum?
Siobhan Daniels [:No, well, my mum ran an old people's home. I was one of eight children, so there were eight children, mum and dad and ten old people all lived in this massive house so we all had our jobs to do, we all had to muck in. Yeah.
Suzi Grant [:Wow, no wonder you're like you are. You see, I was an only child till my brother arrived nine years later.
Siobhan Daniels [:And how did you feel about that when he came on the scene?
Suzi Grant [:Oh, I think I was quite resentful. Yes, because he got so much attention and to this day got far more attention than I ever did. But I got used to. This is the big difference between us. I got used to being very. That's why I'm very happy doing things on my own, I think. I don't think I need a shrink to tell me that it was because I spent nine years on my own. I would listen to records, I'd play in the garden, I'd play with my mum.
Suzi Grant [:There were very few friends living near me. And I actually asked to go to boarding school when I was 14.
Siobhan Daniels [:Really?
Suzi Grant [:I missed every. Yeah. How are you? Because I'm gregarious and I like people and I wasn't seeing enough people.
Siobhan Daniels [:What was boarding school like?
Suzi Grant [:I loved it, but I was 14 and I've got literally, there were four of us and it was a convent. But you know the story about convent girls, we're all a bit wild.
Siobhan Daniels [:Do you know what? I've spoken to a few on this podcast, and I think we are all a bit wild.
Suzi Grant [:Oh, you went to a convent? I did.
Siobhan Daniels [:I went to a very strict catholic grammar school. Yeah, all nuns.
Suzi Grant [:Oh, interesting. Well, I was shared a dormitory. There were only four of us because we were quite grown up and they are still very close friends. I mean, one of them is on my YouTube all the time and the other one lives in Bali, but we're still really good friends all these years later, growing old disgracefully together. But I loved it because I wanted it, I asked for it, but it was so much more fun than being at home. And also another thing that I hated, and so did my father. He hated commuting. Couldn't stand that.
Suzi Grant [:Standing in the freezing winter waiting for a bus.
Siobhan Daniels [:Oh, gosh.
Suzi Grant [:Oh, do you remember that?
Siobhan Daniels [:I do.
Suzi Grant [:Colder than it is now. It was much colder, wasn't it? I know.
Siobhan Daniels [:I tell my daughter that I said, and we used to have just sort of like a gabbardine and wellies and bare legs and standing, waiting for the bus, freezing.
Suzi Grant [:Always had cold hands and feet. So I think that could have been another reason why I said, please can.
Siobhan Daniels [:I go to boarding school? So going back to your career in journalism, do you remember, was it difficult for you to get your first job as a woman? Or has it never impacted you, being a woman in the workforce? Because a lot of women have come up against sexism. Yes.
Suzi Grant [:No. Well, I'll tell you the type of sexism. It didn't upset me. It was just a way of life in the 80s. But after advertising, I had a passion for radio. I still have a passion for radio. That's why I listen for podcasts constantly. I don't read books.
Suzi Grant [:I do audible. I grew up listening to a radio. So my first career, I was lucky enough to get onto a course in Soho for radio journalists, basically, and I had the right background. And he said at the end of the course, there were about 30 of us, that he thought I was the one least likely to succeed because I was from advertising. He said it nicely, but I was the only one who succeeded.
Siobhan Daniels [:That's firing your belly talk for me.
Suzi Grant [:Yes, exactly. I got a job at Capital Radio as a freelance. Very quickly, I think I was living off money borrowed against my mortgage, because I certainly wasn't earning, as you don't. But I did it for the experience and I made features and then eventually I joined full time. I did the breakfast show with Graham Dean for those old enough to remember him. For a year, I was the news and weather girl. Best job ever, if anyone says, what was your best job ever? That was it. Even though I had to get up at 430 and then I was lucky enough to get shifts at TvAm and moved into the not so glamorous world of television.
Suzi Grant [:I wish I'd stayed in radio.
Siobhan Daniels [:Do you know what I said? That I did ten years in radio and I just thought it was part of the career progression to go to telly, but I wished I'd known then what I know now. And I would never have gone to telly, because, like you, I love the medium of radio and podcasts and listening.
Suzi Grant [:To best, just the best. But it didn't pay the. Remember Jilly Cooper? Do you remember?
Siobhan Daniels [:Oh, gosh, I do.
Suzi Grant [:Well, she was the first celebrity I ever interviewed and I was at Capitol and she actually said, darling, don't go into television, it's full of fake people. Stay in radio, it's much more real. And I wish I'd listened to her. But you don't listen to anyone when you're 30, do you? I know.
Siobhan Daniels [:Well, it sounds like you were having an amazing time when you were 30. What were your thoughts then about when you're 60 and beyond? Did you think it was a case of slowing down? Was it something to be fearful of because all the images being portrayed fill your thoughts?
Suzi Grant [:No, I don't think it ever. I remember thinking the woman I worked with when I was 21 was extremely old and she was probably only 30. She had the dog and a flat to me, but I didn't feel like that at 30. Probably because I was mixing with more people I interviewed much older. I like Jenny Cooper. I mean, what a wonderful example of ageing. And we didn't have Instagram. I don't think I was that concerned about people's appearance and how they looked and how old they looked.
Suzi Grant [:The only time it hit me was when I was 42 and my mum died at 62. And she was the healthiest person in the world. She brought me up because she was Bulgarian, on the Bulgarian, which is Mediterranean diet. So I was brought up on things like roasted peppers. I was eating 30 veg a week with my mum in the 50s, so I was brought up really well. She had to go to the chemist to get olive oil, which they only used then for ears, so she was coming home with it. Tiny bottles. Yes.
Suzi Grant [:So that she could give her family olive oil because she knew how good it was. So when she died of a massive heart attack, it was my biggest wake up call. Far more of a wake up call than working in TV. I was still on TV and, yes, very conscious of wrinkles, because you got cameras and you're looking at the camera all the time thinking, oh, God, I'm going to lose a face. Look. So that was when I was 42.
Siobhan Daniels [:Oh, my goodness.
Suzi Grant [:Yeah, that's why they all go and do it. It's very cruel, especially now with HD. But anyway, that was my wake up call now, to be fair, and I make doctors take it off my records because they're just so desperate to put me in that category, and I go, take it off. My mum was obese, she took no exercise and she was an alcoholic. Do not put me in the same category. That's another.
Siobhan Daniels [:But you concentrated on nutrition after that, didn't you? Am I right in thinking you wrote some books on nutrition?
Suzi Grant [:I did. So because of my mum dying, I obviously realised that my life could be much shorter than I was hoping for. So I read everything, I devoured books and did loads of research and made sure I was. I mean, I always had eaten a healthy diet, but I was absolutely addicted to learning more and more, to such an extent that television was coming to an end. You know, I don't have to tell you, I was getting ridiculously antisocial. Hours of news, reading on sky and driving all over the place just to do a programme. And I just thought, oh, I don't really want to do this anymore for the rest of my life.
Siobhan Daniels [:What age was that, if you don't mind me asking? That you were repurposing what you wanted to do.
Suzi Grant [:Late 40s.
Siobhan Daniels [:Right.
Suzi Grant [:And I decided to train as a nutritionist, which I did around my 50th birthday. That was a huge milestone. My 50th. Far more than 60 or 70.
Siobhan Daniels [:Why was it so huge?
Suzi Grant [:80 day middle aged. It's so accepted now we've got all these podcasts and all these Instagrammers and YouTubers all proud of being middle aged. But don't forget, this was a long time ago. I'm 70, something I prefer to say well over 60. If I'm not in the mood, I don't like labels and there's something horrible about saying the word. My favourite DJ has just reached 50. He will not say that word. He will not say it.
Suzi Grant [:He said, I don't want a t shirt with it on. I'm 30 as far as. And I thought, good on you because you immediately get put in a slot of being middle aged, or in my case, old.
Siobhan Daniels [:I hear that, though. I hear what you're saying and I understand what you're saying. But one of the reasons that prompted me to do this podcast, retirement Rebel life after 60, was I got sick of not seeing 60 and just being lumped with sort of after 50, it was almost like they didn't bother. You were just like one big lump group of people that you were heading towards the slippery slope, slowing down and off you go. And it was like, no, I'm feisty, I'm loud, I'm living life, I'm out there and you're going to blum in here from me and as many women as I can.
Suzi Grant [:No, I totally agree with you. No, totally agree with you. That's why I hated reaching 50, because then it was officially middle aged. And after 50, you are invisible. You probably won't get a good job. You shouldn't do this, you shouldn't wear shorts, you shouldn't do the other. Yeah, I hated it. I didn't want to be middle aged.
Suzi Grant [:I'm much happier.
Siobhan Daniels [:Being old is good, isn't it? And that's what we are showing. Old is good. I don't say I'm young, I say I'm old. I'm getting older. But old is a good thing. It's not something to be feared. What I love about your social media channel, though, all the content that you create, it's so colourful and vibrant and just positive. Do you see yourself as inspiring and giving women confidence?
Suzi Grant [:Yes, that's why I'm here. That's precisely what I want to leave on this planet. Helping people. God, the comments I get on YouTube, Siobhan and Instagram, but even more on YouTube because that's a slightly older, more international audience. And I make them happy. If somebody says, you've made me smile today, I've done like, just farting about in this room going, look at this outfit. Look, I put clay, I love the.
Siobhan Daniels [:Way you do all your scarves. I love the scarves and the different glasses.
Suzi Grant [:Oh, the glasses, huge. But that's precisely what happened when I got to 50. I literally dreaded it with a vengeance. I walked two marathons. The second one was in New York just before my 50th birthday. I then ran away to a spa in Thailand, which was gifted to me because I was still doing journalism and I hid and I didn't let anyone know in the spa. It was my 50th birthday. Just like this guy I listen to every morning.
Suzi Grant [:My friends, one of my oldest friends, sent me a fax. That's how long ago. Goodness me, 50th. So everybody knew, so I had to celebrate it. But I literally ran away, which I haven't done for any other birthday. But when I came back very soon after that, I was writing. I think I'd done one book and I had another book deal with Penguin and I just sat and thought, why am I staying in London when I love the seaside and love living by the sea? Why on earth am I living here still wearing black, navy blue or beige every single day? And I moved to Brighton and that's when my whole life changed, because I wasn't on camera, so I could wear exactly what I like. I mean, I was always colourful.
Suzi Grant [:Friends remind me at Tvam, I had a full Length faux fur, which you never saw on Camera, that was bright pink.
Siobhan Daniels [:Oh, my goodness.
Suzi Grant [:So I always was a bit mad, but going to Brighton, I was allowed to be mad because everybody is here. You see men in their 80s rollerblading down the beach. It's not just women. Men with quirky hats on, Men tap dancing in the streets and Women with dyed hair. Everybody had bright orange hair when I moved, so I did as well, and very hippie. And you just basically can wear anything in this City.
Siobhan Daniels [:And how did you feel about yourself when you allowed yourself to be as vibrant as you felt so happy?
Suzi Grant [:I was such a happy bunny. I did Yoga every day. That's why I'm desperate to downsize. I want to go back to that Area. I used to walk to YOga every day. I had friends. I don't know how we didn't have. Well, we had the Internet, but we didn't have bloody mobile Phones.
Suzi Grant [:We used to have time to go to YOGA at least four times a Week and then sit having coffee outside, looking at the seas, sitting in the sun. And then I would go back to work and I managed to write a book doing very little the rest of the day. So I don't know what's happened now, but I don't have enough hours in the day. I don't know about you.
Siobhan Daniels [:You do a lot of travelling, don't you, on your own, as solo female travelling, which is something I am passionate about. I work with the caravan and Motorhome Club to encourage women, particularly over 60, to go out in their vans and to travel and travel on their own. What would you say to women who say, oh, I dare didn't go on my own?
Suzi Grant [:Excellent. Well, first of all, I have to say, like the lady you interviewed last week, but she said she'll always ask a man. And I thought you did very well. You were like, no, you can do it yourself. And I was thinking, yes, right on, Siobhan. Because I used to be one of those, can't open the jar, I'll go and ask the neighbours. And then I learned to do things which I'm shouting at you while I was listening, going, YouTube, you could do anything if you've got YouTube. I have learned how to cope with leaking taps and all sorts of things.
Siobhan Daniels [:No, it's so true. I went to France recently on my own and I'd never driven on the other side of the road in my motorhome and I was showing at 64, you could do it. And then the night before I was panicking about going round the roundabouts and I got on YouTube and I was watching loads of YouTube things about how to go round the roundabouts in France and it was fine when I got there, but I did consult YouTube.
Suzi Grant [:Exactly. We can do anything. I draw the line at what you're doing only because I have bad eyes. They're getting worse. I'm actually the optician sending me to the eye hospital, which is very depressing.
Siobhan Daniels [:All right.
Suzi Grant [:I had a detached retina in this eye. Now, this eye is wonderful, but the other eye is developing a cataract, which is good news because my sight will improve when they remove it. But also I've got. Macular degeneration has got a little worse in this eye. So driving. I can't drive at night. Haven't been able to since the detached retina. I gather lots of women are having this problem and men now because of the hugely bright headlights.
Suzi Grant [:And as for driving in France, that periphery, you didn't do the periphery.
Siobhan Daniels [:No, I didn't. No, I didn't do that. I just went into Normandy.
Suzi Grant [:Oh, I did that in my thirty s and went round and round Paris, crying for about 2 hours. So I cannot do what you're doing, but I could drive there and camp. I'm very happy. I've done loads of festivals, camping. I'm very happy living rough.
Siobhan Daniels [:Roughly in your sixty s, fifty s, sixty s. In your later life, have you been doing that? That's what I love.
Suzi Grant [:I started going to festivals in my 50s started. Yes, I used to go to day festivals, obviously, while I was living in London, but I actually started camping in my fifty s. I backpacked round Thailand on my own in my 50s. So, girls, whatever it is you want to do, the only thing stopping you is you. It's what's going on in.
Siobhan Daniels [:I totally, totally agree, Susie. And when my daughter went off to uni because I'd been a single mum since she was four and a half, I got a gap year from the BBC, packed my rucksack and I went round the world on my own for a year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yeah, we've got so many similarities. But what about safety and fear and being on your own? Because that's it. People blow it out of proportion, don't they?
Suzi Grant [:I think the fear. I don't read newspapers, certain newspapers. I don't watch the news. I'm sure you've got friends like this. I have friends who always concentrate on the negative and never the positive. I was talking about something the other day and my friend immediately said, oh, that's right, because I love Portugal and I keep going out to see my brother and she, you know, they're having terrible problems with their hospitals because she reads rubbish all the time online. Terrible problem. Make sure you don't end up in a hospital.
Suzi Grant [:And I went, well, first of all, I'm going to avoid going to hospital. Secondly, my brother went there and was treated amazingly well for five solid hours to make sure he hadn't had a stroke. So that's what annoys me.
Siobhan Daniels [:Yes. There's always doom and gloomers in this world, aren't they? And people say to me about giving up my home and all my possessions and all that, secure what if? What if? And I say, I'm not going to age with what if being the dominant factor in my life, what if? When it happens, I'll deal with it.
Suzi Grant [:We don't know how long we've got on this planet, Siobhan. That's why I want to make a. You are the best of every moment of it. The only thing that's holding me back now is my dear dog. I can't go anywhere because he's 17 and dying. But not dying dying. He's still got a happy life. But if it wasn't for him being.
Suzi Grant [:He'll go back, but I can't go far that phone call saying, I think he's reaching his end. I can't be the other side of the.
Siobhan Daniels [:No, no, because you do go to Australia, don't you?
Suzi Grant [:Yes. I used to go every winter. My favourite place was Byron Bay and all my friends. I've got more friends there than I have in Brighton. And I used to go to gigs all the, you know, again, that's a really scary know if you believe, ooh, brown snake. You'll be dead in seconds if a brown snake gets you. Oh, don't go in the. Oh, there's crocodiles in know.
Suzi Grant [:You just have to use common sense. Obviously, if I was in Cape Town I wouldn't go out at night on my own, but I had practically everywhere else.
Siobhan Daniels [:It's common sense wherever you are, isn't it, about living and security. But also what I love is you're travelling solo, you're going to gigs, you're going to festivals, you're camping out and you think of all these labels that they give to people when they're in their fifty s, sixty s, seventy s, eighty s or whatever. You wouldn't fit it. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?
Suzi Grant [:No. But Siobhan, the most hilarious thing is now I'm not camping anymore. I'm a bit over that. But there's a wonderful festival in Portsmouth that I go to with my best mate dahlia every single day because fortunately for us, she's walking distance from the festival. So we go and party for two or three days nonstop. And we've had some amazing times there. But the one thing I've noticed is some of the youngsters don't mean to be, but they're incredibly patronising and they say, oh, look at you two. Well done you.
Suzi Grant [:Wow. And it makes me really angry. And I just go, excuse me, we fucking invented sex, drugs and rock and roll. And I can't help it, it makes me so angry. How dare they act like, look at those pensioners. Dancing is probably what they're thinking.
Siobhan Daniels [:But you know what, I remember when I was in my 20s going to a nightclub and seeing some women who I knew were in their mid forty? S and they had children at home and being a bit of a monkey. Well, a bitch really. With my friends going, they should be at home, they've left their children.
Suzi Grant [:And look at me now. Look at you now. Exactly. Oh, just for anyone listening, just do what you've always wanted to do.
Siobhan Daniels [:Well, that was going to be what advice would you give to people who are ageing now?
Suzi Grant [:Yeah, well, I find something that you're passionate about. You have found something. I have. The reason I started instagramming and blogging and youtubing was because I was bored. I'm not a retirement person, nor are you. I have to be creative and do something. And I actually went full circle, Siobhan. What I loved doing in my 20s was making audiovisual shows of my travels.
Suzi Grant [:My first trip to Australia, and I literally put slides and music together that I did at home as a hobby. So that's a clue as to what you need to find your passion again. So when my godchildren, I said, I'm really bored, and I've tried to write a film script. I can't do it. I've tried to write a novel. I can only do nonfiction, blah, blah, blah, blah. And both of them separately, they haven't even met each other, said, why don't you become a blogger? And that was ten years ago this September. And it's like, this is what gets me up in the morning.
Suzi Grant [:If I have nothing to do, I'm like, gosh, I've got nothing to do today. What's. So I create some content. I mean, the climate stops us doing a lot of things we'd like to do. And a 17 year old dog stops the big walks, although I can leave him at home now. So I think the biggest advice I can give anyone listening is, please find your passion, lose your fear, don't listen to the negative minis or so, but what we call the negative and do what is going to make you happy. Now, it might be getting on a plane, saving up for business class, and going to the other side of the world to visit an old school friend that you really miss. It might be going to a festival.
Suzi Grant [:But if you're of a certain age, you might want to do clamping instead of putting up a tent, because that's really awful. Especially if it rains.
Siobhan Daniels [:Or take a motorhome.
Suzi Grant [:Or take. Even better, I would happily stay in a motorhome.
Siobhan Daniels [:We've got to do an overnight, you and I. We've got to do somewhere. Go somewhere for the night, park.
Suzi Grant [:I want to go to Scotland. Can we meet in Scotland one day?
Siobhan Daniels [:You fly up there.
Suzi Grant [:I love Scotland. I adore Glasgow. I went all around Scotland last year with a friend from Australia. I want to go back to Edinburgh. I am in love with so. And I want to go cold water swimming. I'm too frightened. Now, that's one thing you can help me with.
Siobhan Daniels [:Have you ever been to the outer Hebrides?
Suzi Grant [:No, I've only been as far as isle of sky.
Siobhan Daniels [:Right. You should fly to Glasgow. Then we'll drive to Oban, get a ferry over and we can go to Harris and Louis and it's beautiful. And we can do some beautiful cold water swimming, do our breathing, relax. I promise. That's a girl's road trip.
Suzi Grant [:We'll have to wait till the dog is either got a sitter or he's gone. I really mean it. Siobhan, I was going to ask you about cold water. I've got cold water out there in my pond. But somebody's frightened me. Somebody who came to decorate ages ago because she got the aftershock thing right. It's like hypothermia, but it's called something else. And she was shaking from top to bottom.
Suzi Grant [:And ever since then, it's really scared me doing it on my own.
Siobhan Daniels [:No, I do think it's sensible to build up to it. I built up to it by having lots of cold showers.
Suzi Grant [:That's what I do now.
Siobhan Daniels [:I didn't do my first few cold swims on my own. I did them with other people. I'm very cautious where I do go and if I'm any doubt, I don't go in and I take all the safety precautions. But I also have a hot drink with me. I've got a fabulous dry robe.
Suzi Grant [:Exactly.
Siobhan Daniels [:But more often than not, I'm with people because all around the country there are wonderful groups of women that you can just contact wherever you go and they welcome you with open arms. Now, this podcast is called Retirement Rebel, and I ask all my guests one question, and that is, when was the last time that you felt like you were a rebel or felt rebellious?
Suzi Grant [:I'm always rebellious, Siobhan.
Siobhan Daniels [:I know.
Suzi Grant [:That's why I love you. Somebody tells me not to do something, I'll do the opposite. I did write into, do you know Jane Garvey and Glover?
Siobhan Daniels [:Yeah, I do.
Suzi Grant [:Yeah. Yes. I love their podcasts. I did write into them on Instagram because Jane is very cynical. But she's just very cynical. She actually said, I'm going to upset a lot of people now, but she actually said the other day, is it just me? But I'm so sick of hearing about the menopause. Every time I turn the radio on, every time I pick up a paper, has it gone too far? And I did write in and say, I'm with you. I'm so sick of it.
Suzi Grant [:And then the next person she interviewed was Davina McCall. She said to her, far more politely, do you think we've had enough of it now? And Davina had completely the opposite.
Siobhan Daniels [:Yeah, I think that is rebellious. That is definitely rebellious. But for me, I'm doing this podcast as well because I want to prove, okay, people can suffer in the menopause. It can be a hideous time. Not for everybody, but it can for some.
Suzi Grant [:Go and see an expert. In that case, please go and see an expert.
Siobhan Daniels [:But post menopause can be the best time of your life. So let's move on. Let's think of this decade and beyond, and it can just be the start of something new because I don't know what happened to me. The other side of the menopause, you kind of feel so much stronger. You're more opinionated. I was just ready to take on life even more.
Suzi Grant [:I completely agree with you. We may be luckier that we didn't suffer, but had I been suffering, I would have gone to see know Davina McCall and co. Are doing a magnificent job because they're banging the drum for people like Dr. Louise Newsom.
Siobhan Daniels [:Yeah, they're getting the conversation going.
Suzi Grant [:The experts that we now have, like Louise Newsom, has trained 200 gps in the menopause and HRT. Yes. Okay. You have to be really careful. But there are more benefits than side effects or dangers. And so that's why I'm glad they're banging the drum, because nobody should suffer. If all the members of parliament, all the men in this country had those sort of things to suffer from, oh, my God, there would be medicine re on tap. This is rebellious.
Suzi Grant [:I actually asked my doctor who was on the phone just to do another prescription so I can get it free. And I said to her, this particular person, who's an expert now has trained 200 gps. I'm just really sad that there isn't one in my local surgery. Would it not interest you? And she went, no, I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in the whole. She actually said, I'm not interested in that. I don't want to become an expert in the menopause, so how sad is that? So I'm a rebel in that respect.
Siobhan Daniels [:Well, you're a rebel. You're my inspiration and you've been an absolute joy to talk to on the podcast. Thank you so much.
Suzi Grant [:Just shut up. I can't wait to meet you in Scotland. You're going to make me a braver woman because something happens, girl. Sorry to end on a sad note, but psychologically there's a big difference between 60 something and 70 something. I think it's because of all the media. That's why I think I'm going to stop talking about my age because it started in COVID if you're over 70, you're vulnerable. If you're over 70, you should have a flu jab every year. And you said it yourself, it's now over 65, it's over 60.
Suzi Grant [:How far are they going to go? You should be on statins, blah blah blah. And I think we need to take I have always been like this all my life. Take charge of your body. It is your body, not theirs. Your body. If you're not happy, then go and see an expert. And that's all I can say. Just don't buy into this.
Suzi Grant [:I'm old. Which is very common. Even I do it. I go, oh, I'm so old now.
Siobhan Daniels [:I just say I'm old. But I say it with an upbeat. We've got to say upbeat because old can be good. And on that happy note, thank you so much for talking to me.
Suzi Grant [:Absolute pleasure, darling.
Siobhan Daniels [:I hope that you enjoyed that conversation with Susie Grant, aka alternative ageing as much as I did. She's such an inspiration to me and perfect to be part of the retirement rebel gang. She's ageing in such a vibrant manner. I want to reflect on what we talked about and share with you what I'm taking away from our conversation. We discussed how as older women, we can do anything that we set our minds to. I'll certainly support that. And it's something that I want this podcast to foster that sense of self belief rather than self limiting and doubting our abilities. Susie also told me that she only started going to festivals in her fifty? S, a time when a lot of people think that they're too old to attend them.
Siobhan Daniels [:Now in her 70s, she doesn't see herself stopping anytime soon and that's inspirational to me. Her zest for life. She never thinks I'm too old and I love that I'm like that too. Age doesn't define me. As this retirement rebel community begins to grow and we support one another, hopefully we'll nurture more like minded women who want to try new things in their sixty? S, seventy? S and beyond like Susie, and realise their dreams. It's wonderful to hear from you and to know that you're inspired by some of the women I've already spoken to on this podcast. If you know of anyone who you think has a thought provoking story or life experience to tell us about, please get in touch via my website Retirementrebel Co. Uk so that we can connect and keep the conversations going.
Siobhan Daniels [:My mission is for women in their sixty? S and beyond to get their voices heard. Thank you so much for joining me on today's retirement rebel Life after 60. I'm truly grateful for your time and your willingness to embark on this journey with me. If today's conversation sparks something within you, or if you've your own rebel story to share, I'd love to hear from you. Please reach out through our social media channels or email and let's keep the conversation going. Email us on podcast at retirementrebel Co. UK and remember, if you found value in our time together today, consider sharing this episode with a friend who might also enjoy and benefit from our retirement rebel community. Spreading the word helps us grow and continue to challenge the narrative around life after 60.
Siobhan Daniels [:All of our details can be found on Retirementrebel Co. UK. Retirement Rebel Life after 60 is written and hosted by me, Siobhan Daniels and produced by the incredibly talented Matt Cheney. Join me again next week for another episode. Until then, keep embracing your inner rebel and living life to the fullest. Bye for now. You.
