In a 2012 article in the British Medical Journal intriguingly entitled “Good news about the ageing brain,” Dr Martin Richards draws attention to “the richness of mental life in older age, where many complex cognitive skills are preserved or even enhanced.” To be sure, the memory for names and details become less sharp, but this is more than compensated for by a superior ability to grasp the gist or meaning of what is going on.

Much has been written about the importance of keeping our brains and minds active as we get older, including some rather trivializing suggestions about the usefulness of bingo and puzzle books. If that’s what keeps you alive and content that’s fine, but never be limited by what others suggest! Do what fully interests and engages you, whether it’s chess, crosswords and Scrabble, or reading, embroidery and learning Sanskrit. Your brain will love and reward you for it.