‘If I gave up work, what would I do?’

One in five older people in the UK admits to feelings of loneliness – and this only intensifies at Christmas. What is causing this crisis and how can we combat the sense of isolation?

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES; WROUGHT IRON & BRASS ...

These readers are looking for like-minded penpals, companions or someone special

When Cheryl Barnacle boarded a plane to Florida in 2006, she thought life couldn’t get any better. She and husband Clive had just celebrated their silver wedding anniversary, looking forward to motorb