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Patsy Trench has been an actress, scriptwriter, theatre tour organiser and theatre teacher and lecturer. She now writes books about her family history in colonial Australia and novels featuring enterprising women breaking boundaries in Edwardian and 1920s England. She lives in London.

Latest Posts By Patsy Trench

7 months ago

Yes, I Am Anti Anti-Ageing

It’s almost impossible nowadays to buy a face cream that isn’t ‘anti-ageing’. “Proven to reduce the effect of wrinkles” is a slogan that is not only meaningless and impossible to prove, it’s a direct onslaught on the totally natural effects of living…

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10 months ago

Technology and the Older Person

If you are reading this, I already know one or two things about you. Firstly, that you are (probably) over 60. You are (probably but not necessarily) female, and lastly, that you at least have some grip on technology. We’re online after all, and a lot of us…

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12 months ago

The (Humorous) Hazards of Poor Elderly Eyesight

Author James Thurber, who had very poor eyesight, once wrote a hilarious story called “The Admiral on the Wheel” about a time when he was forced to spend a few days without his glasses after his maid stepped on them and broke them…

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1 year ago

To Airbnb or Not to Airbnb?

I first heard about Airbnb back in 2011. “Do you have a spare room to let for the Royal wedding?” The question popped up on Facebook. Interesting, I thought, but who are Airbnb? My friends in the U.S. seemed to think it was a legit platform…

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1 year ago

Giving Your Money Away (To Your Kids)

I have just handed a small fortune to my offspring to help them to buy properties and, in one case, to contribute towards IVF treatment. We all do it, if we are in a position to, of course. My mother was the same: she was generous to me…

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1 year ago

Rediscovering the Joy of Dance

We all know how important it is to keep active in our later years. It’s the catch-all remedy for any ailment you can think of, along with quitting smoking and eating healthily. And, of course, it is true: the older you get the more the muscles are prone…

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1 year ago

On Book and Film Endings: The Neat Bow and the Ellipsis

Endings are fiendish things. In the old days, fictional endings were clearly defined, wrapped up, tied with ribbon and fastened in a neat bow. Shakespeare’s endings were unambiguous: tragedies ended in mass death, comedies ended…

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1 year ago

Two Nations Divided by the Same Language (Attributed to Bernard Shaw)

Back in 2010, the British Guardian newspaper published a selection of angry letters from readers complaining about the increasing use of what they called ‘American slang’ in its articles. As one of them wrote…

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2 years ago

Getting to Know the Place Where You Live

I have always had a love-hate relationship with London. It’s the city I have lived in (almost) all my life. As a child, I found it horribly restrictive; I was never allowed beyond the front door on my own. When I went to stay with friends in the country…

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2 years ago

What You Should Know About Self-Publishing a Book

Back in 2010 or so, having finally finished my first book (nonfiction about my family history in Australia) and knowing traditional publishers would be unlikely to take it on, I decided to self-publish it…

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