There has been a battle raging in my living room—a deep-rooted standoff (对峙) that began when I was a child of about nine. That is the age I was when my parents purchased a second-hand piano to support my continuing musical training.

Some may characterize it as a love-hate relationship, even though I believe the bond between us is more than that. Of course, on the “hate” side there were plenty of frustrating hours spent practicing, the forced performances for relatives and the trimmed fingernails. And the obligation I had to shoulder, as my family sacrificed a lot for me to have piano lessons, because I had talent. My teachers said so and, truthfully, my heart said so, too. But all too often it felt like a burden.

There was also love on that piano bench. There were times when I could feel the music ring through me. I could feel it vibrate (震动) through my fingers. The connection between two people when we were performing a duet was beautiful. When my music landed on my audience it made me want to play forever.

But my musical talent did not survive my teenage years because of my desire for freedom. When I had a home of my own, the piano mostly sat unloved or at least unused, feeling fingers on the keys only during Christmas and when my own children took piano lessons.

And yet here I am, writing about my piano. I’m about to move house and despite my emotions, there just isn’t space for the piano.

It feels like I am giving away the family pet. So here I sit playing my last tune before the movers take the piano away and surprisingly there lies a growing desire for something else. It is time to clear the air to let in a different melody. Time to say, “Thank you for being part of my life,” take a bow and leave the stage... with one final note rising up alongside the dust in a sunbeam.

Terri Bolton is a dab hand when it comes to DIY (do-it-yourself). Skilled at putting up shelves and piecing together furniture, she never pays someone else to do a job she can do herself.

She credits these skills to her late grandfather and builder Derek Lloyd. From the age of six, Terri, now 26, accompanied Derek to work during her school holidays. A day’s work was rewarded with £5 in pocket money. She says: “I’m sure I wasn’t much of a help to start with, painting the rooms and putting down the flooring throughout the house. It took weeks and it was backbreaking work, but I know he was proud of my skills.”

Terri, who now rents a house with friends in Wandsworth, South West London, says DIY also saves her from losing any deposit when a tenancy (租期) comes to an end. She adds: “I’ve moved house many times and I always like to personalise my room and put up pictures, so, it’s been useful to know how to cover up holes and repaint a room to avoid any charges when I’ve moved out.”

With millions of people likely to take on DIY projects over that coming weeks, new research shows that more than half of people are planning to make the most of the long, warm summer days to get jobs done. The average spend per project will be around £823. Two thirds of people aim to improve their comfort while at home. Two fifths wish to increase the value of their house. Though DIY has traditionally been seen as male hobby, the research shows it is women now leading the charge.

Many people over 60 years of age in the UK are spending their later years taking up new hobbies and activities, according to research from Age UIC 71 percent of those over 60 years old are meeting new challenges like learning a foreign language, taking lo the dance floor, or even taking part in outdoor activities like bungee jumping and mountain climbing．

The new survey looks at attitudes towards later life in people aged 18 and above and has been conducted to mark the start of a new TV advertising campaign. With the positive attitudes of many of those aged 60 and above who describe their lifestyle as interesting（38 percent）, varied（42 percent）, fun（20 percent） and satisfying（24 percent）, it shows the nation that growing older does not mean that interests and hobbies should stop.

It features people doing what they enjoy, celebrating later life and all that it can offer. This is in sharp contrast to some younger people's ideas of old age as boring and slower-paced. Among those featured are a Tai Chi group, dancers, a 91-year-old bodybuilder, and an 81-year-old singing leading lady. Many of them are people who have been directly helped by Age UK. The advertisement aims to show the different services and products that Age UK offers and how it can help people to make the most of later life.

Michelle Mitchell, Charily Director at Age UK said, "Through our research and the exciting new TV advertisement, we hope to show another side of growing older and encourage people of all ages to take up some hobbies. One in five says that they have felt more comfortable in their own skin since they reached 60 years of age, and this confidence helps to give people the drive to try the activities they have always wanted to try."