SIR - Please can journalists stop referring to anyone over 50 as elderly', or grandmothers' and grandfathers' or even pensioners'!

Many of us in our 50s and even 60s are working full time in demanding jobs, leading hectic lives supporting family members of younger and older generations - in the thick of life.

For many women, such as myself, we are just finding our feet in management roles in the workplace again after putting careers on hold.

When the first thing you read about an individual is some sort of age definition, the visual image that springs to mind is fluffy slippers and stair lifts.

There is no real definition of age anymore, thank goodness - we have mature students (even pension age), glamorous celebrities, political leaders, pop groups etc of all ages.

You are as young as you feel - until someone refers to you as otherwise, then you just feel depressed.

Similarly - why do we need to know how much someone's house costs? It is usually completely irrelevant to the story - other than to trigger some class prejudice or define a family in financial terms.

It is obviously some sort of journalistic tradition but really outmoded.

And... no, sorry, ranting now - I'm getting on a bit.

Lissa O'Grady, Worcester