AND FINALLY Here’s to a truly bionic woman . . .

MANY people responded to last week’s column on exercise advising ‘use it or lose it’ and I’m grateful for warm fellow feeling and encouragement.

My favourite letter came from Linda — full of optimism about body and soul, love and life.

‘My first husband had a drink problem, but is a good man and we remain friends,’ she wrote.

‘My second was tall, handsome, charming, totally swept me off my feet — and, a few years after we married, repeated that scenario with various other ladies. He walked out and moved to Spain, leaving me and his 11-year-old daughter, whom he professed to idolise.’

Broken-hearted Linda thought, ‘never again’, took up fell-walking, and became friends with a lovely man called Graham.

‘After eight years we married and I am forever grateful. We were both 67 and have been married three years. Hope, perhaps, for others who write to you experiencing abandonment and feeling there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

‘It may seem like the darkness is too deep to ever come out the other side, but beyond it the light is always there. We just need to find the way.’

Linda’s email didn’t stop there. Her hip replacement was five months before mine. She assures me patience is essential to give the body time to heal itself.

‘I recognise I will never have the suppleness and lithe limbs of my youth, but ten months on I am now up in the hills and walking seven to eight miles with no discomfort or after-effects.

‘I am a volunteer complementary therapist with the local Hospice at Home organisation, regularly look after my two energetic grandchildren and love digging in our garden.

‘I shall be celebrating my 70th at the end of September and am looking forward to my twilight years. I may not experience the mind-blowing euphoria and intoxication of my girlhood, but I look forward to twinkling on cloud nine in my own personal seventh heaven.’

Now, that’s a bionic woman! Thank you, Linda — so much.