Welcome to the first issue of Generations Review online in 2008! One of our key objectives for Generations Review online has been to promote a dynamic and up-to-date exchange of ideas, research and news between all BSG members and we are delighted that so many members of BSG have been so willing to contribute to the newsletter. This issue again has some excellent articles from a wide range of topics which reflect the diverse and inter-disciplinary nature of BSG. We look forward to the second year of Generations Review online and reading more of your contributions.

The first news we have to announce is about changes to the editorial team. Sally Richards has regrettably decided to step down as co-editor due to changing priorities and workloads. We would like to thank Sally very much for all her work, ideas, and support during the very uncertain and early days of Generations Review going online, in particular, her eagle-eyed editing skills will most certainly be missed! We are delighted that 3 new co-editors - Samuel R Nyman, Subrata Saha and Veronika Williams - from the University of Reading are joining the team and have already been busy editing this issue! This is an excellent and exciting development and their dynamism and energy will without doubt be reflected in the newsletter! The BSG welcomes you all!

The ‘news and reviews’ section gives a real flavour of the opportunities and experiences of participating in different ageing conferences. There are some candid and diverse reviews of BSG Sheffield 2007 from BSG bursary award holders and of GSA, San Francisco, in 2007. These reviews will be of particular interest to BSG members thinking about attending any of these conferences, and highlight the importance of the BSG bursary scheme to facilitate participation at our annual conference. We are sure you will find the articles about future conferences, workshops and study groups especially useful as you consider the opportunities for dissemination and networking during 2008. We are also delighted to profile and update you about current opportunities for research funding from the Averil Osborn Memorial Fund and New Dynamics of Ageing programme. Alongside the regular messages from Kate Davidson and Jenny Hislop, the news and reviews section is therefore a lively and dynamic start to 2008.

We also learn about Randall Smith’s 35 years research experience of ageing and policy issues in the profile section. In particular, the links between research and the changing policy and practice context throughout his career are highlighted. His profile will be rewarding for academics and students in social gerontology as well as those in social policy disciplines, who are working or have interest in the policies for older people, community care policies and practices.

This issue’s research section includes two very interesting and novel papers. Nick Le Mesurier from Staffordshire University provides a literature review on the increasingly important issue of care for older people in prisons. Then, Julia Johnson and Sheena Rolph, from the Open University, and Randall Smith, from the University of Bristol, provide an account of their revisit to a care home that was visited by Peter Townsend in his seminal work The Last Refuge (1962). Three abstracts of PhD theses are also featured to showcase new research in the areas of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; social identities and constructions of risk, emotions, and bodies; and how employing care workers using cash payments affects the support relationship.

The policy and practice section includes two very interesting articles, one relating to current projects by the Policy Research Institute on Ageing and Ethnicity, and the second article describes the experiences of Clare Wenger, Emeritus Professor of Gerontology, as a patient in the NHS. In the Education and Careers section, Dr David Oliver has contributed a fascinating article about the development and current focus of the British Geriatrics Society as the Society celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

We would like to thank all of our excellent contributors for their time, enthusiasm and willingness to provide material. Without your continued support we would not be able to produce such a stimulating, informative and lively newsletter. We are therefore keen to hear from any of our BSG colleagues who would like to write about their own areas of interest. The dynamic and up-to-date nature of the newsletter is reliant on everyone’s efforts not just the Editorial team. Naturally all contributions reflect the author’s own views and not that of the Society.

If you would like to contribute to any part of this newsletter we would be very happy to hear from you, so please contact us at website@britishgerontology.org

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Wendy Martin, Samuel R. Nyman, Subrata Saha, Christina Victor and Veronika Williams.

Co-Editors.

University of Reading .