AN EVENING at Glusburn Institute had the audience "rolling in the aisles", say organisers.
Former UNISON leader Rodney Bickerstaffe and Mirror political correspondent Paul Routledge spoke on a range of issues at Friday's (Apr 10) event.
"Rodney was in playful mood with his old friend and they had the punters rolling in the aisles," said organiser Malcolm Birks, Labour's parliamentary candidate in South Craven.
"The event was tremendous fun and yet there were very serious discussions.
"Rodney highlighted the appalling number of older people in Britain who die unnecessarily over the winter period – 25,000 on average each year – while some colder countries such as Sweden have no increase in death rates between summer and winter.
"The difference is the generous funding of social wellbeing and health care that older people receive from the state services as well as their government’s drive to prevent fuel poverty.
"We need to learn lessons from these countries in order to prevent the appalling death rates in this country."
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