Last updated at 12:37, Monday, 23 July 2012

The initial census findings which have just been published prove what Reiver has always known – that Cumbrians are among the wisest people in the land.

The figures show that Cumbria has more than the national average of over 45s.

We are blessed with more than our fair share of wise, old heads with decades of accumulated experience.

A glance through our letters page always shows how many people here know exactly how to run the country.

Of course old age brings not just wisdom and experience but often infirmity and forgetfulness.

Health and social care authorities are worried about the number of people that will need looking after in years to come and Reiver can never remember where he’s left his keys.

But the incoming grey tide ought to be good news for the Cumbrian walking stick-making industry.

One of the census findings that made Reiver raise his eyebrows is that there are more females than males in Cumbria.

Though in Copeland it’s raining men, in the rest of the county the girls are in the majority and altogether there are 253,800 Cumbrian women compared to just 246,100 are men.

That means there are an extra 7,700 women here.

Of course not all of them will be looking for a man in their lives, but some of them must be.

Reiver would be more than happy to hear from them.

First published at 11:28, Monday, 23 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk