A Bridport author is helping baby boomers enjoy their vintage years - and it's all for a good cause.

Alan Heeks is preparing for the launch of his new book, Not Fade Away: Staying happy when you're over 64, which hits the stands on Tuesday, May 1.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to Action for Happiness, an independent charity with a vision for a happier world. Its patron is the Dalai Lama.

Alan, who lives in Bridport, said: “The mid sixties and beyond are a landmark age: a good time to choose what you want from the years ahead, and take stock of the story so far. This short, practical book offers simple maps to find your bearings and make sense of the sixties and seventies. It’s a time of big transition, potentially a time of new freedom. But it’s also a time for facing challenges, which is why navigating your way forward skilfully at this age is so important. The book will also be a helpful guide for those in their fifties, offering inspiration and helpful foresight for the road ahead.”

Not Fade Away also explores what we can learn from the spirit of the Sixties. With so many music and movie stars from the era still vibrant and performing at 70 plus – from Mick Jagger and Judi Dench to Terence Stamp and Judy Collins - what can we learn from their journey through the decades, and how the Sixties shaped them?

With advice on silver dating, friendships, family dynamics and different types of communities and groups, it also shares advice on finding more meaning and purpose and provides ideas for creating fresh adventures.

Mr Heeks added: “One benefit of these uncertain times we live in is that patterns and precedents are breaking down, so we’re more free to suit ourselves. There are people starting families and big new projects in their seventies; there are people relishing a quieter, slower pace; and there are people facing death or major illness. Whatever you’re facing, believe that you have more choices, more resources and more support than you imagine. Trust that life is inviting you to find your way. I hope you’ll find Not Fade Away a useful resource in that process, shining a light on your best way forward.”