Roy Scott - You've Been COGGED!

May 15
3 min read

"You've been Cogged!" is a peek into someone else's world, hearing their stories, appreciating the work they do and their life too. Last week, Alorah, our resident You've Been Cogged! writer, met with Roy Scott. Many of you will know Roy through his work with U3A. Here's how the conversation went.

Describe yourself in three words:

Musician - Writer - Artist

Are you a member of any groups?

I am chairperson of Cheadle U3A. I’m also a member of the Cheadle Arts Festival group and a member of the World War II Project group.

I run 3 groups within the U3A. I also run a band, in which I play guitar - except when a keyboard player is required or the mouth organ, and I’m also a bass player.

What do you do for work?

I’ve been retired for six years. I was a nurse. I first retired when I was 58 and took on the role of houseperson, bringing up two small children while my wife carried on working. Later, I retrained/re-registered and went back to nursing, eventually fully retiring when I was 75.

What makes you smile?

People. I’m a great people watcher. I like nothing better than sitting outside a café and watching people; they make me smile, the things they get up to when they don’t think that anybody’s watching them. And little children, the 2 to 3-year-olds, are brilliant.

Name three things you can’t live without?

I’m cheating a little here … music, music, music! It’s my one abiding passion. Listening to it play and playing it.

Which song can you listen to on repeat and never tire of hearing?

Careless Whisper by George Michael, what an artist! Sarah, my wife, and I danced to it at our wedding.

If you were a star in a TV show or film, which role would you most like to play?

Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams played the role; he didn’t play it as a pantomime dame, he played it straight. I played a similar role in Nottingham, and I thought I’m going to do a Robin Williams here. I learned how to do things like a woman does, simple things like sitting down; men sit down differently than a woman. It was a very interesting experience.

What’s your proudest moment?

I would have to say being present at the birth of three of my daughters. I’ve got five. The last two are twins. They were born by Caesarean section and were born in the hospital that I was working in at the time, so I was allowed to watch everything going on in theatre - my proudest moment. Another was my being on Mastermind.

If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Make the most of whatever you can. I’ve always had a positive mental attitude. When opportunities arrive, they may only come once, so go for it because you don’t want to end up having regrets, and I don’t have any.

About Cheadle...

What’s disappeared that you would bring back immediately if you were Mayor or King?

I would like to see a better supermarket in Cheadle - the ones we have are great but mostly cover basics. If I want something unusual, I’d have to travel.

I would like to see more facilities for young people – there used to be a youth club near Cheadle Academy. Young people are at a loose end and have nothing to occupy them. The ages from about 12 to 15 seem to be lacking in support.

What’s your biggest fear?

I’m not afraid of things like spiders or snakes or heights. I only have the fear of missing out!

About Roy's Work with U3A

As chairman of Cheadle U3A, I am fully aware of what the organisation can offer to people in this area. U3A isn’t just about retired people, which is a popular misconception. I spend a lot of time talking to other groups, clubs, and organisations to address these issues. The U3A is open to anyone who is not in full-time employment, irrespective of age.

With a current membership in excess of 700, we have a variety of groups including walking, rambling, drama, dancing, singing, and art, over 50 groups. We are always looking for new groups and different interests.

We'd like to thank Roy for taking part in our inaugural You've Been COGGED and wish him every blessing with his work and life in general!