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Women over 40 are having more babies than the under 20s for the first time in nearly 70 years, official figures for England and Wales show. The Office for National Statistics data showed there were 697,852 live births in 2015. There were 15.2 births per 1,000 women aged over 40, compared with just 14.5 per 1,000 women in their teens. The last time the over 40s had the higher fertility rate was in 1947, in the wake of WWII. The figures show two key trends in who is having children and when in England and Wales. The teenage pregnancy rate has been in long-term decline and has more than halved from the 33 births per 1,000 teenagers in 1990. Meanwhile, pregnancies have soared in older age groups from 5.3 per 1,000 in 1990. The average age of having a child is now 30.3 - a figure that has been increasing since 1975. Advances in fertility treatment as well as more women in higher education and attitudes around the importance of a career and the rising costs of childbearing are behind the rise, the ONS says. Liz McLaren, head of vital statistics outputs at the ONS, said: "The trend for women to have babies at older ages continued in 2015. "Over the last 40 years, the percentage of live births to women aged 35 and over has increased considerably. "Women aged 40 and over now have a higher fertility rate than women aged under 20 - this was last recorded in the 1940s." The data also shows that fertility rates have dropped in all age groups under 25 while increasing for all age groups 30 and over. Women aged between 30 and 34 have the highest fertility of any age group - with 111 births per 1,000 women. The number of births to women born outside the UK has also continued its rise, reaching 27.5% of all births. Prof Adam Balen, the chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: "We know that female fertility starts to decline gradually from the late 20s and more rapidly from the mid-30s onwards. "While the risks should never be overplayed, men and women should be aware that reproductive outcomes are poorer in older women. "As well as it potentially taking longer to get pregnant, later maternity can involve a greater risk of miscarriage, a more complicated labour, and medical intervention at the birth." The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said: "The trend towards older motherhood is here to stay, and there are many understandable reasons why women today are waiting longer to start or expand their families than those in previous decades. "Rather than bemoaning this development, we should seek to understand and support the decisions women make. "More affordable childcare and improved maternity rights may make it easier for some women to start their families earlier if they wish, but we also need to ensure we have high quality reproductive healthcare services configured to meet women's needs, whatever the age at which they conceive." http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36782323

A double-page article in the print edition of Wales On Sunday, a English-language Welsh newspaper, and 'sister' newspaper to The Western Mail (Mon to Sat). Wales on Sunday has a circulation of just under 10,000-copies each Sunday. Bearing Witness Wales On Sunday (UK), Sunday, August 5, 2018 - pages 14 & 15

see link below: January 19, 2017 TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS IN WALES Re: Prerecorded Memorial and Special Talk 2017 - Welsh

Stephanie Booth was once in the running to buy Wrexham AFC Stephanie Booth, one of North Wales' most colourful characters, has died at the age of 70. Also known as Stephanie Ann Lloyd, the businesswoman and hotelier was regularly in the spotlight during her amazing life and career, even featuring in her own BBC Wales show, Hotel Stephanie. Originally born Keith Hull to parents who were Jehovah's Witnesses, she had to overcome transgender prejudice following her sex change from family man to female entrepreneur. As a man, she worked as a director of a FTSE 100 company and became a father of three after marrying at the age of 21. But, 16 years later in 1983, Ms Booth underwent gender reassignment surgery. The flamboyant character told how she lost her job and family following the surgery, but was determined to forge ahead with her new identity and life. Speaking about the gender reassignment, Ms Booth said: “Gender reassignment is a long, painful journey. It solves one painful problem in your life but creates others.” In the mid 80s, she launched a transgender mail order catalogue and a contact magazine. A transgender hotel was set up in Manchester with a second shop in London. Ms Booth married David Booth, and they moved from Manchester about 23 years ago to start one of the most respected business partnerships in North Wales. They had a chain of seven hotels including Bodidris Hall in Llandegla, The Wynnstay Arms in Wrexham, and The Wild Pheasant , The Chainbridge and The Bryn Howel in Llangollen. In 2008 and 2009, the BBC Wales fly-on-the wall documentary Hotel Stephanie hit the screens, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the larger-than-life character. In 2011, Ms Booth was in the running to buy crisis-hit Wrexham AFC , but the club eventually came under the stewardship of the Wrexham Supporters Trust. Later that year, Ms Booth's business went through troubled times when a chain of hotels run by her went into administration. Ms Booth died at the age of 70 after a tractor crash at a farm on the outskirts of Corwen on Sunday night. http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/stephanie-booth-larger-life-character-11907389

A former church elder in South Wales has claimed the church has gone against the request made by Judge Lowell Goddard The Jehovah’s Witnesses have been accused of ordering the destruction of documents in direct contradiction of an order not to do so from a major child sexual abuse inquiry. Religious organisations, as well as schools, colleges and other institutions, have been told by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse – led by Judge Lowell Goddard – to keep hold of any documents which could be useful to the investigation. A request sent out to the bodies last year stated measures should be taken “to ensure that everything of potential relevance to the Inquiry is retained”. Jehovah’s Witness elders hear allegations against members of the congregation and record what is said. We have seen a copy of an edict distributed to Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations around the UK ordering the destruction of “all agendas and minutes of elders’ meetings (other than business meeting minutes)”, “all personal notes taken at elders’ meetings (except those based on discussions of outlines from ‘the faithful and discreet slave’ and that do not mention any particular individual)” and “any other personal records, notes, or correspondence that refer to particular individuals”. 'Not transparent' Referring to the congregation file the edict also says all agendas of elders’ meetings should be destroyed and that Congregation Service Committees should “make sure all records relating to child molestation are in harmony”. And one former senior church elder from South Wales, who has been a Jehovah’s Witness for more than half a century, said the revelations put the church directly at odds with the request of the independent inquiry. He said: “The fact is there are dangers within the Jehovah’s Witnesses as there are within other organisations – but whereas I see other organisations taking steps to conform with child safety it seems the Jehovah’s Witnesses are going the other way. They are still trying to keep it in-house and not making it transparent.” He added: “Under the present rules all personal documents, aides-memoire, agendas and notes are to be destroyed. That will mean in future that if they are approached by police Jehovah’s Witnesses could say they don’t remember anything. New Zealand High Court judge Justice Lowell Goddard “This seems a backward step, particularly in the light of Judge Lowell Goddard’s request that, so victims can be helped in bringing justice to abusers, all organisations must keep what they can to assist. 'Ignored' judge's request “Why, when an organisation says it abhors child abuse, would it go and destroy documents that can assist in bringing a child abuser to justice? “The evidence I have experienced is a clamming up, a shutting down, and a silence of almost an obstructive nature to police investigations. “They are saying they send this out regularly but Judge Lowell Goddard has said not to – so why haven’t they instructed the elders and said that although they usually do this but this year we won’t because we want to follow this request? “They say it’s what they have always done but we have got to change what we have always done.” Karen Morgan, a victim of sex abuse by church elder Mark Sewell, who was once an elder in the congregation in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, also criticised the move. She said: “At the time of my case the police were told there was no paperwork relating to my case as it had been destroyed. This paperwork would have contained all documented evidence from the many meetings with elders. “Despite knowing the importance of these papers the governing body seem to be deliberately instructing their elders not to keep them. Church 'committed' to helping victims “This only confirms my view that the governing body are more interested in protecting their image than caring about the victims.” A spokesman for the church said: “We are committed to doing all we can to prevent child abuse and to provide spiritual comfort to any who have suffered from this terrible sin and crime.” Speaking about the leaked edict the spokesman added: “The document... is simply an annual reminder sent to congregation trustees encouraging them to follow standard procedures so as to meet their responsibilities under data protection and other legislation.” The spokesman also said: “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and view it as a heinous crime and sin. The safety of our children is of the utmost importance. “For decades our journals The Watchtower and Awake!, as well as our website jw.org, have featured articles for both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the general public on how to protect children from abuse. Cover-up claim 'absolutely false' “We have no paid clergy. Congregation elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws and with the data protection principles contained in the Data Protection Act 1998. (Romans 13:1) They provide abuse victims and their families with spiritual comfort from the Bible. (Isaiah 32:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14) “The victim and his or her parents have the absolute right to report the matter to the governmental authorities. (Galatians 6:5) Congregation elders do not shield abusers from the authorities or from the consequences of their actions. (Galatians 6:7) “Anyone who commits the sin of child abuse faces expulsion from the congregation. If such a person is serving in a position of responsibility he is removed. Any suggestion that Jehovah’s Witnesses cover up child abuse is absolutely false." A spokesperson for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse said: “The chair has stated that the inquiry will investigate abuse in religious settings (including all faiths and religious traditions) and issued a letter giving notice of retention/non-destruction of documents to the leaders of 18 prominent religious organisations.” http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/jehovahs-witnesses-ordered-destruction-notes-10848053