No old age blues, only a blue pencil

doweshowbellyad=0; S P Ambrose (TOI Photo)Outside the Ambroses' residence, there hangs a quiet that one hesitates to disturb. A stolid door stands shut and the bell refuses to ring. Once inside though, warm earthy interiors and a glass of chilled fruit juice replaces the air of diffidence.
"Give me a moment please," says 80-year-old S P Ambrose in a half-tremulous, half-stern voice, shooting off a mail from his inbox.The former IAS officer who along with his friend gave Chennai two of its most popular neighbourhood newspapers ��� 'Adyar Times' and 'Anna Nagar Times' ��� is reluctant on being interviewed this humid afternoon, but concedes in the end.
"During my last years of service as assistant director general in ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics), I itched to pursue something cerebral post retirement. The idea of starting a neighbourhood newspaper was suggested by a junior colleague," says Ambrose.
"I was ready to lose a certain amount of money on this venture," continues the former Collector of Madurai, South Arcot, Salem and Coimbatore. "I was a gambler at heart. I still am," he says with a throaty laugh. With his residence doubling up as an office, the 'Adyar Times' took off just as the 'Anna Nagar Times' did. But even as the latter began to break even, the former ran into huge losses and eventually the two split. "We ('Adyar Times') started out with a circulation of Rs 6,000 but as soon as we began to levy a subscription charge of Rs 8 per month, the subscription fell down to 2500," he reveals. But the man who had been the secretary-in-charge of various departments wasn't ready to shut shop. By working with a team that primarily consisted of homemakers, the team began to see a change of fortune.
The 65-year-old then plunged into his second career by getting up at 4 am on Sundays, visiting the printing press at Aminjikarai and collecting the copies for distribution. "It took another 18 months to raise our circulation to 5,000. But I enjoyed doing it. It kept me occupied and anxious about the future, which according to most is non-existent for senior citizens," says Ambrose.
"The concept of ageing has changed," he continues. "Earlier, people thought your life was over by 60. But with the breaking up of the traditional family system, the aged are perhaps able to pursue interests long neglected," he says.
These days, the octogenarian has his hands full. Apart from being an editor, he also overlooks its Trust and is an active member of the Catholic Trust. And to do all of this, he stays fit by going for an hour's walk in the morning and winding up by 11 pm. "With age, one does slow down. I don't know what I will do when I turn dependent. Have to work something out for it," he says more to himself. "But the key to healthy ageing is to keep the cerebrum ticking," he concludes.
lakshmy.ramanathan@timesgroup.com