Recycled teenagers?

Posted By: Robin Parker
Date Posted: 11/07/2007

I was watching Breakfast TV this morning featuring a Council somewhere which, in additional to disabled parking bays, was introducing parking bays for old people. The bays showed the symbol of a couple bent over and the front one holding a walking stick. This is the symbol generally used on a warning road sign near a residential or nursing home. People of 50 plus were being asked for their views. Most said they found it insulting. Hooray.

The reality is that any person who fitted the description of those being depicted would be entitled to a blue badge anyway. What that Council should be doing is increasing its blue badge bays and coming down hard on the able bodied scum that steal them; but that’s another mission.

What it said to me is how do we define ‘old people’ or ‘the elderly’? It is pertinent at the moment because the three Councillors in West Middleton have a capital allocation that before my re-election had been agreed to be spent to aid services for ‘the elderly’. The problem with this phrase and ‘old people’ is that it conjures up a view that generally implies frailty and an inability to achieve. Would it not be better simply to state an age category?

Age Concern start at 50. Far too young in my view, but it works for them. It seems to me that the optimum point would be 60 when pensions, at least for women, kick in and other concessions such as Winter Fuel Allowance and free Travel Passes are available for all.

If I were to go to a social/working men’s club on a Sunday night, the chances are that many up for the dance spot would fit in the over 60 category, and some a good deal older than that. Music would probably be from the 50’s to 70’s. The Tea Dance is generally for people in their seventies and eighties who grew up on ballroom dancing, which is now increasing in popularity and attracting younger people following the success of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’

We’ve just finished the Langley festival that took up so much of my time that I didn’t set any aside to write about it. Part of that was learning a new sport, namely crown green bowling, and I’m signing up to play for the Langley Veterans. What was really encouraging was the training sessions for school kids and their real enthusiasm for the game. So what was once considered an ‘old people’s’ game is now universal.    

My lad is getting married in August and his mates organised a stag activity weekend (paint ball etc.) to which I was invited. I declined due to ‘the generation gap and impending frailty’. My son responded by suggesting a specific ‘dad and lad’ stag do. Consequently I was probably the only one with a GM travel pass at the Metallica gig at Wembley last Sunday. My enthusiasm and participation was no less than those half or a third of my age. As Tim said to the mates we were staying with, I was jumping about more than him at one time!

Realistically, when we get over 60 there are some things we can’t do so well, but it doesn’t mean we can do nothing. I’ve had to give up distance running since my heart surgery, but Jack Kirk from Middleton once won the ‘over 75’ category in the London Marathon with a time of 3.30! I received a Christmas card from a friend who was a mature student when I was at college and he said he’s getting a bit weaker and having to restrict his daily walks to a couple of miles. Not too bad at 86! On the other hand, some at 40 or under would struggle to run for a bus.

The other thing that should be remembered is that ageing doesn’t necessarily imply a weakening of mental capacity. I went to Touchstones last year to an exhibition that was being opened by Cyril. He was struggling to get about but there was no reduction in his mental capacity or ability to make a speech. The experience that comes with age is a valued asset.

I still have a beaker, given to me on my 45th birthday, which says ‘I’m not old, I’m a recycled teenager’. That’ll do for me.