Old rockers turned out in London’s East End to show there’s plenty of life left when you hit your sixties.
Some 300 pensioners packed the Mile End leisure centre for Tuesday’s Older People’s Day bash.
Entertainment was laid on including a rock’n’roll band—even rockers get old.
Some got up to put their dancing skills to the test to enjoy the 1950s’ again, even ‘wallflowers’ like Mark Mapstone who admitted: “I enjoyed the rock and roll so much that I regret I couldn’t dance.”
Oldest ‘rocker’ of them all was Henry Abrahams, who is 102 years old.
The big bash was arranged by LinkAge Plus, paid for by Tower Hamlets Council and the local Clinical Commissioning Group, as part of Old People’s Day—a national celebration of achievements and contributions older people make to society and the economy.
Activities laid on at Mile End included massages, hair-styling, manicures, tai chi, keep fit, computer workshop, line dancing and art, all served with a hot meal and a chance to meet people for a good old chinwag.
Pensioner Margaret Breen said afterwards: “I met some ladies at the bus stop from the event and we are all going to a coffee morning.
“I used to sit indoors and was very lonely, but I need to get out more because there is so much happening. I filled in a form to go to keep fit.”
Information stalls were set up about cancer screenings, fire services, health checks, energy services and especially swimming and keeping fit—which Margaret had made a bee-line for.
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