VISTORS had a right old time at a celebration of ageing and wisdom this week.

Residents across the city gathered at Oxford Town Hall, in St Aldate’s, for the Old is the New Young festival on Thursday.

The free event invited guests to take part in a host of activities including dancing, yoga, singing and table tennis.

Visitor Elizabeth Davies, of East Oxford, used an iPad at the festival’s pop-up internet cafe organised by the Museum of Oxford, in St Aldate’s.

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The retired art teacher said: “I enjoyed it. I had some interesting chats with the helpers.

“You get to a certain age when you have left work and you go into another universe. Speaking to youngsters is just a treat.”

Visitors received help with texting, skyping, tweeting and Facebook between 10am and 4pm.

Old and young guests also had the chance to create portraits of one another. Jenny Eclair later performed her one-woman show Eclairious at the Old Fire Station, in George Street, for the festival.

The festival was organised by Judith Holder who produced the BBC Two programme Grumpy Old Women and co-wrote three live stage tours for Jenny Éclair.

Mrs Holder is now a visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Population Ageing where she is writing a book about growing old.

 

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