Daytime disco for older ravers launched in Bay

A new daytime disco has been launched in Torbay to meet demand from older ravers.

It was launched just two days after 105-year-old Hilda Jackson celebrated her birthday with a rave, including a DJ, face paints and glow sticks at her Derbyshire care home.

Here in the Bay, more than 40 people took to the dancefloor to throw a few shapes for two hours to music provided by DJ Chris Hill at the St Marychurch Conservative Club in Torquay.

Organised by Jess Slade from Live Longer Better in conjunction with Torbay Communities Community Builder Jennie Langridge, it follows on from the success of a similar venture in Preston.

One of those on the dancing for most of the afternoon was 78-year-old Myra Rogers from Roundham, who was at the disco with three friends who are already regulars at the sessions in Preston.

She said: “We were all really pleased; the DJ was great, the atmosphere was good, and we were all strutting our stuff. We like to think of ourselves as mature but wild.”

DJ Chris was equally enthusiastic: “For the first one, it was great, and I am really looking forward to the next. It is all about judging what they want to hear. The tastes were varied from recent stuff to the four floor fillers at the end – the Mavericks, The Beatles, the Village People and the Bee Gees.”

Jennie echoed both their comments and added: “It was a fantastic afternoon, lots of reconnections and new faces to me. People came from all over the Bay. A great atmosphere and everyone said that they really enjoyed it.”

The discos will be held on the last Thursday of the month at St Marychurch and the first Thursday of the month in the Preston Conservative Club.