Gemma Styles: This Elderly Raver Couple Are Reminding Us To Be Ourselves

YOU DO YOU.

An unnamed couple from Poland, both in their late 70s, have got us talking this week after spending their Sunday night in London cutting up the dancefloor at Fabric. Until 5am.

Jacob Husley, co-founder of the Sunday night WetYourSelf event that the pair visited said: “They told me they go out regularly on Saturday nights in Poland and were looking for the best club in London.”

I like to think this means that the Sunday night they got all this attention was just one in a string of raucous evenings as they road-tested different club nights around London in a week long club-stravaganza. Sadly nobody got their names so it’ll be hard to ask them...but humour me and pretend.

This to me is a great example of doing-whatever-you-want. Regardless of what other people expect you to do based on your background, friends, gender, age… there’s no reason you have to do that. If actually rather than spending your weekends in clubs, you’d rather have a relaxed evening in the pub, or catch up on box sets and sleep – more power to you! Mr and Mrs Fabric reportedly started their evening with a couple of tequila shots and then spent the rest of the evening requesting cups of tea. So, even if you do like clubbing on a Sunday night, who says you have to get absolutely blotto-ed? Personally I like a few vodka and tonics to help me release my exceptionally white dance moves - but each to their own.

As the older generation are apparently out frequenting London nightclubs, the younger might be becoming less likely to do so; in the past few years we’ve seen reports of knitting, needlecrafts and other hobbies more associated with nans gaining popularity among young people. At the same time, the number of whippersnappers consuming alcohol has declined sharply, with more of us living life teetotal. People seem to be less inclined to embrace their stereotypes and have somehow been emboldened to go out and do whatever the hell they like instead. What a time to be alive.

Of course there are always theories to explain behaviour patterns in society. More young people are living with their parents, so depending on that relationship it might be a factor; even if you’re in your 20s, if your mum is going to be pissed off when you roll in at 4am and wake her up dropping your chips all over the landing, it might make you tone down your rowdiness a bit. Not to mention the fact that a big reason we’re living at home longer, or returning home, is to save money and let’s face it, going out is just expensive

Whatever the reason behind it, breaking out of our neat little boxes and being ourselves seems like a pretty good thing to me. Thanks for the example, clubbing septuagenarians – YOU DO YOU.

- Gemma Styles