gggrrr !!

biker is 58!!! ! need a now!

I think it's the hair...

www.uknewsday.com/index.php/news/29612-grey-power-university-challenge-finds-surprise-star-in-58-year-old-student-who-shows-younger-classmates-how-it-s-done.html

Yes, the hair. My age too and I hope I look younger than that. To me, with the hair she looks at least mid to late 60s.

Well that is big bit of non-news! Woman over 20 answers questions!! - shock, horror! Perhaps it is a low period for news.

Eleanor Bron in a wig, obviously. But of course she knows more than the babes. She has had a few more decades to absorb facts. My DH could have gone on it this year but his take was "why on earth would i want to subject myself to an ordeal like that..." and anyway he had too much work to do last term.

Yes I agree the hair is very ageing but even in she looks 65 that's still not an old lady.

I took exception to 'neatly arranged grey curls'. Looked to me like a natural mop and I'm really envious! What with this and the Mumsnet harpies who think the elderly are just a drain on their resources, I despair.

I featured in an article in the Independent when I was 45. I was described as a middle aged women with a crinkly perm . It was at the time when permed hair was all the rage.

She wasn't that good. She didn't have a broad range of knowledge, unlike some other 'mature' people who have been on the programme.

The hair makes her look years older than she is but the comments were unecessary. I will be 58 in 3 weeks and thats why I cant go grey yet I am not ready for it, dont need any help feeling my age.

Aren't we just encouraging patronising/ageist remarks by reacting so strongly? Not that I think there's anything wrong with the description of "neatly arranged grey curls" (it's quite a good description actually, even if the curls are natural) though "sweetest little old lady" is a bit yuck.

Do we need to snarl at such comments? Couldn't we just ignore them?

I ask because I get a bit sick of the opposite – being told how young I am appear.

I began to go grey in my early thirties. I'm also 58.

I think I may go and get a couple of boxes of nice & easy tomorrow and re-do the colour,I'm sure she is a very clever lady but in my world she does not liken to your average 58yr old reminds me more of 70+ but even then I know some very glamours 70+ yr old ladies who are very fond of their image.

Why do you get a bit sick of it, thatbags? People obviously mean it as a compliment - I'd love it said to me!

She does look rather old. When I was young I thought anyone over the age of 30 was ancient.

It hadn't struck me that she was much over 50 when I watched, and she just looks like one of those people with very thick curly hair. I'm afraid my idea of a sweet old lady would be at least 20 years older, but I suppose the fuss about her grey hair means that I am right to keep colouring mine!

Because it's irrelevant most of the time. Because it's tiresome to have people telling you you look younger than you feel. I know a lot of people say they feel younger than they look but I don't. My age is part of who I am. I have LIVED for 58 years. I've always been content to be known to be the age I am whatever that has been, and I remember consciously thinking about that from the age of about nine. Never any desire to be older or younger. Just what is.

It can also mean, I suspect, that people have wrong expectations when they think you are younger than you are and that can be difficult to deal with.

thatbags, If you overheard somebody whispering, 'Crikey, is she only 58. She looks MUCH older', would you really not mind?

You should hear what Minibags says sometimes, merlot! I just laugh. Seriously though, perhaps I would mind if people thought I looked much older than I am and I overheard this, but how likely is that unless one's in a position such as the mature student in question? Normal people are not so indiscreet as newspapers.

On the other hand, if I felt strong and fit and healthy, and able to do what i wanted to do without feeling exhausted or ill, why should I care? BEING those things is more important than looking those things. At least, it is to me.

I'm with you here, Bags. Being small i spent the first 40 years of my life being mistaken for a child and I'm still being told how young I look (for my age) No matter how hard I try to appear mature and experienced it never, never works, I'd just like it not to be a matter for comment. Although many people feel free to remark about height in a way they wouldn't dream of mentioning big bosoms or thick ankles or whatever. Just get over it, everybody. As for 'sweet' yuk. As bad as 'cute' and just as patronising.

And when I first got my Freedom Pass I was stopped by the inspector four times (admittedly I was observed from the back and my face was muffled up with a scarf) as being suspicious.

To be honest, I feel that being told to 'get over it, everybody' is quite as patronising as inadvertently supposing someone is younger than they look, MiceElf.

Yes, it must be irritating for you and Bags, but perhaps you should 'get over it'!

Just looked at the article Ana linked to. Absolutely sickening.

Stupid stupid world.

I think merely discussing the issue on gransnet counts as getting over it, since I've never mentioned my feelings on the matter to anyone who has made "youngist" remarks .