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Leading article: Young at heart

Wednesday 25 February 2009 01:00 GMT
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Remember the name Geoff Dornan. He will go down in history as a pioneer. Just fined £300 by Sefton Council for nuisance and endangering the public, what the Lancashire pensioner was actually doing was roller-blading, and doing it rather well. You can watch the CCTV footage that convicted him on the internet and positively feel his joy. Far from resentment, we feel envy: would that, after reaching 70, we could all have such fun in the open air.

The chairman of the bench said it was clear that Stockport's Chapel Street was not meant to be used as a skate-park, which is incontrovertibly true. But, as our hero might have put it: "If not Chapel Street, then where?" Where are the skate-parks for superannuated roller-bladers? We have no idea, but they had better start building some – not only because the population is ageing, but because, once they see Geoff's roller-blading exploits, his septuagenarian peers will all want to try.

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