Aging Disgracefully

Siobhan Daniels joined our #AgeisNOTjustaNumber movement literally on the move from her motorhome, Dora the Explora, while adventuring solo across Great Britain. Challenging ageism along the way.

After a 30-year career as a BBC presenter, writer, and producer in radio and television, Siobhan, 61, became increasingly disillusioned with the way older people were depicted in the media, advertising, and marketing. Here’s her story:

“I felt there was a terrible ageist attitude, and the images used in stories bore no resemblance to the people around me I saw in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.

At the same time, I felt that as a society, we were spending far too much time working to buy stuff we did not really need, or could not really afford. We were working such long hours that we hardly had any time to spend with family and friends.

I decided to get rid of my flat and most of my possessions, buy a motorhome and travel around Great Britain to dispel the stereotypes of what retired pensioners did and what they looked like.

People at work thought it was a joke at first. Until they realized that I was deadly serious. "You are actually going to do this, aren't you?,” they asked.

For part of my retirement present, they gave me a mug with my own logo depicting me and my new moniker: SHUVONSHUVOFF. They also gifted me with a year's membership for the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

It was a scary prospect heading out alone on my motorhome madness. But I had this desire to take a good look at my life and reflect on what I really wanted to get out of it now.

During the last few years, my belief in myself had been shaken during menopause and how I was treated by my boss at work. I cannot believe I ever allowed myself to be treated the way I was. When you are going through menopause, it is so hard to fight back. If I ever see that person again in my life, I will give him both barrels and tell him what he did to me and how he made me feel. I never deserved that.

A lot more needs to be done to raise awareness of ageism in the workplace and in society. For the time being, with my motorhome madness, I want to inspire other retirees to seek out adventure, think outside the box, and push their boundaries.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for me.

I bought my motorhome, an Autotrail, 20 feet long and 7 feet wide. I fell in love with it straight away. I used to live in a flat surrounded by so much stuff that I did not ever use. Now my motorhome is full of things I need and enjoy using. I love my simple surroundings.

I started my blog and set off into the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. I headed up to Scotland in the winter months to have time for reflection away from crowds of people.

Too many people lose themselves and their sense of identity and purpose in life when they retire. I want to do the opposite and really find out who I am and what really makes me tick.

Since I set off, I have weathered several storms and high winds, experienced the worst rainfall in February since they began recording rainfall levels, and somehow managed to survive Covid-19 lockdown in my motorhome without going totally stir crazy. I was fortunate to be on a site in Lancashire where the owner let me stay for nearly five months during the lockdown in Great Britain.

But I have definitely been on an emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes feeling totally lost and other times embracing the fact that I have all the time in the world to do what I feel like doing. It is such a luxurious position to find myself in.

I have spent hours cycling around on my electric bike, exploring the beautiful area. I continue to focus on my blog, writing magazine articles, and contributing features every couple months about my motorhome madness to BBC Radio Kent.

I said my plan was to have no plan, I would just see where the mood took me. If I liked a place, I would stay, and if I didn't I would move on. I have met interesting people and learned a lot about myself.

I had to lay demons to rest along the way, including grieving properly for my mother, who died six months before my journey began. And mend my broken heart after a failed relationship, which was ultimately a release from something that would never have survived my travels.

I found the perfect spot by a Loch in Scotland to really let go of my emotions. It was very cathartic.

I have found so much energy and excitement for life. I do not have restraints on my life like work and bills. I have a small BBC pension to live off, but that is all I need. I am letting myself be strong and face everything that life has to throw at me, and I am loving the feeling that I am aging in a way that I always envisioned.

I know it is unconventional, but I hope it will inspire men and women to look around at their lives and really ask themselves, "How do I truly want to get older?" Do I need all that clutter, both physically and mentally? Is it making me age in a way that is not good? Slowing me down? Well, there is another way.

You can AGE DISGRACEFULLY. Do your own thing, really connect with nature and living, and embrace the joys of aging.

I have missed family and friends during the lockdown and struggled a lot with not being able to hug. But once the camping lockdown ended, some of my family joined me in their motorhomes and tents. Even though the weather was awful, we had our own MINI GLASTO and had so many laughs. We ate and drank a lot, went for walks, and fed the soul.

The young people love the way I am aging disgracefully. They want to be as carefree as me when they get to my age. That really pleases me. I am not cut off from their social scene because I have reached a certain age. They want to hang out.

Younger people should not be dreading getting older but actually looking forward to it as a time when they can really come into their own.

When I was growing up, my parents ran an old people's home. They took men from the age of 65 and women from the age of 60. Having just turned 61, I find that unbelievable.

I am so active, cycling for miles, and still going skiing. Just the other day, I was running around the campsite gathering wood like a madwoman, breaking it over my knee to build a fire to relax by with a few drinks before I retired to my motorhome for the night.

The thought of sitting in a nursing home is so far removed from my reality. The way we age nowadays has dramatically changed. Society, and the advertising and media world, need to reflect the new narratives about age and realize that many of us are choosing to age on our own terms.

Or what I am proud to call Aging Disgracefully.”

Follow ShuvonShuvoff Motorhome Adventures at Shuvonshuvoff.blogspot.com. On IG @shuvonshuvoff and on Twitter @SiobhanDaniels.