I recently watched a television programme about a renowned retirement community in mid-Florida called The Villages, I say renowned because it is something of a 21^st century phenomenon which could well spread across the so-called civilised world.

The community is now more like a city with over 100,000 retirees aged anything between 50 and 100 years of age. It is completely self-contained and administered and is often referred to as Disneyworld for old folks. It could equally be regarded as a kind of benevolent prison with hints of Big Brother or that 1960s television programme “The Prisoner” (“I am not a number, I am a free man!”) such as piped music in public places and loudspeaker announcements to help you get through your day.

The community was recently scandalised when one over-exuberant 68 year old woman was arrested for drunk-driving. Worse was to follow when the same woman, clearly a lively soul, was arrested the following week for having sex in a public place with a toy-boy aged 49 years of age!

Investigative reporters have discovered that these incidents are not quite as isolated as you may think and the community, where women outnumber men by an estimated 10 to 1, has a record of drug-taking and sexually transmitted disease to rival even Miami!

The Villages are not for everybody but even so, there’s said to be a long membership waiting list!!