As I sit here recuperating from a slipped disc in my back, the sure fire sign of being fully entrenched in middle age, I read a book on ‘Blogging’.

In summary, the book advised to blog about ‘what you know’ and aim at a ‘niche market’ and this is what I endeavour to do, although, arguably, billions of people, aged around 45-65 worldwide can hardly be described as ‘niche’.

I am a UK based school teacher as well as being a newspaper columnist of many decades standing. I write on any topic I like, with a tongue in cheek slant on proceedings. One topic I wrote about, which led me to set this site up was ‘Middle aged men in nightclubs’.

Having written the piece, I bought a copy and placed it in my middle aged scrapbook, looked at the pre-requisite online abuse that comes with the territory, and forgot about it.

However, about a year ago, I heard my 14 year old daughter in fits of hysterics in her bedroom. Upon enquiring as to the source of her mirth, she replied ‘you!’. Further investigation showed that her friend, who she was cyber chatting to, or whatever it is called these days, had been given some homework.

Now I am unsure what the homework was exactly, but it involved her Googling the term ‘middle aged man’, and, to their surprise (and mine!) my picture showed up as the worlds number one ‘middle aged man’ picture.

Word spread and, despite being invisible in most of my undertakings, I suddenly had students and adults come up to me, randomly, and ask ‘have you Googled middle aged man?’. As an ice breaker it was choice, and left me in the position, quite by chance, of being the worlds numero uno which I have never achieved in any other activity in my 49 years frequenting planet Earth.

And so began a quest: to get to the ‘nub’ as to what middle age is and what it entails. I am lucky in a way as I (feel as if I) have my finger on the popular pulse through being a parent, but more so a secondary school teacher. I am aware of the names (if not the body of work) of famous vloggers, rappers and other such non entities, that make me curl my face into a pained expression as I become more like my father every day, and fully embrace, despite the incessant dislike of, middle aged.

So now the site is borne. It is a ‘forum’ (there’s a middle aged word, if ever I heard one) to discuss, share and commiserate with anything that affects, impacts, pleasures or irritates the middle aged amongst us.

No longer spring chickens, despite believing we are, and not yet ready for the knackers yard, our lot is unique as products, services and experiences that we once sneered at and derided, are now our comfort blankets as we try and squeeze what we can before we hit the so called golden years of incontinence, care homes and meagre state pensions.

Whatever tickles your fancy is fair game. It could be your penchant for prog rock from the 70’s, the joy of buying a leaf blower, or the benefits of the multiple uses of WD40. Maybe you have made a contraption with wood, or suffered an injury falling off the ladder as you re-painted the soffit, or you want to share with the world your take on those comfortable zip up shoes you swore never to wear but, my God, they are oh, so comfy!

Maybe the modern world fills you with angst or confusion and you want to vent, or to espouse the merits of a cruise or a hack to stop the fridge door squeaking. Whatever it is that tickles your middle aged fancy, this is now your ‘safe space’ (sorry…I forgot my age for a moment there!).

Welcome to ‘Middle Aged’.

Despite not wanting to visit so soon, we have been expecting you, so embrace it, share it and live it, whilst you still have the gumption to do so….