X MARKS THE SPOT

As a survey confirms the Eighties and Nineties were rated the highest for quality of life, Bill Borrows delves into why Gen X are the most open, laidback and happy generation

- Bill Borrows

If it weren't for the fact that she was wearing an Apple Watch, it could have been 1992. It was about 11.30pm, the night had just got going and her eyes were the size of saucers. The club in Manchester was heaving, "Love Has Come Around" was filling the floor, and her phone was ringing in her bum bag. She ignored it twice and then it pinged. Swearing as she tried to find it, she then started shaking her head and texting at the same time. “It’s my son,” she said, “he’s going on holiday and wants to know if he should buy travel insurance. Jesus Christ, it’s Saturday night.” Her text back simply said: “Tommy. I’m OUT.” Then she rolled her eyes and disappeared into the crowd.

Hang on, what the hell am I doing in a club? I’m the same age as Humphrey Bogart when he died. And is it right that I am wearing combat trousers, a T-shirt and Stan Smiths, and filling bottles of water from the cold tap in the toilets? And wait, what’s my ex-girlfriend doing here, too? She’s now the same age as Diana Dors when she died. The answers to those questions, respectively, are that we are having another brilliant night out, wearing the same kind of thing we did in 1992 and dating again after more than 30 years since the Madchester scene.

And we’re not alone. Gen-Xers (those born between 1965 and 1980) are now in their fifties and still doing what they were doing after the Berlin Wall came down and have never really stopped doing: having fun, living life.

Lumping some of us in with the younger cohort of boomers (born between 1946 and 1964),