80 is the new 50

Retirement isn’t an option for the many well-known octogenarians living life to the full. Dave Kenny looks at the older people with a spring in their step, who believe age is no barrier to a full life.

LEONARD COHEN turned 80 this summer and is looking cooler than a naked Eskimo eating a 99 on an iceberg. He is making the most of his time left. Or as he puts it: he is “on the other side of the hill and it’s no time to tarry”.

Cohen went back on the road six years ago after discovering his former manager had swindled him. He is more popular than ever — and it’s not just a nostalgia thing. He’s doing his best work and his new album is being hailed as a masterpiece. His infamous melancholy is gone too, something he puts down to old age.