Roll up, roll up! Older generation find joy and fearlessness in circus

The Guardian UK Sunday 05 July 2026, 05:00 UTC By Amelia Hill 1 min read

Key Points

Juggling, trapeze and hula hoop classes for over-50s are taking off as people rediscover their inner child and tap into health benefitsRumman Talukder’s favourite circus trick is called the Mermaid. Every Sunday, the 60-year-old IT consultant drives from his home in Stanmore to a circus school in Ware to practise it. Hanging from a trapeze by one arm, with his back arched and his legs wrapped around the rope, he says it makes him feel “strong and graceful”.

Juggling, trapeze and hula hoop classes for over-50s are taking off as people rediscover their inner child and tap into health benefits

Rumman Talukder’s favourite circus trick is called the Mermaid. Every Sunday, the 60-year-old IT consultant drives from his home in Stanmore to a circus school in Ware to practise it. Hanging from a trapeze by one arm, with his back arched and his legs wrapped around the rope, he says it makes him feel “strong and graceful”.

“My wife thinks I’m mad but in the run-up to turning 60, I decided I wanted to challenge myself; to find things not normally associated with people my age,” he says.

Talukder (ORG) Mermaid (PERSON) Stanmore (LOCATION) Ware (LOCATION)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Six months after the alleged murder of Hyderabad student Nikita Godishala — a case that sparked global outrage and online campaigns demanding justice — there has been little progress. The prime accused, Arjun Sharma, remains absconding, while Nikita’s family in Tarnaka continues to wait for answers. Though the family lodged a complaint at Lalaguda police station in Hyderabad, police officials said they have not yet received any communication from authorities in the United States to begin...

Times of India 2h ago

University of Oxford Is Older Than the Aztec Empire and Other Facts of History

The University of Oxford Is Older Than the Aztec Empire and Other Facts That Will Change Your Perspective on History The historical timeline you keep in your head might not be as accurate as you think As early as 1096, teaching had already started in Oxford, England, setting the stage for the establishment of the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Over the next century, the University of Oxford grew rapidly, welcoming an influx of students after 1167, when England’s Henry II...

Hacker News 3h ago

If you're a button, you have one job

If you’re a button, you have one job One thing I was (and still am) worried about when it comes to my recent big interactive essay is that by showing all these classic desktop examples, the whole thing might appear old-fashioned, relevant only to a bygone era. Yet, the challenges it shows are universal. Here’s something I just spotted.

Hacker News 4h ago

Roll up, roll up! Older generation find joy and fearlessness in circus

Related Stories