Twiggy is a 60s icon
New research has revealed that two thirds of over-65s admit letting the swinging sixties pass them by, is one of their biggest life regrets.
The survey, conducted by MORE TH>N also concluded that for the majority of Brits the most rebellious thing they did was to grow their hair long or read Lady Chatterley’s Lover. 88% did admit however that they never attended a ‘psychedelic happening’ and over half regret not going to see the Beatles in concert.
Forget Twiggy, John Lennon, flower power and Carnaby Street, it would appear the truth is that young people in the ‘60s had more in common with Mary Whitehouse than Mary Quant.
Surprisingly, the research also reveals it’s the North West that’s the true capital of ‘60s popular culture. Despite London’s world famous Carnaby Street boutiques and psychedelic music clubs, just over a quarter of Londoners admit they lived their life by the swinging ‘60s ideals and ‘did it all’, compared to almost two thirds of Mancunians and Liverpudlians.
Amongst the other biggest regrets cited by the over 60s, romance features heavily. One third of British women, and almost two thirds of men admit they regret not dating more people before settling down, while three in ten Brits say they regret letting their one perfect partner slip through their fingers.
Two thirds of all respondents regretted not travelling more when they were younger with the Indian ‘hippy trail’, Great Barrier Reef and Great Wall of China, coming top as the top dream destinations. Other biggest regrets include failing to learn a musical instrument or a second language.
Pete Markey from MORE TH>N says: "It seems that in the sixties most people were too busy with their jobs and raising families to have been involved in all the action we associate with this era- and now they wish they hadn't let all the excitement pass them by.
We want this research to act as a call to action for everyone, young and old, to get out there and live life to the full. Life isn't a rehearsal and we only get one attempt, so why not seize the day? It’s not the things in life we regret doing, but the things we regret having NOT done, which matter when we reach old age."