AGE is creeping in and it’s not until you realise that aspects of life that are familiar to you are alien to younger generations that you realise.

Someone a few years younger said to me: “You’ve spelt ‘musical’ wrong.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve spelt ‘musical’ wrong in the brochure.”

They were referring to a live show we have coming up about the life of the Music Hall star Vesta Tilley.

I said: “It’s Music Hall, not musical, you know, Music Hall….” I was met with a vacant expression.

Having a wife who’s a New Zealander keeps me on my toes when it comes to looking at things afresh.

She often questions various aspects of English life that I’ve taken for granted for so long they’ve become the norm but when I examine them…. Why do we say that? Why do we do that? Why is tradition so important to us that we keep it at any cost?

And how do we keep these older ways of life, types of entertainment and leisure activities alive? And are they worth keeping or is it just nostalgia? Is it merely a case of hanging on to the ‘good old days’, or is it vital that we keep a link to them?

After all, vinyl is making a huge comeback, apparently the microwave is the way to cook nowadays and with all the movie remakes happening maybe the older days were better.

But also isn’t it about opening your eyes to what you thought you knew?

After I explained the concept of Music Hall, my younger friend said: “Oh, like Live at the Apollo?” (A TV variety show featuring acts filmed live at the Apollo theatre.) “I watch that every week,” he said.

“Yes, just like that, but better,” I said.

“Have you seen it?”

“No,” I admitted.

“How do you know it’s better?”

He suggested I watched it. I suggested he came and saw Vesta, our live show. Fascinated that this programme he watched avidly every week on TV had a forerunner in theatre he said he would.

Score! That’s one ticket sold!