When does old age begin? That’s the question that was rattling around my head as I wandered round the Older People’s Day event at the Alban Arena last week.

The exhibition was aimed at flagging up activities, groups, classes and chances to volunteer, as well as highlighting where to find help.

I was struck by the wide range of organisations promoting their activities and seeking new recruits. It’s clearly a thriving area of our local life. The Arena was busy with visitors.

But how old is old? A 30-year-old teacher can seem old to an eight-year-old child. A 60-year-old is just entering middle age to a friend in their 90s.

‘How old do you think I am?’ is always a tricky question to answer, no matter who is asking the question.

And why do so many of us ask how old a woman or man was, when we hear they have died? “She had a good innings,” we hear people say.

Or we pause uneasily when someone the same age as us or younger dies unexpectedly.

Getting older makes you more relaxed, more content, someone said to me. Perhaps, but for many people it makes them impatient. They know time is running out, and they want to do so much more before the end comes.

The Bible wisely says, “to everything there is a season, a time to be born, and a time to die.”

So none of us knows how old we really are...