My friend and I went to see the latest ABBA movie last Friday. I had checked the times and we were at the cinema for the 12:30pm show. However, there wasn’t a 12:30pm show! The times had changed and the next show was at 2:50pm. Our disappointment was obvious and the management took pity on us. We were given two complimentary premium seat tickets for 2:50pm!
About 10 years ago I saw the live show of Mama Mia and danced in the isle with the rest of our crazy party. The current film was met with a milder reception but the tunes are very ‘catchy’ and there was some spectator participation.
When a friend turned 60, a few years ago, we arranged a surprise meal for her in a hotel in Devon, where they had recently relocated. There was a dance in the main dining room later that evening. This was a small private hotel and we must have been the youngest residents. We were met with a sing-a-along to post war golden oldies and a few pairs shuffling around the dance floor.
The six of us are very good friends even though the three girls are so different. One is an extreme extrovert, one on the other side of the spectrum and I’m ‘middle of the road’. We had just enjoyed a super meal accompanied by a few bottles of good wine. The extrovert, the birthday girl, like me, loves to dance. Unfortunately none of us are ballroom dancers so needed a change of music. The ‘DJ’ must have been instructed on the age demographic and had come prepared. However, he also had an ABBA cd and that was all we needed! To the strains of ‘Dancing Queen’ the extrovert and I found two empty bottles and hit the dance floor, which had suddenly emptied. The introvert looked on horrified as we prised the microphone off the ‘DJ’ and got her to join us. Three husbands looked on, bemused. At the end of the song we bowed and were amazed when some of the residents stood up and applauded! So, for the next half an hour, we ‘entertained’ the aged audience, finally leaving the dance floor, exhausted. Fortunately the next morning we still had access to our private dining room and, after breakfast, slipped out quietly never to return!
But, over the years, ABBA has brought a lot of pleasure to a lot of people. Residents at my mother’s care home love the songs we sometimes play at their weekly exercise classes. On Saturday I gave my mother a manicure and we danced to ‘Waterloo’ in her room, waving our arms around to dry her nail varnish!
So, even though I’m not a huge ABBA fan, I have admiration for them. Their music has stood the test of time and is enjoyed by many different age groups. This is quite a feat in this day and age! 👠
Jenny Burrell 