A group claiming to be Britain’s oldest cheerleading club has completed its first public performance in Watford.
Image credit: Lily-May Symonds/BBC
By Danny Fullbrook
Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
The Mayfield Bells consist solely of women aged 70 to 87 from Mayfield Retirement Village in Watford. The group’s founder, Marilyn Sylvester, who turns 82 in January, formed the team after watching the 2019 Netflix film Poms, which follows a group of retired women who start a cheerleading squad.
On Saturday, the ensemble—dressed in black Santa hats and wielding pom-poms—performed for an audience at the Harlequin shopping centre in the town.
Image credit: Lily-May Symonds/BBC
Ms. Sylvester recalled, “When the film ended, I thought, you know what? We could do this. And we’re doing it.” She added, “It’s never too late to take up a new hobby. It’s good for you, and we laugh—laughter really is the best tonic for everyone.”
The group had roughly eight weeks of practice before BBC Three Counties Radio secured them a stage at the shopping centre.
Prior to the performance, the members were anxious about whether people would attend. Yet, many shoppers paused to watch and even film the group on their smartphones.
Image credit: Lily-May Symonds/BBC
After stepping off the stage, Ms. Sylvester said she felt “elated and very emotional” about the reception.
“Who would have thought a simple idea like this would become so well known and that people would want to see us?” she said. “This could even make us famous in here.”
When asked about the possibility of auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent, she joked, “They’ve got some terrible acts there, so we’d fit right in—we could even win it! We could!”
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