Rollerblading pensioner causes a stir in town centre



A 70-YEAR-old rollerblader has slammed the "headmistress-type" women who tick him off for skating on Chapel Street.

Geoff Dornan, of Ormskirk, has been blading six years and loves coming to Southport to skate to the music of his favourite guitar-playing buskers.

But although he raises plenty of smiles, not everyone is pleased to see him.

"I would say 95% are absolutely, extremely positive," Geoff told Champnews.com.

"Not just a little bit positive - over the top positive. But there is a kind of headmistress-type of lady who operates in Southport who tells me in very brisk terms I am not allowed to do that. I say no, it only says you have to do it safely, which I do.

"I suspect if you were too beautiful people would object as well, but I don't come into that category."

Champnews.com readers have criticised Geoff's antics as dangerous, saying he skates "very fast" and "weaves" between shoppers.

"Personally I think that as a person of a certain age he should be setting a good example to the younger generation in Southport," one resident said.

But Geoff says he gives pedestrians "100% right of way" and has never had any collisions.

"I skate everywhere I go - that's why my car mileage has gone down 90% and my health has gone up a great deal," Geoff said.

"People have the idea if you drive into Southport and go round and round you are not being dangerous, whereas if you rollerblade you are. I know what I would rather collide with - a car or a person. But I think it is completely wrong to collide with anybody and I never do."

Geoff comes to Southport two or three times a week, driving to Kew park and ride and then skating to the town centre.

He took up rollerblading after his daughter suggested he should lose some weight. Now keeping fit is a temptation rather than a chore, he said.

At a recent routine health check-up doctors were so surprised with Geoff's fitness levels they took the tests again.

"He said how come at the age of 70 you have got the physiology of a 25-year-old athlete?" Geoff said.

Geoff lives near Edge Hill University and has become so popular with students he now has his own appreciation society on social networking website Facebook, with almost 2,000 members.

By Natasha Robson



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