Louise loves to feel the fear

I had a long overdue catch-up with my fabulous friend Louise. To add to the treat of a full-on natter-fest and an unexpectedly sunny day, we both had manicures. When you read what she says about her choice of nail colour, you'll see why I feel a bit staid about mine.

"I’ve just had a manicure and I have nearly black nail polish on, which I think is fabulous. I would NEVER have worn black nail polish as a teenager or in my 20s, but I love to do it now. It brings me joy. I get a buzz out of doing things that wouldn’t be considered usual for a woman of 53.

I go to yoga classes, not because I think they’re gentle or meditative, but because I’m determined to do a full handstand. I can do a headstand now, which I never thought I’d be able to.

I like to be scared, so I'll always do something a bit scary

I find it remarkable that other people feel they need to stop doing things because of their age and I love the fact that I’m doing things I never did when I was younger.

Also, I like to be scared so I’ll always do something a bit scary. On holiday this summer we were on a boat and I remembered that in my 20s I used to do back flips off a boat. I hadn’t done that for 30 years and I needed to do it to prove to myself that I could. It was extremely frightening, but doing it again was unbelievably exhilarating."

What do you do that might be considered unusual - or scary - for your age?