Baby boomers

A special Breakfast series

Baby boomers are the generation born between 1945 and 1965 - and according to the think tank Demos they're a force to be reckoned with, shouting more loudly than most.

In the world of work, baby boomers are more willing to take risks and reject the culture of a job-for-life.

All week on Breakfast, we're looking at the pleasures and pitfalls of growing old, for the baby boom generation.

We'd also like to hear your thoughts on growing old, gracefully or otherwise click here to e-mail us now

This morning (Thursday) we looked at the allure of gadgets and gizmos, with Edward Enfield and technology enthusiast Adam Vaughan.

Writer and journalist Edward - who's the father of the comedian Harry Enfield - is happy to admit that he's only used his mobile phone once and has never sent an e-mail.

But he did confess to getting other people to send e-mails on his behalf -as it's the easiest way to communicate with his daughter who's travelling the world

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On Wednesday in our series on how the baby boomers are facing the challenge of growing old, we met one man who's fulfilling a lifetime's musical ambition.

Bob Hutchinson hasn't dropped out of college, or thrown in his job: he's waited until retirement at the age of 57.

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On Tuesday we talked to Linda Keen who gave up her job as a lecturer to fulfil a lifelong ambition to run a farm.

And we spoke to Professor Richard Scase, an expert on flexible working and baby boom designer Wayne Hemmingway.

Linda Keen has given up her job as a college lecturer to live the "good life" on a farm.

She believes that female baby boomers, like herself, have discovered that money is not what motivates them - but living a free life - where they can travel (cheaply if need be) and live how they want to.

And Professor Richard Scase agreed.

We're in a culture of early retirement...people are sick of their jobs because their jobs are so boring, so demanding, so stressful, we are exhausted by our early 60s and early 50s Professor Richard Scase, author, "2010"

He says that for baby boomers, the order of the day is "live, live, live" for the moment - instead of worrying and saving for tomorrow, as their parents did.

He said that people in their early '50s could be described as "selfish" in that seeking pleasure for themselves is what they were pursuing.

Wayne Hemmingway is a designer and a baby boomer.

You can work better in shorter hours...my weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I chose to do that a long time ago Wayne Hemmingway, designer

He employs people in his design business - and is quite happy to allow them to work flexibly - so long as they can get the work done that they need to do.

And he himself choses to work flexibly.

But he pointed out that the baby boomer freedom is only for those who have enough wealth to make lifestyle choices.

Are you growing old disgracefully? If so, let us know