WELSHPOOL’S Senior Citizens Party has come to an end in its 10th year due to a huge fall in numbers.

The amount of people attending the annual event fell by over half between 2017 and 2018, which organiser Alan Crowe puts down to today’s 60-year-olds not regarding themselves as senior citizens.

A spokesperson said: “It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that Alan has decided that all good things must come to an end. Falling numbers means that the event has become more and more reliant on the fundraising to pay for it.”

In 2017 the attendance was 134 and in 2018 it was 66. Alan said: “Although the numbers were up this year there is no guarantee.

“I always said once the numbers began to drop drastically then I would pull the plug. I have seen so many events and organisations struggle to continue until it’s last man standing.

“I didn’t want the parties to be remembered this way and so as this year was the 10th I thought it best to end now.”

Alan first had the idea of staging the party having remembered similar big events held in the Town Hall organised by the Conservative Association also Toc H but these disappeared a long time ago.

“Changing trends and personal outlooks means that today’s 60-year-olds don’t regard themselves as Senior Citizens”, said Alan.

“I even had one 80-year-old say ‘I am not going to sit with a load of oldies’,” he added.

The first Senior Citizens Party was staged in 2009 with Jimmy Cricket as the celebrity guest entertainer. Since then guest entertainers have included Tony Barton, Boxer John H Stracey, comedians Vince Earl, Stu Francis, and Don Maclean, singer Tammy Jones, Paul Hayes from Cash in the Attic; all supported by an array of acts including ventriloquists and magicians.

Special guests at this year’s 10th anniversary were television comedy star Freddie ‘Parrot Face’ Davies making a return appearance and topping the bill was recording artiste and Carry On film star Anita Harriswho Alan described as a “national treasure”.

Alan said: “I hope everyone that has come along over the years has enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed putting them on. All I can say is I tried my best.”