A LONGSTANDING group of friends decided to reclaim their youth after it dawned on them that the rare occasions they now see each other for a catch up is at funerals.

So two of their number - Ian Postlethwaite, of Kendal, and Mary Bland, of Endmoor (pictured below) – turned back the clock with a 60s/70s disco night at the IBIS Social Club in Kendal.

With its raffle and auction, it raised £2,500.

Having both successfully fought cancer, Ian is donating half of the sum raised to Rosemere Cancer Foundation, while Mary is giving the other half to the Breast Care Unit at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

DJ for the night was local painter and decorator Andrew Fell, who donated his time and talent at the decks.

With plans for future similar get-togethers already in the pipeline, 67-year-old Ian said: “It was a great night. We sold all our tickets and could have sold a lot more such was the interest. For us, the 60s/70s is our era so a disco night of the decades’ hits was perfect.

“We are definitely going to organise more discos. Life’s for living and it was a bit of surprise when we realised that nowadays, it took a funeral to get most of us together for a drink socially.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation spends the donations it receives on vital equipment, research and training that cannot be funded by the NHS.