MEETING 75-year-old Joan Clark, you might expect a chat about hip replacements not hip hop.

But when she was asked to dress up as Channel 4 presenter Ali G to plug a sheltered housing roadshow, Joan thought the idea was "wicked".

Joan, a retired lollipop lady, has already donned leather trousers to play Pussy Galore at a party promoting her Holt Lodge home.

Willpower

Now her face will be splashed on billboards across Brighton to advertise the Going On to Sheltered

Housing (Gosh) Roadshow in May.

She said: "When they asked me to be Ali G I was not really sure who he was. But I have been given a video and tried out some of the moves.

"I will do anything really. The only time things got embarrassing was when I dressed up in leather trousers for Pussy Galore. I stood on the stage and they got looser and looser until I was holding them up by sheer willpower."

Joan, who is a widow, moved to Brighton from

London when she was five. She became a resident at the Sanctuary-run sheltered accommodation in Canterbury Drive two years ago.

She has two children, Philip, 47, who lives in Denton, New- haven, and Korrin, 50, who lives in France.

Scheme manager Kieran Jones said Joan had been

chosen to front the campaign because of her incredible capacity for fun.

He said: "Joan is a real livewire. People think that sheltered accommodation means old people sitting in corners looking miserable but in reality it is all about people like Joan. We are hoping that the roadshow gets this

message across."

Joan said: "Holt Lodge is a great place to live. Though we all live independently there are social events nearly every day. There is no need for anyone to sit on their own in their room."

The Gosh roadshow will mix performances from pensioners with local and national celebrities.

As well as Joan's Ali G impression, promoter Brian Ralfe has secured appearances by Brighton actress Victoria Gould of EastEnders fame and veteran singing trio The

Kaye Sisters. Salsa band Los Amos are also tipped to

perform.

Meanwhile local pensioner Mary Hutchinson, 88, will line dance in a cowboy hat and studs and Dan Pashby, 71, who runs a show bands agency, will also take part.

The Gosh Roadshow is being held on the Ellipse on Saturday, May 27, between noon and 2pm and coincides with the end of the Brighton Festival.

Mr Jones said: "There should be literally thousands of people on the seafront that day so we are confident of getting our message across.

"We want young people to see living in sheltered accommodation is so good they will sign up for their retirement now."

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