sorry might have been a bit unclear (probably me using London slang lol)

what I meant is now there are way less illegal raves what is everyone up to?

glad to hear that hall parties are still being allowed in some areas though (even though I may be a bit old for them!)

nah, as it would be OK for me to be in the hall then (round here they sometimes use them for bingo :laugh_at:)

I expect you’ve never been raving in East Anglia – although at outdoor raves theres often a wider age range (although the people my age are often the parents of the younger lot), hall parties are normally put on and attended by those aged 16-21.

Apart from the one Syco and his missus did but that was way out on the north norfolk coast miles away from me, would have had to get a train to Norwich, another one to Sheringham and still walk several miles!

seriously though there are less and less regular ravers my age group in this region, a lot of people stop going in their 20s (it seems loads of my younger friends I’ve only known for a couple of years are quitting!)- its starting to worry me..

what the lockdown, or the younger age profile?

loads of interlinked reasons

– the population here is young and illegal raves were a big part of their weekend activities, especially since pubs/clubs tightened up challenge 21 etc and clamped down on drugs

– theres a massive drugs culture here as its near the coast and a known “gateway” from party drugs to hard drugs (did for a lot of the older ravers,thats also why there aren’t many my age group)

– its a large area and hard to police so Norfolk wasn’t locked down until the cops were able to divert anti terrorism resources to it (there is no major problem with radical Islam here despite a multicultural population, as the Muslims are doing well in life and business unlike other regions). This meant that Norfolk got three counties ravers…

– its got a history of popular dissent against authorities (going back hundreds of years) so those in power are used to dealing hard with this dissent when need be…

err I did for about 12 years 😉

when I look at some of the occasional photos you lot post from SE England I see a fair few familiar venues…

I probably know half of that old lot anyway :laugh_at:

I think a lot of the older Norfolk ones are going to the legal events in Norwich and it appears hall parties still happen for the youths

I think its made a lot of people just settle down and give up. Of course if they are going uni or getting a good job or settling down to start a family its hardly a negative thing, but the people doing this are really young (like early 20s!)

ironically I think it may even be because a lot of parents here are also ravers and are liberal, its hardly “youthful rebellion” if you go out raving with mum and dad :laugh_at: and then the obvious pressures kick in like money and the family needing to work together to support the household (particularly if more babies arrive)

What does worry me though I would have expected to see a lot more of creative things going on like music, art, fashion projects from people who were inspired by raves but calming down, and with rare exceptions (such as my mates clothing and dreadlocks stalls/shops) I don’t see this as much in this region…

theres a picture of me in my profile (actually it was taken at a warehouse party in Reading in 2006 which was one of the last parties I went to in that area)

TBH I probably moved away just as a lot of you started raving but I’ve seen pics where the SE England ravers here are clearly using venues me and my mates partied in 3-4 years ago..