We must stop ignoring the over-50s

As the Archers, BBC Radio 3 and leading cultural organisations promise to no longer chase the youth market, we examine why the 'salt and pepper pound' has become one of the most important economic forces in Britain

That sound you can hear, is the collective sigh of satisfaction from millions of elderly consumers. The relentless chasing of the youth market appears to be slowly on the wane.

The signs are tentative, admittedly. But from the BBC to the National Trust, from the high street to a muddy field in Wales, more and more institutions and organisations seem to be waking up to the fact that the biggest consumer market - in terms of spending power - are those over the age of 50. It's not just the grey pound that has clout, so too does the salt-and-pepper pound. And they can no longer be ignored.