Clive Owen marks 70 and says he 'doesn't like it'
Clive Owen marked his 70th birthday in the opening episode of Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, and he did not hide his feelings about the number. “I can't believe I'm 70,” he said, then added, “I can't do anything about it, I am 70 whether I like it or not, and I don't like it.”
Reuben Owen’s birthday gathering
“Well, here I am for my 70th birthday. I can't believe that I have got to 70,” he told the gathered crowd, before adding, “It just seems five minutes since I was on my push bike, and you know, life just goes so fast, doesn't it?” The line reads like more than birthday nostalgia; it is the sound of a farmer taking stock at a milestone age while his family listens in.
Reuben Owen answered with a direct family note: “Thanks, Dad, for keeping us three on the straight and narrow.” Clive then turned to the people around him and said, “It has been great fun, top men. Thank you all for coming and cheers.”
Ravenseat Farm and 70
Earlier this year, Owen had already framed 70 as a practical turning point on Our Farm Next Door, saying, “It is a young fellas' game” and, “I am almost 70 now, so I have got to think about what comes next.” He also said, “It is something the family are discussing at the moment to see where the future lies for everyone,” and added, “It is nice for me to pass on my shears.”
That makes the birthday scene more than a family moment. The future of Ravenseat Farm is already part of the conversation, and the age he joked about in the episode is the same one forcing a handover discussion at home.
Life in the Dales
He also reflected on the people who used to gather around the fire, saying, “Sadly, they are all gone now, but I am still here, and so there you go.” That lands harder because the milestone is arriving in a family that is clearly moving from one generation’s workload to the next.
The opening episode of Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales is the place to watch that shift play out. For Clive Owen, 70 is not just a birthday number; it is the point at which the family’s future at Ravenseat Farm moves from talk to planning, with his sons already in the frame.
