A 43-year-old mum who goes on nights out with her 26-year-old daughter, including a festival in the Caribbean, boat parties on the Thames and clubbing in London, said the experiences have brought them closer together. Vee Roberts, a mum of four and brand and marketing expert from Surrey, had her daughter Roshan, a journalist, at age 17.
She started using clubbing as a way to blow off steam when she went to university, in between her studies, working and being a mum. The duo have partied abroad, with events starting at 3am, and most people cannot believe they are mother and daughter, with Vee claiming she is even more of a party animal than Roshan.
Vee has two sons, aged 20 and 10, and another daughter, aged seven, and hopes to party with her young son, daughter and Roshan next year at Notting Hill Carnival on a float. Vee became a mum at 17 and again at 19 while studying at London Metropolitan University for a marketing degree.
She began her studies in 1999, deferred a year to have her second child, and successfully graduated with a 2.1 in 2003. Between working, studying and looking after her children, Vee liked to party, and her auntie Carol would have her children stay overnight.
She said: “I got to go to parties with my friends, and that’s always been my escapism. I’ve never been into drinking, drugs and rock and roll, but I like a good party. I think my daughter has inherited that a little bit, but she’s not as wild as her mum. I have two amazing aunties on my mum’s side, and they really helped me get through my studies.
"They massively helped me get through the weekend too, so, I could study and work, and at the weekends, I would go out. My aunties helped me because they saw how hard I worked and studied, they had the children overnight, and it helped me have that balance.”
She added: “Even now, I’ve got two small children and my mum and my other auntie, they help me quite a lot because I don’t go out nearly as much anymore. But when I first started going out, I was able to do week-long holidays.
"That’s where I first fell in love with the Caribbean. I went away for 10 days at a time, visiting Barbados, Antigua and Amsterdam for raving holidays. Now I’m doing it with my daughter, which is lovely.”
Vee’s ex-partner, Roshan’s father, worked in events in Ayia Napa, introducing Vee to the world of clubbing and events work, from 1995. She said: “My background has always been in branding and marketing. So I’ve always had a passion for promoting and ticket sales. So that’s where I kind of found my feet.
“I wasn’t always able to go to them because I looked after the children, but because my partner at the time always had events, I’d have free tickets, VIP access, and so on. So I was able to experience that side of things quite early.”
Since Roshan went to Bournemouth University to study journalism in 2014, she began clubbing. When visiting home, she would invite her mum out with her and her friends.
The mum-and-daughter duo have been to a festival abroad, clubs in London, and boat parties on the Thames. Roshan has asked Vee if she would like to go to Ibiza for a raving holiday, but that is where Vee draws the line.
She said: "I don’t think I could do Ibiza with her and her mates. That’s slightly overboard.”
One of Vee’s favourite memories with her daughter is when they went to the Antigua and Barbuda Carnival. The event website describes this as 'Caribbean’s greatest summer festival'.
Vee said: “The carnival is a five-day event, and the penultimate event is a big party that starts at three in the morning. They throw paint, you get water bombed, we had water guns, and we were in absolute stitches.”
Vee explained that going out with her daughter has brought them even closer, saying: “She’s started asking me for advice on what to wear. That makes me feel good.
“We even call each other ‘besties’ now. I do feel 43, but I can still party, I’m quite chuffed when Roshan asks me to go out with her.”
Vee explained people’s reactions when they find out she is Roshan’s mum. She said: “People react and say, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe that’s your mum’, and they make comments about my skin because I’ve got really good skin.
“I’ve started to embrace that compliment now I’m over 40. Even bouncers are shocked."
“I don’t dress provocatively or anything like that, but I will show a bit of leg and wear bright colours, so I’m not mumsy. Roshan's helped bring that side out of me because I used to always be wearing black or always wearing a particular style of dress.
“We’re going out this weekend, it’s just going to be her and me, and I know we’re going to have a good time. You know, she’s a product of me, so we’re going to!”
