Nick,
We work in an age where an IT professional over the age of 45 is an endangered species. Over 50, is just plain masochistic! And, the 28+ manager does not want to work with his/her “Dad”.
You are working in a society that’s quite eloquent in telling you what they don’t like. But, ask them to tell you what they do like and they struggle to give you an answer. Now you know why Facebook has a “like” button because the default is “dislike”.
My suggestion is to put your picture on your CV. Tell them what you did for the last 8 years or so, and summarise the rest (eg. BA and Test analyst, Logistics for DHL; BA and Project Management for AirCargo for Virgin etc). If they are interested and need your expertise, they’ll call.
All the best.
K