The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years: yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
Psalm 90, verse 10 (Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer)
I was born on Sunday 19 July 1936, in the sixth month of the reign of the late King Edward viii.
So I am 80 today.
The psalmist did not know about our wonderful National Health Service.
In this Indian summer of my existence, after being successively a child, a schoolboy, a Royal Engineer, an undergraduate, a barrister, a QC, a judge and a mediator, I have embarked on an unexpected ninth life as a legal blogger, with nearly 4,000 followers.
The first eight lives had an element of predictability about them. The ninth is wholly unexpected.
What next?
“Old age hath yet its honour and its toil;
Death closes all, but something ere the end
Some work of noble note may yet be done…”
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses
Many happy returns, in the true sense of the greeting – I hope to be reading your blog for a long time yet.
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Henry, happy birthday. Wishing you good health, wisdom and serenity as you face the next decade. Colin.
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Very nice to receive Canadian good wishes today. Thank you, Colin
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Had Tennyson known you, the line would have read “surely will be done.” Have a great day and a year to match.
Beds
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Thank you, Beds. Greetings to the United States, too.
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On this occasion, let me also say that there are scores of judges in North America who join many more in the UK and elsewhere to wish Sir Henry the Blogger a long and happy time to come.
Jack Watson
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How very kind, Jack, and greetings to Alberta, its bears and its Rockies.
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Wishing you a happy birthday, Henry, and many, many happy returns. Blogging clearly becomes you…
All the best to you and Biddy,
Ravi
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Thank you, Ravi. Please remember we want to come and see you performing with your band one day.
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Dear Henry
I join with the others and can say that you have already blessed the world with much wisdom and good judgement for which I for one (among many I am sure) am very grateful.
Thank you and happy birthday.
Stephanie Tonkin
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Thank you, Stephanie, and greetings to faraway Queensland.
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Wonderful, Henry. Congratulations on 80. May you have many more healthy and
productive years to come.
Regards,
Peter
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Thank you, Peter, and greetings to beautiful Britosh Columbia.
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Happy Birthday for yesterday Henry. And here’s to many more. I sent good wishes electronically but they swirled somewhere in the ether…
Looking forward to seeing you later this evening.
Catriona
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