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
Henry Brooke 
Many happy returns, in the true sense of the greeting – I hope to be reading your blog for a long time yet.
LikeLike
Henry, happy birthday. Wishing you good health, wisdom and serenity as you face the next decade. Colin.
LikeLike
Very nice to receive Canadian good wishes today. Thank you, Colin
LikeLike
Had Tennyson known you, the line would have read “surely will be done.” Have a great day and a year to match.
Beds
LikeLike
Thank you, Beds. Greetings to the United States, too.
LikeLike
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
LikeLike
How very kind, Jack, and greetings to Alberta, its bears and its Rockies.
LikeLike
Wishing you a happy birthday, Henry, and many, many happy returns. Blogging clearly becomes you…
All the best to you and Biddy,
Ravi
LikeLike
Thank you, Ravi. Please remember we want to come and see you performing with your band one day.
LikeLike
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
LikeLike
Thank you, Stephanie, and greetings to faraway Queensland.
LikeLike
Wonderful, Henry. Congratulations on 80. May you have many more healthy and
productive years to come.
Regards,
Peter
LikeLike
Thank you, Peter, and greetings to beautiful Britosh Columbia.
LikeLike
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
LikeLike