It's Fred's Birthday next monday.

Which means he'll be 71 10 days before me.
:¬))

Why "Fred", probably few know since he was Christened Alan. My first experience of tropical fish was Fred's dad's tank where I remember seeing my first Sword-tails & Guppies.

You know those folk you never see for months on end, and just carry on where you left off? And greet with an insult, like "Now then y'uggly old bugger, how're you keepin'?" well Fred's one of them. I can't ever remember being Fredless from single figures of age. We sat our 11+ together and he announced that
"Today we'll find out if we're gonna be Parsons or bricklayers."

Wrong on both counts.
He became a bank Manager ... eventually.
I became Liquorice ... I've been "allsorts".
Nearly a teacher, narrow escape there.
3 shades of lab worker: 2 analysts & a school Lab-tech.
Fireman for better part of 25 yrs.
Jeweller for 13(ish)
Old Fart for the last 5 and a bit.

Strange times indeed.