Edward (Eddie) Young

After a long drought, at last some fresh activity on the blog. Eddie has sent a brief biography, and also the class picture above featuring some of us in our first year at Guy's. Eddie is far right, second row down. Click on the picture to enlarge it, as usual.

Here is Eddie's contribution:

I loved the blogs of Mike Steyn and Professor Bill, from each end of the globe. I didn’t get so far. I arrived at Guy’s in 1955 from my home in Reading, got a job in Reading in 1970, and 26 years later retired there at 60. Fifteen years on I’m still there. If we had a competition to choose a ‘Doctor stick-in-the-mud’, I reckon I’d be in there with a good chance.

I met my wife Sally in 1961 when she was a student nurse at Pembury, and I was there with my flat-mate Gwyn Daniel doing my second house job. He married one of Sally’s nursing friends Wendy Dive, and in 2003 we went to their ruby wedding celebrations in Wales. In 2004 they came to Reading for ours.

I toyed with the idea of General Practice, but after jobs in obstetrics and paediatrics settled on anaesthetics, by chance getting a consultant post at Reading while an SR at Oxford. That was the end of my globe-trotting. I loved the job, the department, and the people, and I stayed there until I retired in 1996.

Two of our children took a medical road – Alison (staff nurse, cardiac ICU Oxford) and Tim (consultant neurologist, Queen Square / Whittington). The others chose different paths: Hazel is head of HR (we called it personnel) at Brighton University, and Edward is deputy private secretary to the Queen.

Retirement didn’t bring carpet slippers. Our feet have hardly touched the ground. Sorting out the kids was bad enough – now it’s grandchildren – four, with number five on the way

I did the last of my seven London marathons just after I retired, and occasionally do a 10K with Hazel in Brighton. It’s good for the weight, and keeps me out of the pub (for a bit).

We’re looking forward to September!