Richard Worden

Richard Worden, now aged 80 years!!

Why at 25 years of age, with one child, a wife and an established career, did I decide to pursue medicine? Even with the alleged clarity of hindsight it is still not readily apparent and I certainly had no ambition to be a GP. Gladly, no regrets. I am truly grateful for 50 years of physical and mental fitness and an experience of the patterns of life only to be found in clinical medicine.

Two marriages and happily, still married to my second wife having clocked up 27 years, encompassing seven children, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Life gets busy at times.

Initially my future was to be in obstetrics and gynae. I spent a considerable period of time in the wilderness of locum work until, with a third child on the way, a practice in Aylesford offered me a partnership. This was then a semi-rural practice and the M2 had not been constructed. At the time of my retirement in 1993 I had a training group practice with four partners. We had our own purpose built premises serving a population of twenty thousand plus. By now the M2 and the M20 had arrived!

After my retirement I was recruited for the Disability Tribunal Service until they retired me at 75 years of age. Since my second marriage with the addition of another family we are happily enjoying a range of personalities and nationalities as most of the children have travelled overseas to find a spouse. At the last count we have French, American, Irish and Cameroonian gene pools to strengthen natural selection. My main interests have been sailing and beekeeping but sadly at 80 years of age and moving from the country to a town both interests are now from an armchair.

I am glad to see the names of David Stevens and Graham Williams on the reunion list, hope I will still recognise them (just had my cataracts removed).