Martin looks back on his life on the occasion of his birthday.

Hi it’s Martin Robertson. It was my birthday yesterday. I took a chance to look back and think how I got to the young age of 62. My life took a totally different turn during a gap year before university in 1977. Until then I’d been stifled in a bubble of wealth and many of you might wonder how that could stifle. Male boarding school, no friends at home, no emails and no mobile at that time, one phone in the family room, no TV by diktat. I’m not complaining; just explaining.

My gap year arrived [inaudible] and boy I did. I saw how the world really was. Girls plus poverty of the exact opposite of my life. Working in a night shelter with no beds just benches on the floor and a cup of soup at night and a cup of tea in the morning. Realising that folk of any olk were friendly.

Money did not mean happiness. Boy did my life change. Disinherited meaning no easy money, my first job instead of taking over the family firm [inaudible] … at all times of day and night. Other jobs included managing housing benefit and fraud then the most rewarding career of all – working on minimum wage in social care. I consider myself blessed. One of my brothers could not cope and ended it all. It could have been me. That was my one really bad experience.

I have a lovely daughter and grandchildren and a fantastic step family. Third time lucky is right. I [inaudible] until next time. [Inaudible] long week.