Price of health in later life is a ‘Test’ for us all
EVERY Sunday, one of my pleasures nowadays is reading the Fame and Fortune article on the back of the money supplement in the Sunday Times, particularly if it concerns a name I know.
Last weekend, it was about Harold Bird – better known as Dickie Bird, the long-retired cricket umpire. He is now approaching his 90th birthday, yet seems somewhat fitter than me!
Dickie was at his peak on the cricket grounds when umpires for our home Tests were appointed from the England international panel which were the top five umpires from the first-class list the season before. The ratings came from the marks the umpires gained, and Dickie was a popular umpire who was a certainty for the top five group.
He was what the players termed a “Not Outer” which meant he was more likely to decline an appeal than grant it. Batsman liked him, bowlers were not so sure!
He was also pretty free with his banter with the crowd, particularly on the state of the pitch after rain. Dickie was never keen to restart the game until he was ready to do so.
As I believe is still the case, Dickie had to retire from the first-class umpires’ list when he reached 65, and that included Test cricket.
Always an emotional character, it is claimed he was shedding tears as he went out with a standing ovation to umpire his last Test match at Lord’s. Since that match, he has written a book or two and I suspect has given much of the cash obtained to his favoured charities. Dickie has never been too free with his money, so I guess that is where his donations he claims to be nearly £1 million have come from.
What really caught my eye in the article was that the health insurance that Dickie pays each year is £4,000. Being a lifelong bachelor, there is only his health to cover…but it made me think that it would cost me around £8,000 per year if I insured both me and senior management! With some of the health issues now needing to be paid for, like ear syringing, I guess will have to stay blocked up unless someone wants me to start writing books!
I suppose Dickie has full cover for whatever might go wrong during his remaining years, and I wish him luck with both his health and his insurance premiums.
But what am I and senior management meant to do? Perhaps we should refrain from health insurance until one of us is no more, then it will perhaps just cost the £4,000 to take out some cover for that last one standing. I am convinced that will be senior management, but she is more certain she will be the first for the graveyard!
Putting the humour to one side, I am always reminding myself that a Labour Health Secretary called Nye Bevan in 1948 started the National Health Service and said it should always be free at the point of need. I have been grateful for that man ever since, as I have managed to need more than my fair share of the NHS. Thankfully, I have so far avoided Covid, but not much else.
So with his insurance Dickie Bird will continue his retirement from cricket in his beloved Barnsley where he still enjoys the company of chat show host, Michael Parkinson and the famed Geoffrey Boycott. He still has his eyesight and can drive his beloved black Jaguar to the fish and chip shop each week.the
He can also watch Test matches on television and see that English umpires are now the officials again due to the pandemic stopping other umpires coming to Britain. I think I approve of this as well if only to hope that one day I can enjoy David Millns from the East Midlands umpiring a Test match.
With some of the health issues now needing to be paid for, like ear syringing, I guess will have to stay blocked up