Tony

One of my young colleagues is getting married tomorrow and I joined him and his family for dinner tonight. He's an extremely talented fellow, with a fascinating background. He was born in Kiev to Latvian and Algerian parents who met in the Ukraine as students. He was brought up in Latvia but his parents now live back in Algeria. He came to study in Bradford and has now settled in England. He is marrying a French girl! With us was his aunt who lives in Belgium. It's a very international family. It felt strange being the token Englishman at the table! His ability to be fluent in so many languages has always astonished me. I hear him pick up the phone to talk to his girlfriend and drop into perfect French. He then takes a call from a friend back home and drops into perfect Russian. Needless to say, his English is impeccable. I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a dinosaur next to him. I'm honoured that he has so much respect for me. It's entirely mutual.

This is not a portrait of my colleague, nor any of his family. I met Tony outside the Sun Hotel at lunchtime. The sun was shining, it was warm, and we just got talking. He's one of those people whom our society relies upon, working hard behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. He said he's worked six days a week all his life and would work seven if it was possible! He's just had his first ever period off work but is due to get back soon and he can't wait. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer but fortunately it was caught early. Part of his lung was removed and he's been through chemo. He's just got the all clear. His positive outlook on life is inspirational. A really lovely guy. Good luck to you Tony.