PHOTO OF THE YEAR

GOING GLOBALKen 66 andall thatby Ardella JonesShell Pensioner Ken Gray'sworking life began asa forecourt attendant inCheshire and ended withretirement in France, wherehe's cooked up a few tipsfor SPA readers ...Ken Gray left school in 1954 andbecame a 'Gofer' at Naylor's Garage,Timperley, Cheshire where he was keptpretty busy filling customers' tanks andrepairing punctures. His first job was topush out a cart loaded with pints andhalf-pints of lubricant oils – winter andsummer grade oils for prestige cars andcommercial grade for old bangers.He had just learned the ropes when thegarage changed hands and the newowner decided he should do it 'theAmerican Way' offering each customeroil and tyre checks and a windscreenwash, as well as petrol."I didn't mind," says Ken, "I earned morein tips than wages but don't tell the taxman." In addition to forecourt duties,Ken also had to run up to The Hare andHounds in the evenings if the owner wasentertaining friends and come backcarefully carrying their beer order.Ken doesn't say whether alcohol playedany part in the mishap which befell somebrand-new luxury Jaguars. "We parkedthe new Jags criss-cross in the garage; I'dopened the lower valves for the Tecalemitlift we used to move them. I went homeleaving the boss to close the lower valve.When we opened up the next day therewas one Mark IX Jag on its roof and theothers on their sides. Ouch!"National Service meant Ken was postedto the Christmas Islands in 1958 and,like many other soldiers who were therearound the time of the atomic tests, hishealth suffered. Eventually his concernedGP told him to take it easy, relax andAmelie-Les- Bainseat a healthy diet. Ken took her adviceand in 1992 moved to France, midwaybetween Bordeaux and Brive-la-Gaillarde. Ken advises any SPA readersthinking of relocating to France to rentsomewhere and spend six months therebefore entering into the complicatedbusiness of buying a property. "Takeyour time. See what the winter is like."Ken found his first residencedisappointingly wet and cold in thewinter and moved nearer to theMediterranean, to Amelie-Les-Bains nearPerpignan, where the climate is milder.Though the cost of living is higher inthis lovely Roman spa town, Ken cannip over the border into Spain whereshopping is much cheaper.Ken advises house-hunting Francophilesto "talk to local Brits. Check that it's nota flood area". A good notaire isessential and he suggests trying to finda Brit who speaks fluent French.Unfortunately, Ken can't help as after20 years he just 'gets by' in French!One French tradition Ken has taken toheart is food. When he reached 66, hewrote a book of economical, nutritiousrecipes entitled "Ken 66". One stapleis a simple fish broth made by boilingfish heads – cod and haddock are ideal– with herbs. The liquid is strained andvegetables added, typically inLanguedoc Roussillon cuisine lots oftomatoes, onions and garlic. Ken haseven revived the art of cooking pig'strotters which, after much boiling,produce savoury jellied meat. "Yearsago," says Ken, "this was part of alife-supporting diet for the poor farmerswho didn't have money for moreexpensive meats. They needed nutritiousfood to work long, hard hours outside."Despite having a stroke on his 73rdbirthday – "some present!" – Ken ishappy at ‘Chez Ken’, with its lovelyviews of the Pyrenees, living by simplerules: "Eat little and often, drink inmoderation and enjoy life!"SPA NEWS | 17