I suspect my story is a little different because, unlike Eddie, I only discovered the joy of playing music for other people AFTER I retired.

From the age of 10 I played the piano on my own or at family gatherings because in those days, in the UK, almost every home had a piano. For the next 45 years I hardly played at all but managed to maintain my teenage playing skill with occasional ownership of a piano or electronic organ. My interest was revived when I bought a Yamaha keyboard in 2000 and soon after discovered BIAB but I still played for myself, usually wearing earphones.

Then in 2010 we had the good fortune to begin snowbirding in a Florida campground where the manager used to play guitar in a band and still entertained us with his singing. He knew nothing about electronic music and was fascinated when he heard me using BIAB and persuaded me to play at the campground parties. Then we started rehearsing together and for the first time in my life I played with another musician. He has the ear and the experience and I can read music and arrange the backing tracks - what a team! Doing that for the first time was a thrill that I never anticipated.

I am now a "veteran" at least in my own limited fashion. I love playing in the open air in Florida and have found a niche where the audience want to relax, drink and talk without shouting. Playing indoors is much less pleasant because of terrible acoustics. I don't sing but can play hundreds of cover songs from wide range of genres and like to offer some trivia about each song or the original artist - try that at an indoor venue. For the next party I have put together a medley of songs written or performed by artists who died in 2016 - George Michael, Leonard Cohen, Debbie Reynolds, Prince etc. My newfound interest in performing has lead me to an interest in artists and genres that I knew little about only 10 years ago. I have belated discovered country music (it was not in my British upbringing) and absolutely love anything by Queen, I even play ABBA.

I am amazed I am doing all this at 74 - so is my wife!

I would be bored to tears in Florida if it wasn't for my music - it keeps me young.

Tony