Well known local personality, Dr. Iain Corness, earned 6 cycles last week by somehow managing to reach his 72nd birthday. The following excerpts from his birthday speech show how, given his oft adrenalin filled life, including spectacular motor racing accidents, some might consider it a small miracle he reached this milestone, and in fact, looking so fit and youthful at that!
Was it really 12 years ago that he celebrated his 60th birthday at the Residence Garden? For him, in some ways the time has just flown past, but there have been some life changing events in that 12 years.
Doc joins Lee Shamrock on stage.
Some of you who were there at the 60th may remember his special guest. A rather shy young Thai girl called Som who stood next to him when he cut the cake. That young girl got over her shyness and is now his wife and the mother of their two children, Marisa now 9 and Evan now 8.
In the 12 years there have been moments of sadness too. His mother passed away in Scotland, aged 94, a couple of years ago. A wonderful innings, and the anchor for the family.
Pop wails on the real guitar whilst Dr Iain flails away on the air guitar.
His best mate over here in Thailand, Alan Coates, died suddenly of cancer. It was Alan who said that he had managed to complete one of his ambitions – he was the last one through the intersection on the red light.
The photographer at his 60th was Howard Green, one of the casualties of the expat lifestyle and is now resident in that great darkroom in the sky.
Just making it to 72 is an amazing situation. Until Dr. Iain, no male member of his family had ever lived to see his 57th birthday.
(L to R) The birthday boy and his son, Dr. Jonathan with good friend George Strampp.
As most people know, motor racing has been his passion, all of his life, and that has brought him to the brink of death on a couple of occasions. He was caught in a race car fire in 1992. You get one minute in the fireproof suits and it is estimated he was trapped inside for 40 seconds. It felt like 40 minutes. He ended up with no eyelashes or eyebrows and blisters on his back. It wasn’t his time, and he raced in a borrowed car the next day.
Last year at the Kaeng Krachan circuit, his car barrel rolled four times before coming to rest upside down. As James Bond would say, he was shaken, but not stirred!
(L to R) Mr. 6th cycle has a laugh with Jonathan, Steve Graham and Paul Azzopardi.
He acknowledged a couple of people that that he owed much to for helping him get to 72:
Peter Malhotra, of the Pattaya Mail Media, has helped guide him for even more than the past 12 years, and Steve Graham who has helped him out of a jam more than once in the past decade.
(L to R) John Moreton and friend join the party with Som and that young Dr Iain.
There are more, but his final thank you went to his wife Som. Like all married couples, he said they have had their ups and downs, but shared a depth of love which will keep them going until his next significant birthday, his 84th.
(L to R) Nigel Quenell, Joy Azzopardi, Torben, Noi Sripradwithaya, Som, the life of the party and Wanna.
(L to R) Jeab Graham, Joy Azzopardi, Mr. 72, Wanna, Lee Shamrock (at the back), and Nigel Quenell.
