29 April – Along every block of flats I see a bamboo rope

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Cohorts of mine are in Malmö. I might be, but then again I might be in Võromaa again. It’s easy to confuse the two.

But you’re not reading this article to see my travel arrangements. You want a birthday. Don’t you. Well, today’s birthday boy Gerard Jan Joling did his stuff in 1988, and has since become a Topper. Not *De* Topper obviously, as he’s got other Toppers with him these days. But in 1988 he was the main man. He took part in one of the many contests in Dublin and finished ninth.

Gerard is 64 today.

Gefeliciteerd, Gerard!