Two men who had never met before until they were placed in adjacent hospital beds found they were celebrating their birthdays on the same day - and both were 82 years old.

Piece of cake: Richard Simmons, left, and Harry Kendall celebrate their birthdays in hospital. Picture: Frank Dwyer

So the obvious thing was to have a party, which they duly did with friends and relatives on Ward 21 of York District Hospital.

There was even a cake, made specially for both of them to mark the big day for Richard Simmons and Harry Kendall.

Mr Kendall said he first realised the coincidence when he heard Mr Simmons's visitors discussing his birthday, and mentioned that his was on the same day.

Both men enjoyed their party, which was arranged with the blessing of hospital staff. "It's a very nice occasion," said Mr Simmons.

Mr Kendall, of Long Close Lane, York, spent 60 years driving all kinds of vehicles, and a period driving buses in the city.

But he was not impressed with many modern lorry drivers, particularly younger ones who, he said, used higher-powered engines to drive big loads at high speeds. "They have no consideration for other people," Mr Simmons, from Haxby, worked at Rowntree's for 51 years, and during the Second World War served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France.

He played the piano and the organ in pubs when he was young, and after the war was a member of the KitKat Club Concert Party, which was based at Rowntree's and gave charity concerts. He was also a talented amateur Rugby League player.

A spokesman for William Hill bookmakers said the chances of two strangers ending up in the same hospital ward, in adjacent beds, with the same birthday on the same day were less astronomical than one might think - but was prepared to offer odds of 82 to one on it.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.