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Twins living identical lives for 82 years

Megan Jones
BBC The twins are looking at the camera both smiling. They are wearing matching claret and blue scarves, pink button up shirts and blue jackets. Behind them is a building and door. BBC
The brothers are season ticket holders at Aston Villa

For twins Bill and John Bowdler, it is not just their appearance which is identical, it is their entire lives.

For the past 82 years, they have lived in the same Birmingham house where they were born, worked the same jobs, dressed alike every day and supported the same football team - Aston Villa.

Now they have taken it one step further, by having the same eye surgery, on the same eye, at the same clinic.

They joked it was a case of "buy one, get one free", adding they had always been a "close family".

The twins are wearing brown jacket, red jumpers and green shirts with black trousers, white socks and brown shoes. They are sitting in blue hospital style chairs with a woman posing next to them. The brother in the middle has a clear patch and tape over his right eye.
Twins who do everything together have had the same cataract surgery

The brothers have spent almost their entire lives side by side, apart from an "unusual" period in secondary school where they were put in different classes.

Their longest separation came when John Bowdler was in hospital for about 14 weeks, having his appendix removed.

But other than those two occasions, they have been in sync.

They left school "on a Friday" in 1960 and by Monday they had both started work, joining the same wholesale distribution business on Rothesey Street, Birmingham.

They stayed there for 32 years but when the company went into liquidation they changed careers together, retraining as postmen, a job they did for more than 17 years, working adjacent areas.

The twins are posing infront of a cruise ship on the water. They both are wearing sunglasses and have yellow button up shirts. They are smiling slightly at the camera.
The brothers spend their days playing bingo and tenpin bowling, as well as watching football and television

Away from work, their lives are just as closely linked, and have been since their mother started dressing them the same.

"It has carried on from there," they added.

Whoever is up earliest, usually John Bowdler, picks the outfit and the other brother will match it before they make their way downstairs to have a coffee with some toast.

As well as spending time with family members, they spend their days playing bingo and tenpin bowling, as well as watching football.

It came as little surprise that when one needed cataract surgery on his right eye, the other also had the same operation on the same eye.

John Bowdler said: "We've always been identical in most things we do, so I suppose it seemed natural to us that when one of us needed cataract surgery, the other would as well."

As Bill Bowdle had the surgery first, it was he who stood by his brother's side once again to reassure him about what to expect.

Professor Sai Kolli, consultant at Newmedica Birmingham, said: "They're the first twins we've had as patients here, and it must be such a rare occurrence to have them both have the same procedure on the same eyes."

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