Hi Borg
You'll be glad to know that you don't need perfect eyesight for a class 1 medical (far from it). That is a myth. Until recently, the limit for uncorrected eyesight was 6/24. You would then need glasses to bring your standard back up to 6/6, but this would not be a problem. I believe that 6/24 is roughly equivalent to being able to read a car number plate from 12 metres. For the latest regulations, which are a bit more complicated, have a look at the medical forum. There are some good posts and links on this subject.
On retirement age, I believe that BA retire their pilots at 50, while 55 is a more common age. I'm not sure if there is an upper limit, but the intervals between medicals become ludicously short after the age of about 60.
Hope this helps.
Pie