I've had to do exactly the same thing renewing my life PPL and FRTOL after 15 years absence from flying. Somewhere deep in Lasors it does actually state the requirement which is something along the lines of:
If your pilot's licence is lapsed (ie not current) for more than 10 years you have to retake the FRTOL but do not have to pay the associated fees.
It's a bit of a hassle but things do change in 15 years and you cannot be expected to remember everything anyway, so best that people have to prove their competence.
Pelikanpete - you say you are 35? One of your posts from 2008 as above
Incidentally, I have spent about five of the last ten years working abroad including some pretty scabby parts of West Africa and the Middle East. I think it is entirely reasonable for people to warn wannabes about how difficult it is - it's just a shame that wannabes always ignore the warning and jump in with both feet. As long as flying schools are churning out far more pilots than there are jobs, people will suffer massive financial consequences and disappointment
... and this from 2011. Are you in a time warp?