Okay, let’s tackle this. So Alex has 123 years of experience, which is... quite a lot. However, since he started working in 1900, we can assume that most of his experience is from the past century. Considering his role as a Mechanical Design Engineer, his skills in Solidworks, Autocad Mechanical, and Finite Element Analysis are in demand. However, his experience is largely from the past, which might affect his earning potential. Let’s look at average salaries for Mechanical Engineers in the UK. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Mechanical Engineer in the UK is around £45,000-£60,000 per year. Since Alex has been working for 123 years, we can assume he's been doing the same job for most of that time. His salary would likely be lower than average. Considering his location in Burgess Hill, England, and his level of experience, I estimate his hourly rate to be around £125. However, this is a very rough estimate and should be taken with a grain of salt.