Re: Still working or retired?

I do agree with that, the best bit? Waking up on a cold dark and wet morning having a little scratch, a sigh, rolling over and going back to sleep.

Re: Still working or retired?

I was probably about 61 because my state pension didn’t kick in till I was 62 and 5 months. But I wasn’t getting any work from my employers (I was on the Bank Admin staff with the NHS) so was living off a small occy pension and my savings. I then fully retired from the NHS when I realised I was fighting a losing battle with HR, begging for work, and took the extremely meagre pension (about 64/m after tax.). Life became manageable when I finally got the SP, with a reasonable monthly income from three pensions then.

It wasn’t through lack of trying, but when my mum died it was during that period of having no jobs to go to, so I had free time to deal with it all.

I was with a different Trust (Haringey) when I started out doing the Bank work and for a couple of years it went very well, with no gaps between bookings. Some went on for weeks or months. Then Islington took us under their umbrella and we were then under Whittington Hospital. That’s when it all went incredibly pear shaped, and my bookings tapered off to zero.

I’ve now been collecting the SP for 4 years, and Mum’s been gone for 6. Now I’m enjoying life as a fully fledged retiree, and DID have all the time in the world before getting the dog, I wish she was still here to enjoy it with.

I tried voluntary work for a couple of years, running or assisting with computer classes in my local library for the council, and became a Digital Champion, but don’t do it nowadays, now I have Holly.

One local library wants help for one morning a week for an hour, and I’m pondering whether to apply. Holly does get left some days, for anything up to 2-3 hours, so it might be nice to get back into the saddle. They have parking at this particular library, so I needn’t be out too long.

Re: Still working or retired?

Hi Floydy. Retired at 67 after almost 52 years working full time. Couldn't have done it without the wonderful, selfless help of my much loved late parents and in-laws. No such thing as creches and expensive child-minders back then. It was usually a case of having children and finishing work. Will be forever eternally grateful as without their help, we would never have what we have today thanks to two salaries instead of one.

Re: Still working or retired?

I'm 62 on my next birthday I have to wait until I'm 66 until I can claim my state pension,but my intention is to go by the time I'm 64,I still don't mind getting up in the morning but the night work is beginning to takes its toll.

Re: Still working or retired?

I still have 7 and a half years of my sentence left,
I have been a commercial laundry engineer for the last 29 years, working around north York’s, and north east, it was a brilliant job when I started , then in the late nineties our company was taken over by the bank, with the view to be sold
Six or seven years later we were sold to a large company, who ran it until 2015, when, due to the excellent financial planning of the powers that be, ( borrowing money to buy up companies and then finding out they couldn’t keep up the repayments) we were sold again, to ..the last company on earth I would want to work for, they have a high turnover of staff, and, until a few years ago, bullying was rife, ( although tbh, I haven’t seen any) they’re all about money, no customer care. I promised myself that when I reach 60 I might look into finding something else, doesn’t have to be technical, maybe working at a supermarket or something, we’ll see..

Re: Still working or retired?

Retired here...bliss!

Re: Still working or retired?

Took ill-health early retirement in my early 60s due to arthritis. Have now had all four lower limb joints replaced, but now have other medical problems to contend with too which affects and hampers my energy, stamina and mobility.

Re: Still working or retired?

Research...pah,
Sweetie, I know you train the SAS, in unarmed combat..

(note to self..don’t upset sweetie pie...)

Re: Still working or retired?

Left Direct Employ 2002, got fed up with important strategic meetings being disturbed by talk of the corporate "Golf Event", or whether the radio in the company car was working properly, work is work, not asocial occasion.

Re: Still working or retired?

Retired at 49, did a bit of consultancy work here in London, property rentals in Lisbon, now 65, an OAP, I do the odd bit for dosh like AirBnB photos.