Re: I can retire

I agree as one mans dream is another mans nite mare however it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and then years ago watching this guy ‘do it’ set the ball rolling

https://youtu.be/HFhIQb0OY80


https://youtu.be/X4yqRasmsKU

And then there is always the med to try too !!!


https://youtu.be/POu0HEeBHq8

And even sunshine !!!!

https://youtu.be/CCS2lfU89bM

Re: I can retire

Adventure at its best Marmaduke and the very best of luck, would be nice to send us reports of your progress when you finally cast off, I love reading about travel in all of it's forms. However, these days I let P&O sail me around...

Sorry to hear that retirement is not working out for you Arty, and if you are a people person I can appreciate that you will be missing the banter and camaraderie that the working environment offers. I also missed the colleagues and friends from work after retiring, I even kept in touch with some for a year or two, but you move on to different life when you retire and friends who still work are hard to pin down after a while, which makes you think that you only knew them because you worked with them every day. Still nice to have a catch up every now and then though....

Just like you Primus I was surprised to learn that I could take my works pension early and together with some earlier financial planning made it possible to retire at sixty. Although I loved my job as a postman, being a runner and walker there were many unwalked trails I yearned to complete, so It was a 'no brainer' and the day before my sixtieth birthday in July 2010 turned out to be my last day as a working man...

After a heart attack in 2004 I had to cut down on the ultra distances I used to run and walk, but I continued running half marathons, and covering between ten and twenty miles on leisurely walks. Having an interest in small electronics projects would take care of the rainy days, and Mrs Fox took care of the rest...

A second heart attack in 2014 and pressure from the family meant that half marathons were banned but I continue to run and walk on a regular basis, but it's mixed with a lot of resting, electronics and posting on this forum. I'm not dead yet though, and I'm always pawing over the maps looking for my next adventure....

Re: I can retire

That sounds like a great idea zuludog, although I love driving I use my bus pass extensively. There is a coastliner that travels up the east coast from Scarborough to Middlesbrough every hour [30mins in summer] and I park the car and take the bus up the coast and walk back along the clifftops. I've had some fantastic walks using that method. A friend who lives in the village has travelled around most of Yorkshire using his bus pass...Do you find that half the enjoyment is planning new routes on the rainy days because when you are retired you can choose to walk when the weather is nice, and not because you only have the weekend due to work commitments.....

Re: I can retire

there's a line in one of Cohens songs about all the factories closing down - very poignant

Re: I can retire

I

Primus, go for it! i too took semi-retirement 6 months before full retirement, and I didn't regret it for a moment after working full time for 52 years.
It was wonderful working just 3 days a week (Wed, Thur and Fridays). To wake up on a Monday morning and know that I still had two days off after the weekend was fabulous. It also made the three days that I continued to work even with the dreaded commuting, much more stress reducing.
It also helped my office colleagues get used to my continued absence as well after years of working closely together.

In the last month I actually only went in for two days a week to ensure all my work was in order. I was well prepared and happy to put my feet up by the time retirement day came.

If you can afford it, I say go for it! You deserve it.

Re: I can retire

Old Grey Fox - find the thread and read the book, i'm sure you'll find it interesting, and give you ideas

I remember years ago I met an American tourist who was travelling round Britain by local/service bus
He was a college lecturer and had a long summer holiday

He said yes, I want to do the usual tourist things, like Stratford, Bath etc, but just driving along a freeway or going on a coach tour doesn't show you much of the rest of the country
This way I get to see little villages, call at nice pubs, and chat to ordinary people

Re: I can retire

My company won’t allow me to semi retire as I would like to do, although the plan was to find something else when I reached 60, ( next year) , I’ve booked a pension review with the local CAB, in a few weeks just for a second opinion