The Retirement Thread

[12boy]

I thank you again for your responses. Yes Paulsb and Classic33, that is exactly what I meant by little towns. Beautiful country, although for some reason I felt it doesn't snow much in the UK. My kids both live in the greater Denver CO metroplex which some say now runs from Pueblo Co to Ft Collins, about 100 miles along the Front Range which is like the spine of CO. I think my wife would like to live there, especially with the first grandchild coming, but I do not think with her health she could deal with the move. I would hate it, although there are probably thousands of miles of bike paths in the Denver area.
We went up on Muddy mountain again yesterday and she managed a 1.5 mile walk. I took a picture of Casper mountain, just to the east and perhaps

you can see the extensive burns from a few years back. The dirt road pics are coming down from Muddy to get to town the back way. I find this country beautiful in its own austere way, but you can see how impressive the UK countryside is to me. That's Mrs 12 on her way to take more pics herself.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

As much as I enjoyed yesterday's outing and that lovely pub meal I'm not used to eating large meals like that, earlier today my belly was bubbling like a witches cauldren and it would have been dangerous to get within ten feet of me with a naked flame, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable this afternoon. its pissed down all day with no sign of it stopping but we've got our shopping done, had lunch in the market cafe and I'm now cleaning the oven, just stopped for a .

 

[ColinJ]

If you are going to move anywhere long term it seems a good idea to rent a place temporarily for a few months at least to get the feel of living there as opposed to being on holiday. I have lived in Helensburgh and now on Mull and lots who come on holiday to such places think they are wonderful and burn their boats and move. They often discover they have made a terrible mistake as it is not the same as being on holiday. They have left all their social contacts and have to navigate the problems of a new environment. On Mull many leave after the first winter as they had not realised the ferry and road problems and life generally is harder work here and not at all laid back as they imagine

My dad had a colleague who loved the Yorkshire Dales so much that he had his summer holidays there every year for decades. He told my dad that his dream was to buy a retirement cottage there one day. My dad suggested that it would be a good idea to have a winter holiday there to see what it was like at that time of year. Good idea, so the colleague went off on his next holiday in December and immediately got snowed in! He couldn't go anywhere and struggled to get to a shop. That was the end of the Dales cottage plan!

I get the sense most of you live in little towns based on your photos, mainly, which make it seem all that gorgeous country is not far from the front door.

Todmorden has 3 busy roads coming into it. They come down valleys between steep-sided hills. Those roads can be very busy at certain times, though not so bad if I choose to ride at sensible times. There are alternatives though. Because the hills are steep, in 15-30 minutes of hard cycling I can get away from THIS kind of thing...

To...

... which is nice!

Not so good in bad weather though, or if I don't fancy the steep climbs to get up there.

 

[Sterlo]

If you are going to move anywhere long term it seems a good idea to rent a place temporarily for a few months at least to get the feel of living there as opposed to being on holiday. I have lived in Helensburgh and now on Mull and lots who come on holiday to such places think they are wonderful and burn their boats and move. They often discover they have made a terrible mistake as it is not the same as being on holiday. They have left all their social contacts and have to navigate the problems of a new environment. On Mull many leave after the first winter as they had not realised the ferry and road problems and life generally is harder work here and not at all laid back as they imagine

Totally agree, I've just looked at Google maps at Tobermory, looks a lovely place to visit but not sure I could live there myself.
Me and my good lady were considering retiring to a town in N Yorks we both love but I have suggested we have a weeks holiday there out of season (February seemed a good time) and be "self sufficient", ie take nothing but clothes with us, and see how we managed before upping sticks.

 

[Dirk]

@ColinJ - Just got back from my local - The George in Braunton - and we have a new barman. A young fella by the name of Olly, who moved here from Todmorden about a month ago.
Says that he's loving it here.

 

[classic33]

Sounds nice.
TBH I know nothing a out Crieff. I must google it

Mo lives there.
What more do you need to know?

 

[Sterlo]

Totally agree, I've just looked at Google maps at Tobermory, looks a lovely place to visit but not sure I could live there myself.
Me and my good lady were considering retiring to a town in N Yorks we both love but I have suggested we have a weeks holiday there out of season (February seemed a good time) and be "self sufficient", ie take nothing but clothes with us, and see how we managed before upping sticks.

...and a bike of course!

 

[ColinJ]

@ColinJ - Just got back from my local - The George in Braunton - and we have a new barman. A young fella by the name of Olly, who moved here from Todmorden about a month ago.
Says that he's loving it here.

Ha ha!

My sister has just completed on her retirement cottage near Exeter so I will (hopefully!) be having lots of post-Covid cycling holidays in Devon in the future. I am going to build a spare road bike which I will leave down there after my first trip so I can travel light for subsequent visits.

 

[classic33]

I thank you again for your responses. Yes Paulsb and Classic33, that is exactly what I meant by little towns. Beautiful country, although for some reason I felt it doesn't snow much in the UK. My kids both live in the greater Denver CO metroplex which some say now runs from Pueblo Co to Ft Collins, about 100 miles along the Front Range which is like the spine of CO. I think my wife would like to live there, especially with the first grandchild coming, but I do not think with her health she could deal with the move. I would hate it, although there are probably thousands of miles of bike paths in the Denver area.
We went up on Muddy mountain again yesterday and she managed a 1.5 mile walk. I took a picture of Casper mountain, just to the east and perhaps

View attachment 550300 View attachment 550306




View attachment 550301

you can see the extensive burns from a few years back. The dirt road pics are coming down from Muddy to get to town the back way. I find this country beautiful in its own austere way, but you can see how impressive the UK countryside is to me. That's Mrs 12 on her way to take more pics herself.

Not as much as we used to get, snow wise. Was common to have the far road blocked by snow for a few days.

To the right of the summer picture, is Bronte Country. All the sisters born in Thornton, which Haworth decides not to mention.

Even going downhill, requires going uphill to get out.

 

[PaulSB]

You'll have seen in the news the Issa brothers from Blackburn have bought ASDA.

One of the brothers lives in my village but not on my row.........

 

[oldwheels]

Totally agree, I've just looked at Google maps at Tobermory, looks a lovely place to visit but not sure I could live there myself.
Me and my good lady were considering retiring to a town in N Yorks we both love but I have suggested we have a weeks holiday there out of season (February seemed a good time) and be "self sufficient", ie take nothing but clothes with us, and see how we managed before upping sticks.

I think it takes longer than a week. A couple of months I would regard as a minimum to get to know the kind of people who actually live and work there as opposed to those in tourism.

 

[PaulSB]

Being from Cheshire the choice is
a) fight with Queensberry rules
Or
b) pistols at dawn
As lancashire people don't fight fair it has to be pistols.

How about clog fighting? 😂

 

[oldwheels]

Totally agree, I've just looked at Google maps at Tobermory, looks a lovely place to visit but not sure I could live there myself.
Me and my good lady were considering retiring to a town in N Yorks we both love but I have suggested we have a weeks holiday there out of season (February seemed a good time) and be "self sufficient", ie take nothing but clothes with us, and see how we managed before upping sticks.

I have lived in Tobermory for almost exactly 48 years now but I came here to work at a very demanding job.I have met socially with a far greater range of people than if I had lived in a larger community where you tend to stick to a limited social circle. The problem now is that the island has been turned into a theme park and we are getting elbowed out by tourism which has changed the social structure. The pictures you will have seen are probably tourist orientated and bear not much resemblence to reaity

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I have lived in Tobermory for almost exactly 48 years now but I came here to work at a very demanding job.I have met socially with a far greater range of people than if I had lived in a larger community where you tend to stick to a limited social circle. The problem now is that the island has been turned into a theme park and we are getting elbowed out by tourism which has changed the social structure. The pictures you will have seen are probably tourist orientated and bear not much resemblence to reaity

On the subject of Tobermory tourism, we discovered not long ago that a second cousin (ish) of MrsF wrote the theme music for Balamory.
(He also played on Japanese Boy and was a long time collaborator with Fish).

 

[Paulus]

I have lived in Tobermory for almost exactly 48 years now but I came here to work at a very demanding job.I have met socially with a far greater range of people than if I had lived in a larger community where you tend to stick to a limited social circle. The problem now is that the island has been turned into a theme park and we are getting elbowed out by tourism which has changed the social structure. The pictures you will have seen are probably tourist orientated and bear not much resemblence to reaity

I went to Tobermory 20 years ago, when myself and two friends were on a cycling holiday for 3 weeks around the Islands . We stayed at the Hostel on the front. We also travelled to Coll, Tiree and Iona and then cycled up the west coast to Skye.