The Retirement Thread

[Tenkaykev]

I live a few miles from Mallory Park and When the winds in the right direction I can hear the sound of the racing I know a lot of people new to the village complained about the noise .Would have thought they would have employed a bit of common sense and checked the frequency of race and track days.We have had a lot of new houses built on the outskirts of the village common complaints are the smell of muck spreading cockerels crowing early mornings The sound of farm machinery on summer nights and sheep bleating.It’s the country side for gods sake.What do they expect when they buy a house on land adjacent to a working farm.

When the wind was in the right direction I’d often hear the roar of the bikes from Poole Speedway.
A couple of work colleagues were big fans of Speedway, it was a long time ago that they used to run a supporters Coach to Poland from Poole 😮

 

[Mo1959]

Just had a big glass of kefir. Bit of an acquired taste, but I enjoy it.

 

[12boy]

Right, just got to phone the revenue then its of i to town to collect my new gun.
Drago, What kind of gun is it.
Dave r, that device is puzzling to me...is it something to take your Good Lady to the bathroom on? I would need lessons too. The last few years have really brought home the need to appreciate people while they are still around. I always knew intellectually that my friends and family would get old, ill and die but seeing it happen is a lot more visceral.
About the influx of strangers. I moved around a lot until we came here 29 years ago and actually planned on getting promoted and leaving in a few years, but I turned down the promotions because the boys didn't want to move. Now they want us to move to where they live and I don't want to. In spite of the far right politics of Wyoming I love the place for its emptiness and beauty although the winter wind can be a PITA, for sure. At various times people have moved here from California, Detroit, and Seattle because the absence of state income taxes, those same politics and the relative cheapness of housing seemed appealing. A couple of winters and they leave.
I'll take a break today from riding in head winds and take Mrs 12 shopping later. It is warm, though, so that's nice.
Vacation con Dios.....

 

[oldwheels]

Those kind of stuck-up, ignorant people are the same everywhere.

I encountered a group out walking on the local hills here once. One clicked his fingers at me and indicated that I was to come to him. In a very arrogant voice he then barked out an order... "You - tell me the way to Hebden Bridge!"

I can't remember what my reply was, but I'm sure that it wouldn't have been "Yes, sir - just take that path, turn right at the end of it and continue along the canal towpath for 2 miles"!


I used to go to the Costa Blanca every spring for a cycling holiday. A man who had been one of my dad's apprentices had retired there with his wife (they were sun worshippers). I met up with them a few times when I was there. He told me that most of the ex-pat Brits only spoke to other ex-pats, went to the chippie in Benidorm, or to the 'English pubs'! He and his wife OTOH had made an effort to get to know the locals. He insisted on ordering our drinks in the hotel bar in Spanish, even though the bar staff spoke good English, and they clearly appreciated that. He told me that he used to take his wife to a mountain village restaurant and had become a friend of the Spanish owners. He suffered gluten intolerance so the chef there used to cook him special meals, and gave him a sack of 'chickpea flour' as a gift on one visit. That's the way to do it!


I always thought that was a myth until I arrived in Newcastle on a freezing day one late November. Half the intoxicated pubgoers spilling out onto city centre streets were young men who had forgotten to dress the top half of their body. The young women had forgotten to dress the bottom half of theirs - instead of dresses, they all appeared to wearing 2-inch wide belts... Lots of bright red male chests, and bright red female legs!

The type of incomer [of course I was one myself but came to work] has changed a bit. At one time it was mainly ex service officers. Many navy personnel after the war remained here and all got on well. Most came from Cornwall/Devon. A lot of interesting people lived here and we met a bigger variety than if we had remained in Central Scotland.
When we first came we were invited out to dinner parties to suss us out. At the first one some of the guests surprised me. The local bin man, a very well educated man and also one of my employees among others outside what most would regard as a typical social circle.
The local laird was brought up here and indeed my wife had him in her class at school. He did go off to get "finished" but the family in general are well liked by locals anyway and he allows very messy events like winter cyclocross around the castle.
Now the type has changed and like the Benidorm ones you mention they often do not mix outside their own circle so are not well regarded.

 

[Mo1959]

The local laird was brought up here and indeed my wife had him in her class at school. He did go off to get "finished" but the family in general are well liked by locals anyway and he allows very messy events like winter cyclocross around the castle

I find the real gentry are, in the main, lovely people. Dad was really friendly with Lord Rollo of Duncrub who lives part of the year in Dunning. He visited dad a few times every year and they had some great conversations. Much mutual respect. He wrote me a lovely letter when dad died and sent a beautiful wreath for the funeral.

 

[oldwheels]

I find the real gentry are, in the main, lovely people. Dad was really friendly with Lord Rollo of Duncrub who lives part of the year in Dunning. He visited dad a few times every year and they had some great conversations. Much mutual respect. He wrote me a lovely letter when dad died and sent a beautiful wreath for the funeral.

I think the key word is "real". My mother in law had a saying "when stoor rises it fair gets in your eyes" referring to upstarts.

 

[Dave7]

My neighbours are a miserable lot.
I have just stood in the middle of the close, clapping my hands and banging a wooden spoon on a pan..... I was the only one out

 

[Mo1959]

My neighbours are a miserable lot.
I have just stood in the middle of the close, clapping my hands and banging a wooden spoon on a pan..... I was the only one out

Didn’t realise they were doing that. Is it not at 6pm though?

 

[Dave7]

Didn’t realise they were doing that. Is it not at 6pm though?

Sorry Mo......it was my idea of a feeble joke. It is 6pm tonight.

 

[Juan Kog]

My neighbours are a miserable lot.

my neighbours are really nice I’m the miserable one in our street
I have been over to look at the road bike pricing thread in general cycling wow ! It’s getting very shouty

 

[oldwheels]

Just got my post so at least one boat must have sailed.
It contained a letter from The Pension Service and I notice that among other things I have a pre 97 additional state pension ---£ 0.02 per 4 week period. They also told me I could apply for Pension Credit which would give me back my free TV licence. Sadly I have too much in private pension to qualify.
Also got my comic from Cycling UK or whatever it is called. I have not cancelled yet as my next sub is not due for a few months. On the front cover it has "Keep Peddling". Mebbe they are referring to sales of bicycles but somehow I doubt it.

 

[numbnuts]

Well that's Wednesday over I wonder what tomorrow will bring

 

[Dirk]

Well that's Wednesday over I wonder what tomorrow will bring

Got another 5 1/2 hours to go.......

 

[ColinJ]

Got another 5 1/2 hours to go.......

Plus the other 3 or 4 hours before bedtime... (Technically Thursday, but I always count 'late evening' as being part of the day before! )

 

[Paulus]

my neighbours are really nice I’m the miserable one in our street
I have been over to look at the road bike pricing thread in general cycling wow ! It’s getting very shouty

It's been locked now.