The Retirement Thread

[Rusty Nails]

My closest friend, and the only school friend I have stayed in contact with, is still the boy I befriended when he started in my school at the age of 8, even though we now live 100 miles away from each other. Best men at each other's weddings, in recent years since retirement the two of us have been on three road trips across the South and West of the US as we were brought up in the days when Westerns were the staple diet of young kids.

I seem to be a bit of a rarity here in that I had a very happy childhood and schooldays and made lifelong friends in several of the companies I worked for.

 

[ColinJ]

The Red Arrows over Chorley today. The town hosted the Speakers from the G7 countries at Astley Hall. The fly past was a part of the celebrations.

I saw that on the news today. Sir Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Speaker of the House of Commons) seemed like a nice man. There was a definite 'Bolton twang' to his accent - is that what the Chorley accent is like? (I looked it up - he was born in Adlington, about 5 km S of Chorley, and went to college in Bolton.)

Some accents are similar over a wide area. Other accents vary a lot - to me Burnley's is very different to Todmorden's despite the towns only being around 13 km (8 miles) apart.

 

[classic33]

I saw that on the news today. Sir Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (Speaker of the House of Commons) seemed like a nice man. There was a definite 'Bolton twang' to his accent - is that what the Chorley accent is like? (I looked it up - he was born in Adlington, about 5 km S of Chorley, and went to college in Bolton.)

Some accents are similar over a wide area. Other accents vary a lot - to me Burnley's is very different to Todmorden's despite the towns only being around 13 km (8 miles) apart.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge had very different accents at one point. Not so much now with all the arrivals from elsewhere over recent years.

 

[ColinJ]

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge had very different accents at one point. Not so much now with all the arrivals from elsewhere over recent years.

Yes - I remember that from the mid-1980s, but I don't notice it so much these days. Hebden Bridge is probably 50+% 'offcumdens' now and it seems to be spreading up the valley as house prices have got really silly there!

 

[classic33]

Yes - I remember that from the mid-1980s, but I don't notice it so much these days. Hebden Bridge is probably 50+% 'offcumdens' now and it seems to be spreading up the valley as house prices have got really silly there!

They're not that cheap in the valley either. And you'll struggle to get home insurance

 

[classic33]

The less said about my school years the better. The less said about my work days the better too. I was a square peg in a round hole in both. I would never attend a reunion of either.

Science teachers said they felt safer once I'd left.

 

[Joe V]

A thread specially for 'persons of leisure' and independent means, or those with aspirations.
How do you while away those lazy days?
How do you cope financially?
When did you retire?
Is retirement what you expected?
How long did you take to adjust?
Etc.

Tell us what you are up to today or what plans you have.
Or just have a bit of silliness to while away those lazy hours.

I've been busy today. Hilly 15 mile ride in North Devon, took dog for a stroll along Saunton Sands, cut the front lawn, leisurely pub lunch at the Tarka Inn overlooking the estuary, bit of shopping and now going to nap off my lunch. Never a moment spare!

I "retired" in 2016. I was among many other things a Health Care Administrator at a state prison in Pennsylvania. First of all let me say retirement is not what it is cracked up to be. You are no longer in that coveted 25 to 55 age group ( give or take) and the world no longer cares or wants your input as to what to buy or what to sell. Time becomes a problem unless you have a great hobby or lots of excess money. I had neither. I took a couple of part time jobs for the extra money and to take up some time. I planned to go on a long country wide camping trip: bought the camper and the pick-up truck. Then the BS of covid hit. So....I have taken a job at a builder supply place where I have purchased materials for the last 40 years. Before I went back to college and changed my life ( not sure for the better or worse). I now work about 20 to 24 hours a week lugging 90 pound bundles of shingles and 80 pound bags of concrete mix around and....I feel great. I no longer have to "work out on a Bowflex because my job gives me a better work out than I ever could receive on a Bowflex. One other and possibly the best thing is I found an ebike. It is powerful and has a great battery. So I go to work (max 6 hour days) and then come home and hop on the bike and ride to places in the Appalachian mountains that I used to do as a younger man. So I have come full circle and I am content. I love my " job" and I have time for leisure. So hopefully this country will get it sanity back and I will be able to take my life long dream trip. In the mean time I am definitely staying in shape and hoping for a brighter future when I can take my trip. If not? I will continue to ride my ebike with a great big smile on my face.

 

[12boy]

My dad got a job on the Navajo Nation when I would have begun the 12th grade and so it was Shiprock High School for me. For some reason the Navajo girls thought I was pathetic and I quit High School and went to a University instead. I will say I have never been around people as artistically gifted as the Navajo. Of course, the college girls weren't impressed either.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good morning folks, the carers were here half six, families round this morning, not much on this afternoon, we might go for a walk.

 

[Dave7]

I have very few good memories of school. I was most definitely NOT gifted and struggled to stay i the top set.......always at or around the bottom.
In the last year I won the class competition for who got the cane most.
I left aged 15 with not one qualification BUT was never out of work for more than a day or so (lots of work in the 60s).
I married and moved away in 1969 so unaware of any reunions.

 

[Drago]

I have risen!

Fairly Q day today. Mrs D's new car is dirty enough to justify a clean, and i'll saueeze in a little bass practice later, butnotherwise pretty Q.

 

[welsh dragon]

Hi all

Just got an email about a class reunion - is is 50 years since we started at 'big school"
but the plans have been scuppered because the 'Old Boys' association have postponed the event we were planning to attend due to Covid etc

so we may go ahead and do a small one on our own - there will probably be about 10 of us rather than a 'whole school' thing that could be over 100 or more

As you may have spotted by the 'Old Boys' bit - it was an Independent school - nothing at all like Eton but still
Anyway those that have responded come to about 10
the year group was just over 100
and - looking at the people - rather a lot of them (i.e. all but me) have been rather successful - one is even a Sir

Basically none of my group at school - but then I was in the bottom set (OK I was top of it but all the same)
so no-one has responded to the idea who hasn't done very well for themselves

Now - I am really proud of my several careers - I consider that I did damn well in a lot of difficult situations and could have earned a lot more money but I stayed where I was respected and could do a good job
Including as a teacher in a 'difficult' school - very proud of that!

so if someone with loads of money or titles wants to talk down to me it won't work - and I can be an awkward bugger at time anyway

but these people who have responded - I knew most of them quite well at school - not in 'my group' but I knew them and they are/were nice people

I was just wondering - you lot have been out of school for a load of years - have you had reunions and who turned up
and how did it go??

Hell no. Never wanted to go to one.

 

[Dave7]

My one job today is to go and put drops in the aunties ears. Carers will not do it. They sort medicines out every day but they are blister packs.
Not something I look forward to

 

[welsh dragon]

Coooeee. Lots of rain last night. Started around 9 and carried on all night.

It's really misty here at the moment.

My jobs for today are...... doing sod all

Stay safe peeps

 

[Paulus]

Good morning all.
The weather forecast is not too good for today. Rain is due.
I have never been to a school reunion, although I did enjoy my school years.
I still see two of the lads I started primary school with in 1963 most weeks, we went to secondary school together also.
I am hoping to get out on the bike later today for a ride.
Another busy day in paradise