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Happy birthday

I remember when I was counting down my years to retirement and then I found myself counting up the years I'd worked past my retirement age. I adjusted my hours and days but I just wasn't ready to completely call it a day.
I was very fortunate to be able to ease down into full retirement by doing interim management, consultancy etc when I chose to do so.
I stopped full time , 5 plus days a week, total responsibility for the hotels I managed , in summer 2005 at the age of 53 and the last time I was actually paid by anyone was September 2015 for some consultancy stuff.
Since then it's been the odd holiday or two :p
 
I remember when I was counting down my years to retirement and then I found myself counting up the years I'd worked past my retirement age. I adjusted my hours and days but I just wasn't ready to completely call it a day.
It does worry me slightly, watched my brother retire, he was going to everything, ended up doing practically nothing except go to the pub and watch the blades!!
Myself, not really a big drinker, and can go days without wanting one
Have plans, but will I carry them out???
Who knows!!
 
I was very fortunate to be able to ease down into full retirement by doing interim management, consultancy etc when I chose to do so.
I stopped full time , 5 plus days a week, total responsibility for the hotels I managed , in summer 2005 at the age of 53 and the last time I was actually paid by anyone was September 2015 for some consultancy stuff.
Since then it's been the odd holiday or two :p
By the time I reached 50, I absolutely hated my managerial job and decided that I wanted to go back to something that I enjoyed doing ... fixing electronic equipment and computers. I took some time out to study and attend a few IT courses to gain updated accreditations then I worked as a contractor for a while before starting my own business. I enjoyed doing it so much and made so many good friends that I was happy to keep on going for a few more years than I'd planned to. Eventually though I stopped taking on new customers and reduced my existing customer base by offloading some of the more (ahem) demanding ones and my working hours just gradually petered out to just the odd problem or maybe a bit of training a few times a month. It worked really well for me not coming to a dead stop. My only regret is that I'd not got the balls (or redundancy package) to make the move to SE years earlier.
 
I doubt she’ll ever retire m8
too much on looking after you !
Very true
With my incontinence flatulence and itchy piles, which needs plenty of cream, she’s got a lot to put up with
And even if it doesn’t leak or not shrunk, it’s dropped off!!!
 
By the time I reached 50, I absolutely hated my managerial job and decided that I wanted to go back to something that I enjoyed doing ... fixing electronic equipment and computers. I took some time out to study and attend a few IT courses to gain updated accreditations then I worked as a contractor for a while before starting my own business. I enjoyed doing it so much and made so many good friends that I was happy to keep on going for a few more years than I'd planned to. Eventually though I stopped taking on new customers and reduced my existing customer base by offloading some of the more (ahem) demanding ones and my working hours just gradually petered out to just the odd problem or maybe a bit of training a few times a month. It worked really well for me not coming to a dead stop. My only regret is that I'd not got the balls (or redundancy package) to make the move to SE years earlier.
Doing something you enjoy makes a massive difference, I’d had enough of engineering by my early 40s I’d always fancied working on the post I’d just imagined it to be walking about talking to people listening to the radio all day while I did it, and that’s pretty much it, I love doing it and although I took a massive drop in pay to do it it pays reasonable and I’ve never been happier in my job (when I’m there ! off again atm but hoping to be back next week doctors review permitting) but it is harder than it looks I’m pretty knackered these days when I sit down at the end of a shift it’s amazing how many young uns jack it in in the first few weeks it’s not for everyone the hardest thing is probably concentration apart from the weight of the bags,it’s so easy to make a mistake if your mind wanders but health and happiness beats money hands down wish I’d learnt that lesson sooner
 
Doing something you enjoy makes a massive difference, I’d had enough of engineering by my early 40s I’d always fancied working on the post I’d just imagined it to be walking about talking to people listening to the radio all day while I did it, and that’s pretty much it, I love doing it and although I took a massive drop in pay to do it it pays reasonable and I’ve never been happier in my job (when I’m there ! off again atm but hoping to be back next week doctors review permitting) but it is harder than it looks I’m pretty knackered these days when I sit down at the end of a shift it’s amazing how many young uns jack it in in the first few weeks it’s not for everyone the hardest thing is probably concentration apart from the weight of the bags,it’s so easy to make a mistake if your mind wanders but health and happiness beats money hands down wish I’d learnt that lesson sooner
Spot on Bully! When you enjoy your work it makes all the difference. You still have your odd bad days but in my case they where nowhere near as bad as doing a job that I eventually detested.

I've always seen the postie's job as pretty hard work TBH. I know how knackered I am next morning after a few miles ramble but I suppose you get used to it. We have a mix of posties here. Some of the newer young uns literally run around at times even eating a sandwich at the same time whilst it looks like some of our older guys can hardly make it up the hill and grimace with every step.

One thing that they do all seem to have in common..old or young, male or female is that whatever the season and how cold and wet the weather is they all wear shorts. Is it mandatory dress now? :ROFLMAO:
 
By the time I reached 50, I absolutely hated my managerial job and decided that I wanted to go back to something that I enjoyed doing ... fixing electronic equipment and computers. I took some time out to study and attend a few IT courses to gain updated accreditations then I worked as a contractor for a while before starting my own business. I enjoyed doing it so much and made so many good friends that I was happy to keep on going for a few more years than I'd planned to. Eventually though I stopped taking on new customers and reduced my existing customer base by offloading some of the more (ahem) demanding ones and my working hours just gradually petered out to just the odd problem or maybe a bit of training a few times a month. It worked really well for me not coming to a dead stop. My only regret is that I'd not got the balls (or redundancy package) to make the move to SE years earlier.
Bully's right, if you don't enjoy it any more it becomes hard work but you need courage to leave your comfort zone and I applaud him for that
Again I was lucky in that, as I moved up the ladder,my contact with the general public lessened in direct correlation with my tolerance levels of them! My love, and challenge/satisfaction was in exceeding the targets, in showing the buggers that this blunt ,maverick, unorthodox Yorkshireman could get the results and beat the rest, particularly the smooth b*stards who thought they were God's gift until it came to actually making money.
That spurred me on but it was becoming groundhog year on year then I was promoted to look after the UK hotels and had a new challenge - sorting out the GM's in charge of those hotels and they were often dafter than the customers:yes:.
I left when a new company took over and wanted me to re-locate darn Sarf and did the consultancy stuff as and when needed.I never really considered going on my own as the money needed to buy something big enough to keep me interested was not there and, knowing the way I am, I didn't want a heart attack every time some bugger broke a glass costing ME money.:eek:
 
Spot on Bully! When you enjoy your work it makes all the difference. You still have your odd bad days but in my case they where nowhere near as bad as doing a job that I eventually detested.

I've always seen the postie's job as pretty hard work TBH. I know how knackered I am next morning after a few miles ramble but I suppose you get used to it. We have a mix of posties here. Some of the newer young uns literally run around at times even eating a sandwich at the same time whilst it looks like some of our older guys can hardly make it up the hill and grimace with every step.

One thing that they do all seem to have in common..old or young, male or female is that whatever the season and how cold and wet the weather is they all wear shorts. Is it mandatory dress now? :ROFLMAO:
Not all but a fair % wear them as you may have guessed from some of rods less savoury posts towards me I’m in shorts all yr round and yes it is hard work m8 I recently got a Fitbit and was surprised at the distance I cover it can be anything between 11 to 13 miles then I walk our pooch for another couple it’s no wonder I’m whacked when I’ve done, like you say there are good and bad days but the bad days are still better than the good days in the old job
 
Not all but a fair % wear them as you may have guessed from some of rods less savoury posts towards me I’m in shorts all yr round and yes it is hard work m8 I recently got a Fitbit and was surprised at the distance I cover it can be anything between 11 to 13 miles then I walk our pooch for another couple it’s no wonder I’m whacked when I’ve done, like you say there are good and bad days but the bad days are still better than the good days in the old job
That's nowt I have to walk a mile to our club (and back).
 
Bully's right, if you don't enjoy it any more it becomes hard work but you need courage to leave your comfort zone and I applaud him for that
Again I was lucky in that, as I moved up the ladder,my contact with the general public lessened in direct correlation with my tolerance levels of them! My love, and challenge/satisfaction was in exceeding the targets, in showing the buggers that this blunt ,maverick, unorthodox Yorkshireman could get the results and beat the rest, particularly the smooth b*stards who thought they were God's gift until it came to actually making money.
That spurred me on but it was becoming groundhog year on year then I was promoted to look after the UK hotels and had a new challenge - sorting out the GM's in charge of those hotels and they were often dafter than the customers:yes:.
I left when a new company took over and wanted me to re-locate darn Sarf and did the consultancy stuff as and when needed.I never really considered going on my own as the money needed to buy something big enough to keep me interested was not there and, knowing the way I am, I didn't want a heart attack every time some bugger broke a glass costing ME money.:eek:
Suddenly often in mid-late middle age, many seem to realise that life's not all about the title, the wages and the flash new car. You're up the corporate ladder but 2/3rds down the road to your maker and you hate every single boring thing about your job. That was me especially in the years after good old J Arthur took us over. Redundancies were happening and I actually asked the CEO if he could put me on the list. He did and the 6 months notice period allowed me to plan for the career change.

My first job after cramming the Microsoft MCSEi accreditation into 9 months was as an IT contractor at HSBC's underground control hub near Tankersley. I passed my final exam on the Thursday and on the Friday morning my agency contacted me with the job offer, initially for 3 months but in the end I was there for nearly a year. It was scary at first because I was level 3 support. Part of a small team who ended up with the the IT problems that the Helpdesk and level 2 support couldn't fathom but I absolutely loved it. I was offered a permanent position which was tempting because the wages and pension were excellent but I decided I was definitely going to start my own business and I still needed wider IT experience.

I had a few shorter term contracts over the next year. Small companies, medium-large companies, all in different fields. After spending 25 years + in one company it was great to experience all the different types of business. I enjoyed them all except for one. Sheffield Colleges. What an experience that was. Some of the lefty leather elbowed teachers seemed to resent the fact that this middle age man with the nice new car had been thrust upon them. Surely their IT support staff should be 21 tops, scruffy and arrive on the bus? Not in a suit and driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Talk about suspicious, it's the only time in my life that I've been reprimanded for coming in too early or staying too late to finish a job. It's also the only time in my life that I've walked out of a job without giving notice but 2 weeks sniping and questioning as to my 'motives' was enough. That was my last contract before starting my own business.
 
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