June 8th 2022

So, now a bit of time has passed and things have settled down, its time to tke stock of what "retirement" entails

Since my March update I have learnt that I'm not on an extended work break. My time is my time - I can really do what I want (within reason) and that feels great. Speaking with similarly long standing colleagues, the cynicism has become overwhelming and seems there's a lot of unhappy bunnies at the workplace just now. OS has lost it's way with how it treats it's staff and really isn't listening to those at the coal face.

I wrote to the CEO to explain my upset at not hearing ANYTHING official from them despite 37+ yrs there. A crappy apology and an acknowledgement that they could have handled things better was about it.

I really should let it go but I do feel sorry for so many friends that are in the difficult time of wanting to finish but maybe need another 2-3 yrs to get finances right.

Finance is starting to weigh on my mind as things move forward. Cost of everything is spiralling eg diesel now nearly £2/litre - was as low as about £1.10  during pandemic. My electric bill was nearly £200 last month and only £70 for same period last year. I'm not too proud or lazy or stubborn to have to go out and earn a few quid if needed though I'd like to think I shouldn't have to

My/our problems are in truth rather small compared to many who are struggling to get by and it's desperately sad that violence in central Europe seems to be ongoing with such a needless conflict affecting so many people. That on top of being governed by a lying useless buffoon makes the future a little bleak

But - summer's on the way (it's raining just now), the sea is warming up. Rosie is soon to be home for a few months and Jenny seems happy, which makes me happy. Malaga was a lovely trip even if the weather was bit rough. Can't see us having another lavish family hols for a while together but there's plenty of other good things on the calendar to look forwards to. DG will now be counting down the days to the end of term. Time will fly by no doubt and it won't seem too long till she's able to make the same decision that I did earlier this year

I'm spending many hours in the garden - my polytunnel - a surprisingly good purchase - has been great and we should soon be able to feed the whole district as long as they like tomatoes and chillies. The weekly rides, the sea swims, fishing, walking and still watching loads of football. I'm a lucky boy 

14.3.22 Getting into this retirement lark

About 7 weeks have gone by since I hung up my map case. Still feels like I’m on some sort of sabbatical though the thoughts of the daily grind are dissipating slowly. I’m truly not missing work at all - I thought I would, but the freedom to choose how I spend my time has been fantastically liberating. I have limits, particularly financial, but also not wanting to do too much without DG. She’s supported my decision to finish, every step of the way and though many have asked if I will be off travelling or buying motorbikes etc, I am more than happy to wait till we can go exploring together. I am also very happy pottering around here. Can’t wait for some warmer, sunnier days and get to the beach - that will be my extravagance for the time being.

I’ve managed to up my exercise regime - back running fairly regularly (4 consecutive Parkruns is a good sign), lots of walks and now with added cycling with my Bessingham chums - a lovely unexpected addition to my time.

Been great to have seen the girls over the last week or so. Rosie is home on a long weekend just now and Jenny was here last weekend. Jen starts her new career today and we are so proud of her. Not long till we are all together for a trip to Malaga and hopefully home for Easter. 

With the awful awful things going on in Ukraine just now, family and Norfolk and happiness and hope are so important. I wish the atrocities would end now - there's absolutely no need for the violence. Coming through two very worrying Covid years, straight into a dreadful war in Europe makes you wonder where it will all end.

Maybe the futility of this aggression will ultimately bring the world family closer together and compassion will win through  

Retirement. End of week 2

“So, how are you finding retirement?”

Heard this  so many times in the few short days since I finished. Not surprised -  and I guess I’d be asking the exact same thing. Truth is, I can’t really say yet. Still feels like I’ve taken a few days off to get stuff done around home. I’m rattling through jobs that I’ve been putting off for years but then there’s months and months of similar things to attend to that will keep me busy.

I noticed yesterday that, having decided that it was a gardening day, a couple of hours is more than enough. But then there was still time to go for a run, pop to the shops, read for a while....... just like a normal Sunday may have been. Time is what I wanted above all else and I reckon I’ve got that.

I’ve hardly thought about work at all. A little bit of guilt when wandering around Cromer on a bright morning when I’d probably be on a building site but not missing management directives, emails, Teams meets etc.

Be interesting to see how we manage financially now that everything is rocketing up. I’ve said to many folk that, if needed, I’ll happily go and earn a few £££, but I’d really rather not. Needs must.

January 21st 2022

 Another bright breezy Norfolk winters day. 

I’m officially on leave today but I am also now no longer a working man.  I ceremonially switched off my Dell pen tablet ( my workhorse) for the last time yesterday.

40 years work. Done.

If I count the days at Braggers Sports&Social club, where I started sorting bottles into crates at the age of 8 (20p/hour), that’s 50 years at work. Clearly working at OS has been my life. A very interesting job for a quintessentially British thing. Almost everyone I tell about what I do/did expresses an interest in our maps. It’s been a great way to earn £££ and from the get go, I never wanted to work indoors. A strangely solitary profession but wholly reliable on interacting with the great unwashed, I think it’s been perfect for me - happy to be busy on my own, happy to have the interface with people who, by and by, benefit from what I produce. Not many folk have every thing they create, everyday, published and bought.

Towards the end of my time at OS, I sensed I was becoming somewhat cynical of the way we were being managed. I strongly believe that this cynicism was born out of experience. Too many rubbish pay awards and an overall downgrade of work conditions for no apparent reason have tarnished the last few years. Maybe these thoughts have been enhanced by my departure. Without doubt I am immensely proud of my work and proud of OS maps and the rose tinted specs will get rosier as time passes.

A lifetime of friendships, a lifetime of getting by with some you’d rather not and a lifetime of measuring things. Strange what people do to earn a living.

 New Year. New me

How many good intentions have I had in the last 57 years?  Off to the physio this morning to look at a year long left shoulder injury. It’s kind of ok now - there’s permanent damage but now nearly pain free.  I’d love to be up and running again but have had a nagging foot injury since tripping up in October while surveying Overstrand cliffs. It’s another “flares up occasionally” injury which has kept me hobbling since Boxing Day.  Haven’t done a Parkrun since mid December. All 4 of us got a mild Covid setback - I’ve had a head cold since about 18th December.

Just a few working days left till I retire and Plan A is to get properly active. Mainly walking but hopefully running and biking a lot. Being about 2 stone lighter would probably help everything, specially my varied aching joints, so maybe shedding a few lbs should be plan B.  Having excess time on my hands and a bit of a hit on the finances will be an interesting incentive.

DG started back at school this morning. Martham is quite a trip from here and she’s doing what I used to do many years ago ie getting up really early to face a long drive to work. I reckon in my Harlow days, I’d be on the road about 6:15. 

Rosie took the long bus trip back to Cardiff yesterday. She’s had a mixed Christmas holiday.  Lots of work to do, covid, the odd social and lots of rest. She can sleep for England. So proud of her and the way she’s settled in to Uni life. Made some proper lifelong friends already.

We still have Jen home on her extended Christmas break. Since picking her up from Kings Avenue on 14th December, feeling lousy, she’s been able to carry on working from here. Her running has been brilliant. More, longer, faster runs. Clearly something she loves.  Even on the prom in Cromer last night with the waves overtopping.  Pleased she was able to spend some time with Jack in GY and see his new house.

We are all a bit peeved with Nodge at the moment. Another wasted season chasing the hope of being a Premier League team. Quickly becoming a nomad team - not good enough at this level, too good for the Championship. Not sure what I really want from them - I don’t ever expect that there’d be enough money for them to compete in the Prem, but it’s good fun winning a league every other year.

That’ll do for now. Got the excitement of our sceptic tank being emptied this morning. Oh the joys of Country Life.

 Jan 3rd 2022

Funny how you forget about the things you did. I was thinking of finding a suitable place to diarise what I get up to in the next few years and remembered that I'd occasionally add to these pages.

Can't believe that its been nearly 6 years since I posted anything. The main reason for picking this up again is that, in 22 days time, I retire from OS/Civil Service after 40 years (nearly 40 years), and will have a lot of spare time to do pretty much what the heck I like (within reason and £££ limits)

I'll write a bit about what's happened in the intervening years and what I have planed with my new found "man of leisure status" as time permits, but, simply finding this old blog has been like finding an old friend. I'll need to read some of the old posts to remind me of where I left things though I guess the headlines would be

Jenny graduated with a 1st at Leeds and now works/lives in that London

Rosie is in her 1st year in Cariff, dodging stringent Welsh lockdowns

DG is Deputy Head at Martham and I'm about to hang my hat up.

Still happily in Barn Cottage and no great rush to change that

We all succumbed to Covid over Christmas but none too poorly

Here's to a (hopefully) interesting few years ahead, with the occasional update here