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

November 2016. Town v Country

Been having the conundrum of wether it's better to live out in the country or in town. It's played on my thoughts all my life. I'm probably a country boy at heart - that's where I started - but I've spent a fair proportion of my time in more urban environments.

It's a choice that raises its head every few years for us but more recently I've seen it preoccupy several others who are having to make that choice right now.

What makes the absolute choice of where's best to live becomes quite difficult as it is very easy to make the case for and against either.

Putting my country hat on, today was a great example of why it's a no-brainer to live out in the sticks. A simple bike ride on country lanes. Rode for about 45 mins, saw 1 car. Also saw a beautiful barn owl fly alongside me for a few seconds carrying its prey, seemingly winking at me as it diverted away.

What I didn't ride past though was any shop, pub, cafe, takeaway outlet etc. While that could be seen as a + it also means that you have to go that bit further just to make the ride/walk/run more sociable.

In the country you can go for months without seeing or hearing a police car. But is that because nothing happens? Supremely quiet nights and proper dark skies are a thing of beauty but the buzz of a town going about its business has more soul to it. 

Some small villages become quite incestuous where everyone knows everyone. You can't do anything without everyone knowing about it. Where we live now you can be fairly anonymous if you choose - but that's the same as it is in towns and cities right?

I have to admit I'd love to be able to walk to the local pub, pop to the shops, nip to the station and (best of all) walk to the beach. All that is on offer not far from here - but I know that I'd miss the peace and quiet, the space, the skies and the pleasure living in the countryside gives me/us just now. 

I guess if money were no object I'd have a foot in both camps but they may just confuse me even more.

November 13th 2016

Quick training (training hahaha) update

Well, to be fair, since getting my place confirmed I have bagged a few miles. Been quick and then slow on Parkruns but have managed a (very slow) 11.2 km run. So that is about half distance and there's still time on my side. 

The long run was last Tuesday morning and though I felt OK straight after, I think I've been aching ever since. 

Bit worried about a return of a stiffness in my back but hopefully that will ease off with more miles.

I've been a bit rubbish at eating/drinking smarter. I start the week with good intentions but usually end up feasting on lovely things all weekend. 

Here's to some good weather for evening runs.

October 2016

No post since June?

Sloppy

If this blogger is supposed to represent some sort of diarised record of what I've been up to then, well frankly, it isn't 

No excuses for keeping up with things. Truth is I have more spare time now than at any time BC (before children). Jen is 500 miles away in Yorkshire and Rosie is finding her own way as a young adult.  Dad duties are at an all time low. Not sure if that is something to be celebrated or to be sad about. Those that know me, know how much I've loved being about for my girls and I am suitably proud of how things are turning out for them. I may not be needed on such a regular basis but I will always be there, probably in the way.

Enough soppy tutt. I'll try and recall the summers highlights 

Bike rides, festivals, holidays, olympics, sunny days and swimming in the sea just about covers it.

A rather selfish highlight was seeing David Rodigan, in a tent,  in a storm,  in some woods at about 2am at Latitude. The whole festival was great but that topped things off. 

We had a lovely trip up the east coast to Northumberland and on to Edinburgh in August., quickly followed by a trip to Leeds to install Jen into Student House. Not sure I'll ever get used to the idea that she isn't here all the while.

Another highlight is that having got a modicum of fitness in my legs, following the Tour De Norfolk jaunt to Hunstanton and back in July, I have managed to keep the running going (touch wood). Taking things rather gently I have upped the regularity and distances covered each week. A Parkrun used to whack me out for a few days - now I can back that up with a midweek trot or two. Not noticed the lbs falling off yet but guilty pleasures snaffled from the fridge don't seem so naughty anymore.

Which is all just as well as (with encouragement from Ms G) I have thrown my hat and a few £££'s into the Cambridge Half Marathon next March. Most of my blogs over the next few months will probably be laced with training guff. How far, how fast, how long etc - so apologies in advance. I know there's a few hardened long distance runners in the family these days, but a half marathon is something I'll be very chuffed with and an excellent focus on my general health and fitness going forwards. My struggle will be the balance of getting the miles in while not forgetting just how nice beer, burgers, curry and wine is.

And then there's Christmas coming up. Good luck with that everyone

Jez

Oct 24