January 3rd 2023

 Well - my plan to revise this blog more often hasn't quite gone to plan, though the start of a new year is not a bad time to reflect on what I/we have been up to since last June

It's been a lovely Christmas and New Year. Intentionally quiet but having both girls home for a while was more than I could have wished for. Some of the usual festive events, some quiet days, a bit of running around, but nearly all exactly as desired. My annual "shopping" trip with Simon and Richard (and JB) changed to Borough Market area and was lovely - good old beer up. OS festive do felt a little flat despite now being on the other side and among the ex-OS lot. I'd been carrying a cold since October time and just not really feeling too festive - but good to catch up with some not seen since pre-pandemic years. I still feel part of the current OS Norfolk lot and plan to meet up with them reasonably regularly again. Rosie came home around 18th Dec and is still home till 9th Jan. She is very happy with her lot in Cardiff and Owen came to stay with us through the New Year. Jenny was home 22nd - 30th. Happy resting, knitting, running and swimming - we all did the Boxing day dip this year - brilliant. Me being a silly arse, sprained/twisted my ankle a couple of weeks ago so have hobbled painfully through till now. Will need another week or so to rest up and recover before running again. DG really embraced time away from work. Plenty of rest with added running, lots of football and happy to be with the girls. Throw in a visit from Jim and Hayley with nieces and partners and lovely Molly - then a day later Graham's lot for the day, it really has been a good way to end the year

I couldn't be more proud of my girls just now. Still sad (for me) that Jen and Jack went their own way but fully understand. Jenny is going to have the most amazing year this year with her travel plans along with loving being with some really good friends in Finsbury Park. At last she will be doing what she wants to do. Rosie has thrown herself into Uni life in Cardiff and clearly loves it there. Owen is a lovely lad, an absolute bonus on top of really enjoying living way out west, to the point she seems happy to make it her home when the studying is done. In my heart Jenny and Rosie will both be living near by here in North Norfolk but their path to happiness shouldn't rely on what their silly old dad wants and I support them 100% in whatever they choose to do

The football will hopefully drag them back to Norfolk occasionally, that and my amazing culinary skills, lovely coast and beautiful countryside. However, Norwich City aren't being very appealing just now. Currently on an awful run of form and awaiting a new manager to get things going again. DG loves having her own season ticket and we still love going to the games. I'm taking our Bessingham Ukrainian family to the match this weekend coming. Hope they don't mind! Sally has been hosting them at the other Barn Cottage.  A very noble thing to do for a lovely family, though I wish it wasn't necessary at all. I don't see an end in sight to the needless Russian attacks on Ukraine though maybe common sense will prevail and Violetta and the boys can be reunited with their dad later this year

My retirement is always the 1st thing anyone mentions when I see them - "how's retirement going?" - which is fair enough as I made the decision to go earlier than maybe I would have and while I haven't thrown myself into charity work or volunteering or other paid work, I am having a really enjoyable time. Those who know me will know that I'm not very good at lazing about, watching telly all day so try and fill my days with plenty of activity - be it round the house, wandering along the coast, photographing everything, cycling, swimming, cooking, occasionally running - and occasionally resting. I do feel fulfilled. I've helped some friends do some building work on their new house, I've helped our Ukrainian friends with school runs and the like and I went big on selling plants out front of Barn Cottage - plants raised in the polly tunnel (way too many tomato plants but who cares?). Raised around £300 for the DEC Ukraine appeal. Maybe this year I will take on a bit of paid work or do some voluntary stuff but I have enjoyed not committing to too much other than my weekly bike rides with Roger, Andrew and Philip

I did spend a lot of my summer on the beach in Comer - with temperatures rising to 40 it was the best place to be - and probably the only place where I truly relax. I've had a few folk say that they saw me there, but I was asleep. Lovely

So to 2023. A strange year in that no one seems to have any money - things are tighter round here than expected, hence the thought of maybe earning a few quid. The unknown of  how the Ukrain situation will end. A horrible uncaring government with a revolving door of PM's and other senior folk - that won't change till the next general election. A health service on its arse, lots of strikes and at the moment, warmer weather seems months away. DG and I will return to Crete in August. Last went there in about 1989. DG and Jen have a fancy Caribbean cruise planned before Jen sets off to who knows where. Rosie has taken to bargain trips abroad (Barcelona in 2 weeks time). I have little planned so far other than a trip to Cardiff and The Lakes but that will change, though if I have to spend every day round here, that will be just fine.

Hopefully my ankle will allow me to get back up to full speed again soon. I was doing ok for a while in December - did the Holkham Beach 5 mile run in an ok time. I may enter the Norwich 10k to give myself a target but it would be great to think I could run a lot more Parkruns this year than I managed in 2022. As ever at this new year time I think to myself that I really should loose some weight (weighed in at 15stone 5lbs this morning - about the same as I have been for 10 years or more), cut down on the booze a bit - dry Mondays may become dry Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays and eat more healthily (portion control Jeremy). Having written those things here may make me more likely to stick at them - so will report back on my next post.

That'll do for now. Time to take down the dec's

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