What do retired people do all day?


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2 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I think social distancing will go out of the window when the pubs open! 

Leave that window open, Phil, it's my way into the pub. I haven't got a Covid Passport!

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Not been on here much recently - too busy! I'm in my third retirement. The first one started when I sold my share of the business at 66 and spent 4 to 6 months pa in France cycling, fishing and b

I thought that I might get bored when I retired having worked all my adult life from the age of 16. I was made redundant at 60 as the firm I walked for was bought over by another and moved to Billingh

I've just recently retired and love it. After 40+ years of shift work, getting up at ungodly hours, trying to sleep during the day in heatwaves, working weekends, bank holidays and Christmas, it's won

I tend to get up late, certainly in the winter, or at any other time.. unless the weather is warm.. in which case I get up early and continue sleeping on my sun lounger instead of stinking in bed. I also tend to go to bed late.. because I enjoy chatting on here and a couple of other sites last thing.

 

Eitherway.. the morning....or what's left of it.. usually sort of drifts towards lunchtime..which then pulls me into the lunchtime news.. so it's about 1:30 pm before I start doing anything.

 

I think it was Kev who pointed out 'upthread' that being retired allows you to choose what.. and how much..to do.  That is a privelege we work all of our lives for.

 

I try to achieve something.. however small.. every day.  What I mostly do is gardening, or DIY.  It is almost all directed at getting the house into the shape it ought to have been in 20 years ago if only I hadn't been permanently otherwise occupied with work, youth work, trade unionism and local council activities... none of which generated enough money for me to pay others to do stuff for me.

 

I think the more sensible of us 'owds'.. learn that 'pacing' is necessary.  The days of charging about are gone..but a bit of steady and thoughtful activity can still get stuff done.

 

I also try to walk at least every other day.  This week it has been every day...as my knees at least don't seize up if I do so.. though every step is painful.

 

I am rarely, if ever, bored... though I might well be very boring.... :rolleyes:

 

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1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

none of which generated enough money for me to pay others to do stuff for me.

As we get older it is not good for us to go up ladders and climb about on roofs (rooves) or in roof spaces so I have to get trades people to come and do stuff that I used to do myself.

I have a fundamental issue with paying someone for something I could do myself and often better than so called "tradies". My wife gets upset when we have a tradesman come around to do a job and within a few minutes I send them packing because it is either obvious they don't know what they are doing or they spend most of their time on the mobile instead of the job they are being paid to do, especially when they are on a hourly rate. Luckily and mostly by word of mouth we now known a group of tradies that do a good job at a fair price and turn up on time to quote or do the job

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One of my pet peeves on being retired is that no matter how you organise your day and keep busy and happy you dont get Bank Holidays off. Remember the joys of thinking its only 2 weeks to the BH and the pleasure of not having get up and to go to work and the time planning what you are going to do. That pleasure has been taken away from us, we should start a pressure group to bring about the end of oppression of our minority, well all others seem to find a reason to demonstrate and we are miserable old ***** with plenty of time to spare.

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16 hours ago, benjamin1945 said:

...might sound strange to some.......but i actually really enjoyed all my working years.....

 

I can understand that. I liked work, and now I like not working. One of the good things about work is that you meet and speak to a large number of people every day, including new people you hadn't met before. Whereas when not working you have to consciously go out of your way to meet anyone other than your few regulars.

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I’ve not been meeting people to talk to at length for over a year. Yesterday a retired farmer friend dropped by and we were chatting for about two hours about how the village used to be, tractors and the dearly departed. It was really good to have someone outside of the family to speak with. Perhaps I might have bored him. He did make make me an offer on my old 1965 Ford Dexter though. I hadn’t thought about selling but he’s looking for a restoration project. I don’t use it and I still have my 1952 grey Fergie to play with. I’ll pump up the tyres and pressure wash it and see if I can bear to sell it. I also looked at the 1972 MG Midget at the back of the garage. It was running when it was laid up around 20 years ago. Getting it driveable again would be an interesting challenge.

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The Midget sounds like a worthwhile project, Phil. Must be worth a few bob nowadays too.

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I always like to go out for too much to drink to mark the beginning of the weekend - that's about all I miss since lockdown began (Only kidding about "Too much"). The Scottish government were the first to close the pubs and they are intent of being the last to re-open them. There has always been a strong religious element up here that opposes any form of pleasure (The Wee Frees). Sadly, although not in a majority, they seem to have a disproportionate influence on government.

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It belongs to my son but he hasn't got the space for it. Mechanically it is 100% as everything has been overhauled some years ago. It will obviously need new fluids and a battery. I'll turn things over slowly and manually before I try to start it. Good ones fetch around £7,000 so not yet in MGB territory.

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5 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I'll turn things over slowly and manually before I try to start it.

 We always took the plugs out of old engines and let a good dollop of Redex or similar soak for a day or so to prevent the rings sticking..

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I've just recently retired and love it. After 40+ years of shift work, getting up at ungodly hours, trying to sleep during the day in heatwaves, working weekends, bank holidays and Christmas, it's wonderful having a regular rythmn to my day. I'm walking far more now, dog walking with my friend and doing my 10,000 steps a day  everyday instead of just every now and then.  How I found the time to go to work I don't know! And this has all been during lockdown, once we are free  (if ever) I want to get involved far more in church activities and social life, can't wait. 

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I thought that I might get bored when I retired having worked all my adult life from the age of 16. I was made redundant at 60 as the firm I walked for was bought over by another and moved to Billingham from Doncaster so I was retired by circumstances really. I did get a part time job at the small local McColls (which some weeks was nearly full time as I was called in when needed especially as I tended to do the evening shift). When I moved back here I decided I had done my bit and decided to retire, although I do have an occasional job as an invigilator at a local school (whenever exams start again) the bit of extra money comes in handy.

I must say I have enjoyed most of it, lockdown did scupper it a bit with my social clubs not being able to meet but hey ho it is what it is. I have been able to indulge in my hobbies. Knitting (I have a wardrobe full of jumpers, cardigans etc), cross stitch and crocheting, reading I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. I also discovered podcasts which was a revelation.  I do a bit of gardening - well growing plants in pots - and of course spending more time with my boys until January and am looking forward to the end of April when Jj will arrive. I still go for walks, go regularly to Wollaton Park and the woods where we walked my boys which was bittersweet at first but now brings back good memories of them playing there.

It is also nice to be able to have “lazy days” when I just don’t do much at all and I must say when the weather has not been good pj days when I just slob around and watch rubbish on telly.  
I go and see friends (when allowed at present) obviously sitting in the garden well wrapped up and am hopefully looking forward to my social clubs being able to meet sometime in the future although I have a feeling it might not be for a while. I do have the occasional day where I get a bit fed up but think that is probably due to lockdown etc which has limited me somewhat. 
So Totongirl enjoy, it gives you a new lease on life as it is your time to do what you want to do. 

 

 

 


 

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I handed my notice in at work today and am retiring in July, no more shifts and weekend working, don't think I'll  miss it. Any tips or hints appreciated regarding pastimes or hobbies?

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You'll find that life expands to fill the time available.   You don't have to watch the clock or the calendar any longer. 

 

I found I do more socialising during the day, which obviously is something you couldn't do previously (before Covid interrupted it).

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6 minutes ago, denshaw said:

I handed my notice in at work today and am retiring in July, no more shifts and weekend working, don't think I'll  miss it. Any tips or hints appreciated regarding pastimes or hobbies?

Try to get as much exercise as you can, a daily walk if nothing else, stopping in all day isn't good. I've given myself a set get up time and bedtime, quite a luxury after years of shiftwork, I try to have a decent walk in the nature reserve everyday, it's vital for health. Do you have a dog? Or friends with one? They are an excellent incentive to get you out there if the weather isn't special. 

Try not to be in too much of a rush to do things, you'll have far more time but probably a lower income so you can't persue hobbies perhaps at the speed you might want to! What sort of things are you interested in? I'm teaching myself to play keyboard, it keeps my mind active and also my fingers supple. Remember, "use it or lose it" applies to physical and mental ability. 

The main thing is to enjoy your time, relax a bit but don't spend days in front of the tele! Joining clubs or associations is good when we can, sharing interests  with others and socialising, if you've been working shifts I expect you'll have shared my frustration in not being able to get involved with things like clubs etc. 

Enjoy  your retirement I'm sure you won't regret it.

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Not knowing your interests and hobbies it's difficult to advise. It's good to have a project rather than just mooch around. You could get a part time interesting job or do voluntary work. We have a few acres of land so it was easy for me to throw myself into the rural life and self sufficiency and I have now become a full time rustic. A proper workshop is useful if you enjoy fixing things.

 

 

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Den you can now take on the vacant role of Nottstalgia Social Secretary, Brew has done his best since we lost dear Chulla but he’s still trying to earn a crust.  Or ...... you could come and water our plants, feed the fish and birds every day while we’re away enjoying retirement ......

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I was a volunteer hospital driver for a time, an advance driving instructor,  built and repaired computers, I even mentored a guy in Canada through his GED over the internet,... and then Covid stopped it all.

 

Now I mainly sit at my PC, annoy people on NS and watch my waistline expand inexorably towards the desk.

 

My pilots licence has lapsed and not sure about regaining it, ditto HGV and Scuba ticket. One I will continue with is clay pigeon shooting but none of these are everyday activities.

 

Others things that have been suggested include angling and gardening, one is cruel the other boring. An OU course, but that would require a level of self discipline that has long departed - though an evening class, painting or a language and I quite fancy pottery would interest me. Walking is mind numbing as well as painful.

 

Basically Den it's different strokes for different folks

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Not been on here much recently - too busy!

I'm in my third retirement. The first one started when I sold my share of the business at 66 and spent 4 to 6 months pa in France cycling, fishing and building things on our few acres. Renovating old cider making stuff and making cider. I trained and competed at International level at indoor rowing. That was a super 13 years of retirement and not a minute to spare.

Sold up in France 3 yrs ago and started second retirement comprising converting next doors huge garden from wasteland to an allotment. Then celebrated my 80th by forming a fishing rod company. Started a heavy landscaping job last year and had a heart attack just over 3 wks ago.

Now in my third retirement and taking things steadier albeit still working on the landscaping/building job and back on the rowing machine and bike. Still get up early and not enough hours in the day. I'll be marking out the new well/pond shortly, ready  for the brickie who arrives at 8. The cement mixer will have a mix going before he arrives.

Retirement is much more active than work.......:biggrin:...Life is good.

 

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Thought i was active PP up to my major OP three years ago........i'm getting back to being active again...but not in your league mate,,,,,,,,,,i'm out of breath just reading your exploits...just go a bit steadier....you are an inspiration......

                           Off on me Bike now........all of 2 miles.......as they say in Yorkshire (and Notts) that'll do.........lol

 

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