November and already, the clock is ticking

I’m slacking somewhat in my quest to break my record of visiting as many “unique” pubs as possible, especially after hitting the magic 100 at the middle of last month. Some might accuse me of “resting on my laurels”, although in self-defence, I’ve had several other distractions that I’ve had to attach more importance to.

The first of these is my impending retirement which, after 50 years of being a wage slave, can’t come quick enough. I mentioned previously how, after a few, ill-conceived changes within the company, has managed to completely change the dynamics of the organisation. The end result being, the place is no longer somewhere that I enjoy attending, and whilst with the benefit of that wonderful thing called “hindsight”, it would have been sensible two years ago, when I was approaching that biblical milepost of  “three-score years, and ten”, but it was not to be.

Life is full of “should have done” and “ought to have done”, but I didn’t, and it’s been quite a sharp learning curve getting myself up to speed with the world of company pensions. This is really practical stuff that ought to be taught at school, but of course it isn’t. So, after immersing myself in the world of annuities, pension drawdowns, deferment, and more that a bit of crystal ball-gazing, I’m finally seeing some clarity.

I’ve set a provisional retirement date of the start of March 2027, and whilst I’ve dropped a few hints to a few of my more trustworthy colleagues, I haven’t yet handed in my notice. This brings me on to the other distraction, which is our upcoming cruise, the third one of the year, and also the longest. I won’t go into too much detail here, although I expect I shall upon our return. Suffice to say I shall only be taking one suitcase, as opposed to my wife’s three.

We shall probably need to cut our cloth accordingly, once I do depart from the world of work, but like this forthcoming voyage, which has been paid off on a monthly basis, the same applies to the sailing booked for next June. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to taking more short breaks closer to home, and the freedom and mobility afforded by not being tied to a particular employer, the UK will be our oyster, alongside the more occasional trip overseas.

This was meant to be the lead into a post concerning a relatively nearby pub that reopened, a few months ago, following a period of closure. It’s a heartening tale of renewal and coming back from the dead, so to speak, and it’s also a story of resilience that proves the resilience of the pub trade, despite all the pitfalls, barriers and restraints imposed on it, by modern Britain. Until next time then, where there’s something a little more in keeping with the spirit and the usual ethos of this blog.