Hands off my beer!

Sorry Bob, thought you were having a wine!

No, it's only Aussies that whine ... looking forward to the Ashes and the Lions this summer?

Only just caught up on this naughtycal thread - and read it with great pleasure.

My comment is simple, for all of you contemplating retirement activities, semi- retirement, and so on - and in fact for ALL contributors young and old ...........

Make EVERY day special for you and your loved ones; never put off saying what needs saying, and especially what things mean to you. We never know what the future holds.

Three days before our planned family-only wedding in 2007 the 2nd Mrs Freshacre (the 1st opted out after 30 years) had the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and the week following that wedding (hastily rearranged at a moment's notice, with our reception in 3weeks cancelled and brought forward to that weekend resulting in 75 friends descending upon our home from all over UK and Ireland - and just the best f***ing wedding imaginable) she was in hospital having seriously major surgery...

The subsequent two years until she died a month after our second anniversary spent exploring Barcelona, were without question and despite the Bluddy cancer, the best of times.

And after she had spent her last month in St Michael's Hospice near Hereford, we resurrected an old comedy band which had last played 20 years previously when our fiddler's wife had died there, to raise some funds. We managed three sell-out concerts, and pulled in in excess of £25000 from the Hats off to the Hospice initiative. We were The Hat Band - even selling 300 copies of the DVD!

Make every day count, folks. (Perhaps a Yetifolk, golden oldies Ceilidh... ... ...)

So true Freshacre, so true. My attitude to life changed a long while back when my mum died when she was just 53. I was one of four siblings. My folks never had much, and what they had they used to do their best for us. They always spoke of how, "when you lot have all grown up and we have retired" they would buy a little camper van and fulfil their dreams. It never happened - mum never reached 'retirement'. I reassessed my career (until that time I had been a fiercely ambitious teacher with aspirations of Headship) and took 5 years out to go skiing, coming back (eventually) into a 'teacher training' role. The present Mrs Bobdog was herself widowed at 38 - her first husband dropped dead very unexpectedly of a heart attack at that age - and shares my attitude towards life, fortunately (thus allowing me to spend part of my pension lump sum on a boat rather than on something 'sensible').

Good luck to one and all you Yeti (and Superb) oldsters ... and there's a lesson for you youngsters too!

Another adding his agreement. Similar to Bobdog - although I did have two headships then into HMI, but decided it was all too much of a ratrace and, thanks to an unexpectedly generous sum inherited when my parents died (they had never believed in spending money and enjoying themselves - sad for them, but of benefit to me as an only child) I decided to retire early, buy a flat in my beloved Provence and do the things I enjoy doing: in my case, mostly visiting art exhibitions and going to concerts and the opera. I still do a few days' work each month, which pays for the running of the flat but I am luckily able to - and do- follow impulses such as ordering a new L&K Yeti (oh, and 15 months ago I bought a Peugeot 207 coupe cabriolet to keep in France for swanning around in the sun - very sad, I know, but I think in line with Freshacre's good advice).

Many of the last thoughts I'm sure resonate with those of us of a certain age. Someone said to me 'live every day as if it was your last'. How true, we bought a Lodge in Derbyshire and love every visit.

Agree all the above. Among the saddest words are "If only we'd (whatever) while we had the chance"

I'm not in a position to retire just yet. Looks like I will have to work until 65, or until my 'box closes, provisionally just before then. However we should have the "luxury" soon of selling the shop and house here so that we can replenish the savings pot. Mind you we have told the 3 children that we will be holding around £25k each from the sale for them to have as a deposit on a house. Better for them to have it now then when we go and they have to pay death duties! The remainder is for US!! The kids know that we are not going to save anything else for them and the most they might get will be the house to split between them. I suppose that makes us part of the SKI generation.

Madam has already decided that next year we are going on a cruise!!

Sounds very fair. We too have helped both our daughters and sons-in-law onto the housing ladder, and they will have property here and in France when we both shuffle off our mortal coils, but we will do our best to enjoy the rest of the dosh while we can! That includes the new L&K in a couple of months' time, and SWMBO's new Citigo which arrived 4 weeks ago and which is a great little car (just to get back vaguely on thread)!

Madam has already decided that next year we are going on a cruise!!

Hey Graham, agree to the cruise ... just don't tell her yet that it's going to be on the Norfolk Broads on my boat

Sorry Bob, not this time.

Looks like it will be somewhere in Europe, probably the Rhine with Viking River Cruises.

Hey Graham, agree to the cruise ... just don't tell her yet that it's going to be on the Norfolk Broads on my boat

Ooh - are you taking bookings? Is there a well stocked bar on board?

Just got a batch of Nog going this morning. Will have to make do with that and watching leaves floating on our (tiny) pond!

There's a corner in the cuddy ... so anytime you're down this way!