# Retirement



## claypigeon (May 9, 2005)

Well tomorrow is my final day of working after 53 years i have finally had enough now looking forward to going away in the motorhome and staying for as long as i want or afford,
We have only been able to do weekends for the last 14 years now looking to enjoy longer breaks.

Dave


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## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Enjoy your retirement Dave.
I retired two years ago but Karen dosn't retire until June so we mainly do weekends, it will be nice to just get up and go as and when you feel like it.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Nice one :grin2:...and congratulations!

Get planning on some longer trips and trips during the week and not at weekends! 

I finished work at the end of August last year. As I was teaching we can now go away outside of school holidays as well.

Graham :smile2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Well done Dave. What took you so long?
Been retired now 35 years and still like to travel. But motorhome days might be numbered.

Ray.


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## claypigeon (May 9, 2005)

I had to keep working to pay for the motorhome😁


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Good for you! Get some long trips planned. Post em on here, I love planning trips.

I retired ten years ago really but didnt tell anyone.


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## claypigeon (May 9, 2005)

Everybody keep asking where my retirement party is going to be so i tell em its in the village telephone box.


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## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

claypigeon said:


> Everybody keep asking where my retirement party is going to be so i tell em its in the village telephone box.


Can we all come?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Might have a bit of a squeeze in this one................................ Ray.
But a seat of learning.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

*Here is another*

Sent to Germany from England and made into a library.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

One thing I will say is, you might think you can lay back and take it easy, you can't, time isn't on your side when you retire, time goes into overdrive and the days fly by, don't put off things for a later date, get stuck in and do them now before you find you are doddering.. :laugh:

ray.


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## claypigeon (May 9, 2005)

Thats what i plan to do Ray


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

I always thought to myself that when I retired I would never get het up having to wait. But now, what really annoys me is the S-L-O-W service in banks, post offices and government offices. I just don't have enough hours left to waste them in mindless waiting.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Try hanging on the phone to the pensions service or National Insurance.

Ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

HermanHymer said:


> I always thought to myself that when I retired I would never get het up having to wait. But now, what really annoys me is the S-L-O-W service in banks, post offices and government offices. I just don't have enough hours left to waste them in mindless waiting.


The answer Hans gives when people say, your retired you have plenty of time.
No, I don't have as much time left as you, the older I get the less time I have.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

JanHank said:


> The answer Hans gives when people say, your retired you have plenty of time.
> No, I don't have as much time left as you, the older I get the less time I have.


We have more yesterdays than tomorrows..:wink2:

ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away 
and now they are here.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

"Retirement" only really applies to the employed doesn't it?

I last had full-time employment when I was 44, after which I did various contracts and self-employed work if I wanted to, but had many long gaps in that when I did not want to work, so I might have 'retired' a dozen times over the subsequent 25 years. I can recommend the style to everyone who enjoys long holidays and time to play with their 'toys' like boats and motorhomes.:grin2:

I sometimes wonder how I amassed enough to live on now, but it must have been from earning more as self-employed than salaried - plus taking on doing up 3 houses in London at different times.

To Claypigeon and any others about to retire, get on and enjoy it.

Geoff


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

rayrecrok said:


> One thing I will say is, you might think you can lay back and take it easy, you can't, time isn't on your side when you retire, time goes into overdrive and the days fly by, don't put off things for a later date, get stuck in and do them now before you find you are doddering.. :laugh:
> 
> ray.


There speaks a man with experience


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## bc109 (Sep 17, 2016)

Retired now for almost 17 years.
You'll wonder how you ever found the time to go to work !
Enjoy !!!!!!!
Bill


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

The things that need to be done tend to expand into fit the available time. 

Like just about every other retired person I really do wonder how I ever had the time to go to work. The answer to that is explained in the first paragraph of this post! 

Andy


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## claypigeon (May 9, 2005)

What I would like to know Andy is would you or have you ever wanted to go back to being a Motorhomer.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

9 years to the month since I retired and loved the motorhoming life I have had since then. I've got plenty of time as my T shirt shows


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I have just worked it out that soon I will have been retired from employment (not counting self-employed and contracts) more years than I was employed.:grin2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yup Geoff.
Mee too.
Worked 26 years.
Retired 35 years.

Ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

nicholsong said:


> I have just worked it out that soon I will have been retired from employment (not counting self-employed and contracts) more years than I was employed.:grin2:


If your not counting self employment then Hans has been retired for 54 years and me 41 :grin2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

It's only Geoff that not counting self employment. Mine is retirement from gainful employment. That's apart from mucking out tenants toilets.:frown2:

Ray.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

claypigeon said:


> What I would like to know Andy is would you or have you ever wanted to go back to being a Motorhomer.


Spookily We actually talked about this very subject while we were away in an apartment for last month.

We really enjoyed our motorhoming years but, a few years ago, for all sorts of reasons, and after a LOT of discussion and thought, we decided that a caravan would probably suit us better. Up until now that has remained the case. Admittedly there have been occasions when we have missed the ability to use an Aire, or to wild camp but what we REALLY like is the ability to "set up home" on a campsite (usually ACSI) with our caravan (and often an awning) and then explore the local, or not so local, area with the car WITHOUT having to pack everything away each time. We have electric bikes, and used them a lot when we had the MH but as good as they are, your exploring "radius" is pretty limited. (We still take the (folding) electric bikes with us.

We have actually discussed the possibility of changing, at some time in the future, to a panel van rather than a Motorhome, but at present we are happy with our decision to go over to "The dark side" :wink2:

As I have said to others who have asked me the same question, I could talk to you and convince you 100% that you should have a MH, and then convince you 100% that you should have a caravan ! There are very good arguments for and against both and it's all down to what you want at the time. We still,undertake the same type of holidays, we just go about them in a slightly different way.

One thing I WILL say is that a lot of tuggers are, how shall I put this?? Not as adventurous, or "positive"as motorhomers.

You boy, at the back...... did I hear you say anorak??

Andy


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Having swapped the caravan for Motorhome 3 years ago I understand fully what you say Andy.
We wouldn't go back to the caravan now though, Hans said as we were coming back today from our afternoon trip to Poland
"This was the best thing we could have done, at the time we did it" 

The Navajo is a wonderful size for just a day out or a few weeks away.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> Spookily We actually talked about this very subject while we were away in an apartment for last month.
> 
> We really enjoyed our motorhoming years but, a few years ago, for all sorts of reasons, and after a LOT of discussion and thought, we decided that a caravan would probably suit us better. Up until now that has remained the case. Admittedly there have been occasions when we have missed the ability to use an Aire, or to wild camp but what we REALLY like is the ability to "set up home" on a campsite (usually ACSI) with our caravan (and often an awning) and then explore the local, or not so local, area with the car WITHOUT having to pack everything away each time. We have electric bikes, and used them a lot when we had the MH but as good as they are, your exploring "radius" is pretty limited. (We still take the (folding) electric bikes with us.
> 
> ...


There is a breed of adventurous Tuggers out there. I remember a couple of longish winter trips we did in the UK in the Lakes and Cornwall and Devon. We pretty much used CL sites all the way and the weather was pretty challenging. Loads of snow and sub zero temperatures. We met some cracking Tuggers on that trip and some of them Discoveries came in handy for the odd tow. A good bunch and far removed from the summer CC Club site set I think.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Mrplodd said:


> Spookily We actually talked about this very subject while we were away in an apartment for last month.
> 
> We really enjoyed our motorhoming years but, a few years ago, for all sorts of reasons, and after a LOT of discussion and thought, we decided that a caravan would probably suit us better. Up until now that has remained the case. Admittedly there have been occasions when we have missed the ability to use an Aire, or to wild camp but what we* REALLY like is the ability to "set up home" on a campsite *(usually ACSI) with our caravan (and often an awning) and then explore the local, or not so local, area with the car *WITHOUT having to pack everything away each time.* We have electric bikes, and used them a lot when we had the MH but as good as they are, your exploring "radius" is pretty limited. (We still take the (folding) electric bikes with us.
> 
> ...


Andy

I have quoted your post with some highlights as I think you have explained well some of the differences in thinking/motivation between MHomers and Tuggers.

For example as wildcampers, we do not have to 'pack up everything', as all we ever have out is a couple of chairs, table and wind-out. I can have those stowed in 3 minutes and the external check, including gas OFF in another 2 mins. and be ready to roll in under 10 mins. As you know Andy a caravan takes a lot more time.

We do like to move on to new places -'Adventurous'? - but then we are somewhat limited in time.

Always the discussion, but your differential points are valid.

We will all choose our own ways.

Geoff


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Having recently changed to a Fifth Wheel Caravan I can empathise with all the above. I miss the nomadic lifestyle of the motorhome but could never persuade Chris to really embrace it anyway. The freedom that a car offers us now meets our current needs. We were finding ourselves reluctant to up sticks and move on in the motorhome so it made sense.


I would like a panel van conversion, though, for the odd day out at the sea side and for my hobby of attending dog training events etc. Any recommendations for those vans gratefully received


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