Tell Me Something............Anything!

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

I did used to dread the thought of retiring, as I am not sure I could cope with the spare time, but the older I get the more appealing it becomes! I am sure there would be plenty of stuff around the house I could procrastinate over whilst drinking coffee...

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I thought that but it turns out not to be a problem. Even better for you since you live in beautiful countryside you can literally stop and smell the roses.

There's aspects of working I do miss, I did enjoy my last job, even though it was hard work it didn't seem like work. But as soon as they put idiots in charge that was the end of it for me. Why stay if you don't have to?

I do think about maybe going back and doing another couple of years, I do get contacted by agencies quite regularly, but these days it's hard to find a company to work for that doesn't have idiots in charge.

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

I did used to dread the thought of retiring, as I am not sure I could cope with the spare time, but the older I get the more appealing it becomes! I am sure there would be plenty of stuff around the house I could procrastinate over whilst drinking coffee...

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It took me a good six months, maybe a bit longer to get used to retirement, but it soon became the norm. I had some sort of job since about 13, starting with paper rounds, Saturday jobs and evening work filling shelves in Tesco. I needed the money to buy records and go to gigs! I've never not worked apart from taking a year career break to travel around the world, but I still had a job. I never sit down thinking I have nothing to do, as there is always something . . . if anything, most tasks take longer now as I'm easily distracted by the next book, music or film. I still mess around a lot with computers too.

I do some Volunteer work a couple of times a week, so I'm never bored. I also have a new passion for making sourdough bread, just started one this morning actually. It's a 3 day process, but the actual hands on time is minimal, probably not more more than 15 minutes of hands on. I wish I had started making it earlier but it is a lot easier if you are around the house.

So trust me Alex, after awhile you won't have any spare time and there's bugger all wrong with procrastinating over a coffee, that's how I start every day!

Thanks chaps, that's set my mind at rest. I've given my boss my notice, the house is on the market, and the kids are on eBay! Not sure what Sue will say, though... :lol:

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

Thanks chaps, that's set my mind at rest. I've given my boss my notice, the house is on the market, and the kids are on eBay! Not sure what Sue will say, though... :lol:

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Maybe Sue needs to go too - I'd go with Vinted :)

Three years on now, and I still haven't got into a post-retirement life properly. There's my archery that I could get back into, I have all the kit and the membership is super-cheap (around £120 for the year), but driving over there would be a killer, especially with the fuel costs.

Fireblade's back on the road, but between said fuel costs, nut job drivers, average speed cameras and pot holes, I just can't be arsed with it.

Good job I haven't completely jacked in working, I do one or two days a week, it's keeping me as busy as I need to be.

And I have a few records and CDs to fill in the gaps :)

For the first couple of weeks after retiring (at 57), I didn't know what to do with all the free time. OK I got out of bed a bit later than I had when working, but that still left a lot of time, I would deliberately not do a full shopping so as to give me an excuse to go out again! Daft I know.

Eventually I found things to do: gardening; redecorating the house, going up to London to visit the museums and art galleries - and of course joining AoS. :)

I am working from home today so took the dog out for his morning walk. Syd was having none of the route I had planned, and started dragging me towards one of the next villages, Crowfield. Fine, we’ll walk to the church, round the churchyard and if I walk back on the other side of the road I can fool him.

Just before the church is Church Cottage, clearly built before the advent of spirit levels- check out the roofline and the big window!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0d6d908250.jpg

The church is down a path, alongside a moat, of what I can only assume is a large house - there’s a bridge to it but so much vegetation you can’t see it. Anyway, Syd was more interested in the water…. No, Syd, you can’t go in!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...77a0c6a704.jpg

Walking along the path I could smell that churchyard smell - flowers I guess? But very distinctive. I haven’t actually walked round the churchyard since we first moved here and had forgotten how lovely the very small church is, with its medieval origins and Elizabethan (?) extension:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f90eddddef.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d9ed56e39a.jpg

So (finally) to the point of my story - we wandered around the churchyard and I was looking at the gravestones, as you do, and suddenly spotted this one…

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2d958fabc5.jpg

Well who’d have thunk it, Roy Hudd buried in a tiny little churchyard in Suffolk just a short walk from my house!

I have no idea how he came to end up in Crowfield, Wikipedia not much help, but will ask around as a few of the local friends have lived here all their lives.

On the way back we pass a lovely thatched place.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...75874d95cf.jpg

On the radio yesterday they were talking about how thatching is a trade that is dying out - apparently there are only 60,000 thatched properties in the UK - I reckon at least 600 of those are within 5 miles of here.

You certainly picked a beautiful part of the world to live in.

We have old buildings here too of course but they mostly have trees growing out of them.

Excellent phographs Alex, thanks for sharing. :)

Thatched roofs do look charming, but they need a lot of maintenance: regular removal of moss and weeds, and depending on the reeds used to thatch the roof, rethatching every 15 to 20 years. There are a lot of thatched properties here in Essex, so I guess it's an East Anglian thing.

Lots in Devon. Had a girlfriend in Devon and her mate was called Becky Thatcher and she actually was a thatcher. Never short of work at least back then (1990s).

Maybe thatched properties are prevalent in places where reeds grow, so the Fens and other wetland areas.

You almost can’t give thatched houses away round here. I reckon they are at least 20-30% cheaper than the equivalent tiled property. If they are thatched they are almost certainly going to be Grade II listed, with all the restrictions and obligations that entails. They do look lovely, though. I suppose most of the big cities would have had them, but they probably all burned down in the 1600’s.

I love that name scenario - Popbitch newsletter includes a “nominative determinism of the week” - you should send that in!

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

I love that name scenario - Popbitch newsletter includes a “nominative determinism of the week” - you should send that in!

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Shows how long her family had been thatching for, I mean you meet Coopers, Fletchers, and Smiths all the time but they ain't making barrels and arrows for a living. Probably they'd been in that trade since the 1400s or even earlier.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Lots in Devon. Had a girlfriend in Devon and her mate was called Becky Thatcher and she actually was a thatcher. Never short of work at least back then (1990s).

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And she was Tom Sawyer's bird before she met you :)

My wife Sue is notorious for easily getting muddled, and I actually predicted in my mind before I told her about my adventure today what she would say. I told her all about it and showed her the picture of Roy Hudd’s gravestone - her response: “Do you think Emu is buried with him?” :lol:

Apart from going for a walk earlier I've been sat here in complete silence since 0700.

Decide to put some music on and almost right away my neighbour starts his hammering. Which is odd since he usually only starts after 2230.

How can you be sat in complete silence? From the moment I wake I switch on the radio and will have some sounds with me all day, either music or speech. I will even have something playing in the background if I am reading.

Probably the only time I am without music or the news broadcasts is when I'm driving, and then I might be keeping an ear open for the sat-nav instructions.

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Originally Posted by Barry

How can you be sat in complete silence? From the moment I wake I switch on the radio and will have some sounds with me all day, either music or speech. I will even have something playing in the background if I am reading.

Probably the only time I am without music or the news broadcasts is when I'm driving, and then I might be keeping an ear open for the sat-nav instructions.

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I like it quiet for the first couple of hours. Probably I'd put music on earlier than I do but then I don't know if the neighbours are still in bed, they don't seem to get active until late morning.

Zero interest in the news broadcasts, only thing I ever look at is the markets.

Sue loves it when I am out as she can have complete silence - I'm like Barry, music or the radio on practically from morning 'til bed. I have a Pure radio in the bedroom which comes on with local radio at 07:00 - wander down to the kitchen and then play the same radio station when getting sorted. Music on in the car if I am off to work, music in the study if I am working from home. Music back on in the kitchen when I am prepping dinner. Then either back to the study, dining room or living room and music on for the evening. Hardly ever watch TV, maybe the odd football match, but then I watch it with the sound off and music on! If I put the 10 o'clock news on, it's with subtitles and music on!

Anita can enjoy long periods of silence, especially first thing. On the rare occasions when she has got up before me, I come into the living room to find no sound, just Anita doing one of her brain training games. And when in the car she doesn't want music on.

I'm the opposite - first thing I have some news on the telly while I have my breakfast, just in case something mad's happened overnight. After that it's either music, radio or more telly. And always radio on in the car or van. Plenty of time for silence when I've fallen off me perch.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Zero interest in the news broadcasts . . . .

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I often enforce news blackouts on myself, if I could wean myself of them full-time I think I'd be a lot more content. I don't have a TV, but the radio is on most mornings and I watch far too much YouTube news.

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Originally Posted by Tim

I often enforce news blackouts on myself, if I could wean myself of them full-time I think I'd be a lot more content. I don't have a TV, but the radio is on most mornings and I watch far too much YouTube news.

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I stopped about 15 years ago or thereabouts, when I realised it was just like watching the same crap episode of a TV show over and over again.

The same things happening in the same places and similar people (politicians) doing the exact same things as they were when I was about ten.

I know what you mean - 60 years ago we had Mr Ed, 40 years ago we had ALF, today it's Donald Trump.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

I know what you mean - 60 years ago we had Mr Ed, 40 years ago we had ALF, today it's Donald Trump.

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You forgot about Metal Mickey.

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Originally Posted by Macca

You forgot about Metal Mickey.

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:doh: I'd rather forget about Trump.

Last summer we had a nest of ground-dwelling wasps, and they're nasty buggers, more aggressive than most, almost making the back garden a no go area. Got a man in to get rid of them.

This year in almost the same spot we have a nest of bumble bees. I'm buzzing about that, bees are great. And we have some bushes and flowers very close by which they're loving. I'm just a bit concerned they won't be getting enough exercise. They're starting to look a bit chunky, and I'm not sure if obese bees is a thing. I'll do a bit of research.

Bumble bees get very chunky given enough food hence the myth that they shouldn't be able to fly.

I don't think they can actually over-eat, they know what they're doing, unlike us.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Bumble bees get very chunky given enough food hence the myth that they shouldn't be able to fly.

I don't think they can actually over-eat, they know what they're doing, unlike us.

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No, I've looked into it on tinternet, and they have been known to pig out on the wrong stuff, just like us. But I can't find anything to suggest lack of exercise is a thing.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bumb...ity,%C2%A0%2B6

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

No, I've looked into it on tinternet, and they have been known to pig out on the wrong stuff, just like us. But I can't find anything to suggest lack of exercise is a thing.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bumb...ity,%C2%A0%2B6

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Oh well there you go, just like me (he says having just ate two apple danish for second breakfast)

''Nutritional Mismanagement: A 2025 study found that bumblebees often make poor foraging choices, failing to choose the healthiest food options when high-carbohydrate, low-quality nectar is available.''

Just spent over an hour cleaning the interior of the car. It hadn't been cleaned for months. The exterior of the car is washed and cleaned every fortnight or so, but not the interior.

It was filthy: grit, sand, gravel, cherry stones (!), leaves, dust and £4.53 in loose change! Amazing that so much gets under the car mats.

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Originally Posted by Barry

Just spent over an hour cleaning the interior of the car. It hadn't been cleaned for months. The exterior of the car is washed and cleaned every fortnight or so, but not the interior.

It was filthy: grit, sand, gravel, cherry stones (!), leaves, dust and £4.53 in loose change! Amazing that so much gets under the car mats.

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You're about eight quid shy of minimum wage there. :)

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Originally Posted by Barry

Just spent over an hour cleaning the interior of the car. It hadn't been cleaned for months. The exterior of the car is washed and cleaned every fortnight or so, but not the interior.

It was filthy: grit, sand, gravel, cherry stones (!), leaves, dust and £4.53 in loose change! Amazing that so much gets under the car mats.

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Once a month seems to be the recommendation - we do ours about every other month, and going by this report I just read, that's not going to be enough, especially when we have granddaughter eating crisps and other crap in the car.

https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/...average-toilet

Of course I put the shopping bags in the floor well of the car - who doesn't?, but the point is the food, raw or otherwise, is in the bag. And raw food is cooked anyway thereby killing all harmful bacteria.

The article is just scaremongering: you need a 'peck of dirt' to start up your immune system.

It's amazing how any of us survive will as these reports about how dirty we are!

Macca thinks I'm a clean freak because I took a picture after hoovering up once and he called me out.

Yes, I remember that Martin and still chuckle about it every now and then. If you saw my flat right now I definitely wouldn't qualify for the Captain Tidy title :lol:

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Originally Posted by Barry

Of course I put the shopping bags in the floor well of the car - who doesn't?, but the point is the food, raw or otherwise, is in the bag. And raw food is cooked anyway thereby killing all harmful bacteria.

The article is just scaremongering: you need a 'peck of dirt' to start up your immune system.

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Yes I agree with that - as a kid living near and playing in the country and farmland, dirt was a constant companion. Never did me any harm. My eldest daughter goes mad round her home with antibacterial wipes, and I don't think she's doing her kids any favours.

Anita wouldn't agree with me, but my feeling about keeping the car's interior clean has nothing to do with keeping it germ-free for the granddaughter, it's more because having it infested with crisp crumbs and melted chocolate I can only stand for so long.

I needed to have tyre changed on my car. Kwik-Fit didn't have the tyres in stock but quoted a price of £!56 to do the job. The tyre would be delivered in three days, so I made an appropriate appointment.

When I drove in to have the tyre changed, I asked how many tyres had been delivered - they said two, so I asked if I could have both the rear tyres replaced. Yes I could and they gave me a re-quote of £388. Without thinking, I told them to proceed. It was only afterwards that it dawned on me that the quote for changing two tyres, re-balancing the wheels and checking the tyre pressures, etc. was more than double the quote to do the same work for one tyre.

Double the work, double the price - but why more than double? :scratch:

Did they do the tracking if they changed both? Otherwise, I’m not sure, either!

Yes, if you mean balancing they said they would do that anyway if they only changed one tire.

But they did give me two sets of measurements made on all four wheels which are degrees of camber and degrees in tracking error. Perhaps that is what you mean by tracking. There were two sets of measurements, which might relate to before and after the tire change. Unfortunately they have identical day, date and time recorded.

One set of measurements is better than the other, but which is which?

Tracking is also called “wheel alignment” and I reckon that’s what they’ve done - it’s around £75 for a 4 wheel alignment/adjustment.

https://www.kwik-fit.com/wheel-align...BoCgqUQAvD_BwE

Thanks Alex,
Yes, £75 does indeed account for the extra amount of the quote.

Maybe check out Black Circles next time Barry, normally good value and even if you don't use them, you can use them as a bargaining chip, as most tyre places are open to haggling when you mention Black Circles prices.

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Originally Posted by Tim

Maybe check out Black Circles next time Barry, normally good value and even if you don't use them, you can use them as a bargaining chip, as most tyre places are open to haggling when you mention Black Circles prices.

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I'll be getting four new tyres for the Vito in the next couple of weeks, I'll get Anita to check them out. She tends to buy tyres online and have them delivered to our local National Tyres. Looks a bit cheeky to do that, but NT seem to be fine with it.

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Originally Posted by Tim

Maybe check out Black Circles next time Barry, normally good value and even if you don't use them, you can use them as a bargaining chip, as most tyre places are open to haggling when you mention Black Circles prices.

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Thanks Tim. I have just entered the tyre make and specification for my car: Bridgestone 215/40 R17 AO XL 87

Black Circles quote £146, whereas KwikFit quoted £134.30.

Maybe regional then, or maybe the tyre size? Black Circles beats everyone around me for tyre quotes - KwikFit are one of the most expensive around Cardiff!

I normally get a quote from Black Circles then get my National Tyre Centre to match it, happy days :)

The tyres are low-profile, and possibly unique to my car (?). I wouldn't expect them to be cheap.

I meant my tyre size being a factor, I can only relate to my experience ;)

It wasn't a criticism, only the results in my case.

Like most people I pay for virtually everything by card these days. But this afternoon whilst shopping in my local greengrocer, they announced that they could only take cash because something had happened to their card reader. Even worse, one of their electric tills wouldn't open either.

The only cash I had on me was £10, and I knew my shopping could be more than that. No matter, they added it all up to a figure of £10.67; I went to the cash point 10 yards away and drew out another £20 - two £10 notes. However when | went back to pay, they had run out of loose change, because only one till was operational. I've been shopping there for ages: they know me, and said to pay the extra 67p when I had it.

I made me wonder what would happen when all the clearing banks close, the cash points dissappear, and everything is done online. Technical faliure this afternoon was an inconvenience, but at least I could still use cash.

Cash will always be around otherwise how will the black economy work?

It's probably the only growth area we've got.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Cash will always be around otherwise how will the black economy work?

It's probably the only growth area we've got.

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That's what everyone says, and whilst I use online-banking, when cash dissappears, we will have no overal control of our finances. Wages are no longer paid in cash, taxes, and all direct debits, standing orders, and subscriptions etc. are cashless.

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Originally Posted by Barry

That's what everyone says, and whilst I use online-banking, when cash dissappears, we will have no overal control of our finances. Wages are no longer paid in cash, taxes, and all direct debits, standing orders, and subscriptions etc. are cashless.

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In 2024 supposedly only 9 percent of UK transactions were in cash, probably less now but that's still a lot of transactions.

I mean you can still get postage stamps and postal orders, some things take a long, long time to die.