Now Retired

[iands]

After 46 and a bit years in the railway industry, today is my first day of retirement. A bit surreal being in lock-down due to the coronavirus, and the usual gathering of office folk to say farewell etc. yesterday was done via skype as the office is closed.

 

Someone asked what was the biggest change I'd witnessed during my working life? Obviously there have been many changes; line closures/line openings (or re-openings), growth in electrification, huge advances in technology and not least rail privatisation, to name but a few.

 

However, one tangible change that a lot of us are experiencing at the moment is how "office life" has changed (even before coronavirus), how we do things and interact differently now the internet is here. The ability to communicate designs, conduct reviews, make design changes, etc., etc., without leaving your own house couldn't have been imagined when I first started, but seems to be the future now. Yes, there will always be a requirement for people to work at the "coal face", but the office working practices and the need to have huge amounts of office space have diminished, something I was dead-set against a couple of years ago, but it is strange how we can adapt and I accept it now as progress. I must admit the chaos (organised or otherwise) that used prevail in previous organisations/offices seem to be a thing of the past (at least in organisation I've just retired from), and the practice of "agile working" is really taking off as evidenced by the photo below of my "working area" in the office earlier this year. Virtually a "paperless environment" with plenty of space and no clutter. Compare it to the second photo of my "working area" taken in Railtrack days - definitely not paperless, but I always made sure there was a small space somewhere for my mug!   

 

The Railtrack office.......

 

 

[Paperlad]

Congratulations.

 

I took early retirement two years ago this week and it took me the best part of a year to stop thinking about work everyday. Right now I have difficulty imagining being at work.....it’s ruddy great.

 

PL

[The Stationmaster]

Welcome, possibly to the world of 'odd jobs' on a consultancy basis Ian,  and definitely the land where you at times wonder how you ever found time to go to work.  The best advice I can give is keep your brain active (RMweb can be a help in that respect) as it seems to aid longevity more than hard physical graft although I do enjoy brick laying in developing the garden when I get the chance    But whichever keep yourself busy in some way or another and some of the consultancy jobs can be quite interesting and give you a chance to get out and about.

 

All the best for a long and enjoyable retirement - I've retired twice in my lifetime and have enjoyed both 

[iands]

4 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Welcome, possibly to the world of 'odd jobs' on a consultancy basis Ian,  and definitely the land where you at times wonder how you ever found time to go to work.  The best advice I can give is keep your brain active (RMweb can be a help in that respect) as it seems to aid longevity more than hard physical graft although I do enjoy brick laying in developing the garden when I get the chance    But whichever keep yourself busy in some way or another and some of the consultancy jobs can be quite interesting and give you a chance to get out and about.

 

All the best for a long and enjoyable retirement - I've retired twice in my lifetime and have enjoyed both 

Many thanks Mike, very much appreciated. I have a few options for keeping busy, not least with "wife work" for which the list doesn't seem to get shorter the more I do! I'm still in the process of building an SM32 in the garden, although the design as changed significantly recently, and plenty of rolling stock kits to keep me busy. As soon as I can, I intend to get out with the camera again.

I'm also a member of SRS that I can become more involved with, as well as RMweb of course. One other option on the horizon is to assist a mate of mine with some cable work on NYMR in the future.

[polybear]

Well, I am due to retire early at the end of April; I'm currently working at my place of employment, being in what the Government deems to be an "essential" service.  However, the vast majority of the 2K+ workforce are working from home via laptops, but that isn't practical for me.  There's normally 50 - 60 in our office alone - today there are 5.

 

Since my current workload is almost at an end, and now pretty much impossible with the current situation, my boss asked HR about sending me home on "Gardening Leave" - not possible, apparently.

Instead, and as of 4pm today, I'm going on "Authorised Absence, Paid".  Don't go there, it's not worth it.....

 

That's for the next fortnight, at which point it'll be reviewed depending upon the situation in the UK.  So as to what will happen for the last 3 weeks of April for me is unclear, though I've a pretty good idea this is my last day on site, apart from coming back to sign a bit of paper and hand my pass and keys in.

 

Can't help but feel it's a pretty subdued end to 38.5 years with the same firm - many people I'll likely not see again, no card , no balloons, no dancing girls...

Still, Sh1t happens.

Edited March 26, 2020 by polybear

[JeremyC]

In my time in the Merchant Navy I saw huge changes in communications. When I started in 1972 everything went ashore in each port for posting or was sent by Morse by the 'Sparkie' (Radio Officer). When I retired in 2016 I had full email and internet access at my desk in both my cabin and the control room and the phones were extensions of the head office system in Edinburgh, all via satellite.

Edited March 26, 2020 by JeremyC

[spikey]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

...  I do enjoy brick laying in developing the garden when I get the chance ...

I do hope that your better half hasn't realised that you enjoy it ...

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

...the world of 'odd jobs' on a consultancy basis...

The real joy of which if you don't actually need the money, is that you can pick and choose. I went for a November to February programme. Not going to work when the sun is more likely to be shining...

 

4 hours ago, polybear said:

... my last day on site, apart from coming back to sign a bit of paper and hand my pass and keys in...

Thanks to a Human Remains SNAFU I had to return after three months to sign some paperwork in my own blood promising not to tell anyone all the stuff I knew. (Original set lost.) I had the ultimate joy of encountering a 'personage' in a corridor, who immediately started at me on something I should give urgent attention. To which I had the joy of replying, well let me send you a scale of fees. 

 

And may something equally joyous occur for you on your brief return, to make up for the lack of dancing girls with big balloons. 

[Kylestrome]

5 hours ago, iands said:

I have a few options for keeping busy, not least with "wife work" for which the list doesn't seem to get shorter the more I do!

 

I'd be very careful with the "wife work" if I were you. It's very much like painting the Forth bridge. 

 

David

[caradoc]

Congratulations Ian, and well done on lasting so long - I only made 38 years (although I have just been sounded out for a return to my old job, however the thought of the shifts I was working, even in my last year {eg 7 nights with the first and last being 12 hours] is rather off-putting).

 

Enjoy your 'free' time !

[polybear]

34 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Thanks to a Human Remains SNAFU I had to return after three months to sign some paperwork in my own blood promising not to tell anyone all the stuff I knew. (Original set lost.)

 

 

I trust you billed HR accordingly..... :)

[The Johnster]

I retired early with ill health, but have to say that not working is the second best thing that ever happened to me, after discovering girls.  Congratulations, and a very long and happy '3rd age' to you, sir.  And good modelling!

[Siberian Snooper]

I find retirement to be the best job, I never had and no plans to hand my notice in. The biggest pain is this lock down, with no social contact, apart from on here and the odd phone call or WhatsApp message, but needs must when the devil drives.

 

Enjoy your retirement.

 

 

 

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

I trust you billed HR accordingly.....

No need. There is a continuing upside consequent on this particular action...

[tigerburnie]

5 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

The real joy of which if you don't actually need the money, is that you can pick and choose. I went for a November to February programme. Not going to work when the sun is more likely to be shining...

 

Thanks to a Human Remains SNAFU I had to return after three months to sign some paperwork in my own blood promising not to tell anyone all the stuff I knew. (Original set lost.) I had the ultimate joy of encountering a 'personage' in a corridor, who immediately started at me on something I should give urgent attention. To which I had the joy of replying, well let me send you a scale of fees. 

 

And may something equally joyous occur for you on your brief return, to make up for the lack of dancing girls with big balloons. 

I offered to work on a consultancy basis at £1k a day, funnily enough in 5 years I haven't heard a peep from them...…………………………...