Good Career Move?

[PhilH]

Are you interested in working on any aspect of 12" to the foot railway stuff? Any preserved railway would welcome a willing pair of hands connected to a brain, and, whilst you will undoubtedly come across 'characters' whom you filter for acquaintance with, the mix of people is basically no different than you will come across in any other walk of life. 

 

There are many different roles to choose from, cheese and pickle, ham, some more interesting than others from working with real steam locos to dressing up in fancy dress to stand on a platform all day long. 

 

you don't have to have a particular skill set either, indeed one of the seemingly happiest, funny and Last of the Summer Wine-like group of characters on the Mid Hants are the Ropley Station Wednesday gang who do all the bits and bobs of keeping the station up together in between their main tasks of sitting down, drinking tea and watching trains go by.

[Legend]

Good luck Colin. That's a brilliant position to be in. Hope to be there myself in about 6 years. I have two ex colleagues who are thriving in retirement. One into walking football and has joined his local model railway club, as well as taking holidays he and his wife were looking forward to. The other , who survived a cancer scare, now helps out at his local hospice. Different types of people but both enjoying different aspects of retirement. For me I fancy long walks down by the Clyde, seeing a bit more of Scotland and maybe touring preserved railways in the UK . Hopefully I'll get there!

[alastairq]

Well done for making the break.  

 

Personally, I have been 'refused' voluntary early release.....there is no chance of redundancy.....in all its forms....I have been [3 times] refused partial retirement [in Civil Service terms]...although the employer cannot actually prevent me from resigning.

 

More & more I am thinking of simply jacking it all in, in all it's forms.....for, no matter how much I try to simply 'work-to-live'...the 'job' does its very best to force me to 'live to work'...it's a constant battle of wills.

It will be good to come out from under the severe constraints of the civil service Code...[something that the private sector would not tolerate in any way shape or form, as a 'contract of employment']..which, in itself, makes me feel I've earned my CS pension....small though it may be......that, and the fact I also come under Military rules, as well....so we endure constraints also not seen in the  'private sector'...I hope someday a big enough contractor will take over, and make me a silly offer to ditch the old CS rules, adopt a new contract....then I'll simply leave & retire properly. 

 

What I would miss, more than anything , is the camaraderie of my work colleagues....like nothing I've experienced in other work places. [And I have experienced several other work places]....there are many of us who have 'grown old' together.....few leave for pastures new, unlike other work places...

 

As I see it, retirement, for want of a better description.....means a change of attitude, as well as life style.

 

Because income..although regular, and not dependent on attendance...will be limited..more so than would comfortable keep me in a lifestyle my present income could support [although I don't use it for such]...

 

For many, a lifetime's total immersion in work must be hard to shake off.

[Colin]

Hi Alastair

 

I was a Civil Servant for almost all of my working life, and, probably due in part to a lack of ambition, plotted a meteorically level career path (1 promotion in total; it seemed that in my region, most times when a senior position fell vacant, it was never actually filled due to staff cuts). I quite liked the job I did for the last 30 years and like to think that I did it well, but all things must change and in my old department, change was rarely for the better, or so it seemed.

I was fortunate enough to get partial retirement in 2011, but soon found that it was something of a double-edged weapon! I only worked Tuesday to Thursday and enjoyed the nice long weekends, but I soon found that the work hadn't reduced in the same proportion as my hours. The last couple of years involved massive changes to the job and I quickly found myself at odds with the new ways of working, so we did our maths (my wife has been most supportive) and I decided to jump ship ( my department has frequently been compared to the Titanic so I'm sure I made the right choice). I will certainly miss my colleagues and, as you say, the camaraderie - my job involved getting out and meeting people in the business community and I expect I will miss that too.

I wouldn't say I was ever immersed in my work, I always viewed it as a means to an end, and am now looking forward to spending more time doing the things I want to do (there's a drawer full of unmade Southern loco kits to build for a start!)

I wish you well.

[skipepsi]

I  would be allowed to retire in six months but due to the builder fiasco we rent a house big enough for our family and I can't pay that much rent from my pension. Looking round last night I realised what the problem is one 25 year old one 24 and one soon to be 20. Yes it is great that they love to hang out at home but to retire I need to down size or down rent. Banish the idea for 18 months get a better pension and hope for a lottery win or hope someone comes along to marry them and take them away. Not been many flying pigs round here recently......

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I  would be allowed to retire in six months but due to the builder fiasco we rent a house big enough for our family and I can't pay that much rent from my pension. Looking round last night I realised what the problem is one 25 year old one 24 and one soon to be 20. Yes it is great that they love to hang out at home but to retire I need to down size or down rent...

 Strange to relate, I have not long ago been a-counselling a relative whose three (exceeding beautiful) daughters are cluttering up the house, and whose cars likewise typically obstruct the drive. They are all of an age to chip in rent for their very comfortable accomodation, and on the evidence of their motors, social lives and couture have ample means to do so. He's too soft to even consider it.

[skipepsi]

I am not that soft they are all at uni trying to learn enough to be employed. If they were all earning it would be chip in we will buy a house between us.

[w124bob]

Funnily enough I intend to finish next year, 55 early Feb so out as soon after that as possible. Just short of 39 years on the footplate, I said that to a young colleague the other day and he had no idea what the footplate meant! A move to France would be my choice but SWMBO has other ideas, better weather, every other town has the wow factor without being full of tourists, good cycling roads and most importantly property with space for more than a shunting plank but won't break the bank when buying . Seriously I will need to find something to do which might or might not be payed partime employment, I did think of tapping up some old NR contacts regarding doing schools visits but it would seem NR is really skint. A dog is also a real possibility but not some little hand bag variety though. The France thing, I might just buy a 2CV(have you seen the values ouch) and pretented.