It was after reading “Wife in the North” by Judith O’Reilly in a Sunday magazine that I thought about creating a blog dedicated to “Life coming up to Retirement” and later on “Life after Retirement” or perhaps “A Journey in Later Life”. Would anyone be interested in this? Perhaps someone who has just retired! Or are they too busy! Retirement has been in my thoughts for some time. Approaching my 60th birthday which takes place in November 2008 and having worked in the NHS in the secretarial/administrative field for over 42 years I thought it was time to think about retirement. My thoughts on retirement are “heaven” or perhaps not!

I started work in the NHS as a medical secretary in 1966 when everyone was terrified of the Matron including me! A Group Secretary and Hospital Secretary ran the Hospital and were the only Senior Managers and the wards were so clean you could have eaten your food off the floor! How times have changed! How do they manage to employ so many Managers now!

Most of my career has been spent working full time apart from 3 or 4 years in the 1980’s when I worked part-time. The last 2½ years I have spent working 3 days a week in preparation for the big day. The chance came when my boss retired and decided to come back part-time so it seemed like a good time for me to go part-time as well. I thought I was going to have all this time to do what I wanted but where does the time go? I am lucky; I am in reasonably good health; have a good and tolerant husband who is also reasonably healthy; good friends and a full social life and time just passes – too quickly. Will it be like this once I retire?

Last year we finally moved to the house of our dreams and we are very happy there. We live in a lovely area in the North East of England, an area I have lived in all my life. I count my blessings every day. I have a very good life. We have a more manageable garden now and gardening is very therapeutic and good exercise. We have decorated (or got someone to do it for us) as we are too busy! I have to say this is not one of our strong points anyway and would have taken us about 10 years to do (no exaggeration!) and many rows on the way! Not a good start.

I always knew I would retire at 60 (hopefully living that long!) and was not one of these people who wanted to work for ever. I thought I’d done my bit and wanted to enjoy life while I was able. We haven’t got great plans but we are planning a few holidays, one being a Rhine Cruise which my husband has always wanted to do. We like the simple life and will be quite happy pottering about in our lovely home and garden, watching the plants grow, the different colours as the seasons change and listening to the birds.

I have contacted the Pensions Officer in the Trust for my pension forecast with which I will have to be content and even have my letter written handing in my resignation, even though this doesn’t have to be handed in before the end of September. I want to give them plenty of time to complete the forms and do the necessary admin in order to go out gracefully.

I never thought I would feel like this and look forward with great gusto to leaving. I always thought I would want to go on for ever but your priorities change and mine have changed a lot. Money isn’t important but your health and time is so precious. Unfortunately there are so many sad stories among friends and people we know who have not had this chance and it just doesn’t seem fair. Lovely, kind and gentle people who just didn’t deserve their lot. Good people. We all know people like this of course.

Nowadays the NHS has changed such a lot and despite what you are asked to believe, not for the better. Staff are so demoralised; there are so many reorganisations nowadays – the next one starting just about before the last one has been completed and unfortunately many staff in very vulnerable positions. However this seems to be a sign of the times – look at the state of the country. Everyone looking after number one and in it for what they can get out of it or how much they can get out of it. Feathering their own nest in preparation for their hope of early retirement! and leaving the rat race.

I have started to tell colleagues and other associates that I plan to retire. The younger ones are envious; the older ones wishing that their circumstances allowed them to do the same. As I said I am lucky. Friends, of course, have started planning my new life for me with “Oh, you’ll have time to do this and that now” and “you’ll be able to join this and that”. I have firmly declined their kind offers. I will plan my own life after retirement and will be in a position where I no longer have someone telling me what to do! Why do they presume that once I retire I will come back? What’s the point in retiring? A complete break, that’s what I need.

I have so much to do before then of course. Clearing desks; sorting files; emptying filing cabinets and filling bin liners - a bit like a de-clutter at home!

I am looking forward to the New Year and a new start. Come with me on my journey.