Today

This week I announced my retirement from the company where I've worked for the past 19 years and of which I've been MD for 5.

Reactions were mixed - some didn't seem to notice, some congratulated me, some were cross, some in tears.

Given how my life has changed recently, this is just one more to roll with.

I've lots of plans, which include a visit to Machu Picchu in September, among other things. Odd to be doing much of it alone - but I'll sure I'll find lots of friends.

In My Day

My father was terrified of retirement. He used to read the obituaries involving other journalists. "Drank too much, of course, but it was retirement that actually killed him", he'd say. He was convinced that you had about 18 months after retirement.

When his own retirement from Hansard, at 65, approached, he begged, and was given, a stay of execution for 1 year. Once he'd retired, he took jobs travelling Europe reporting at the United Nations, NATO etc (this was before the use of tape recorders, when a crack journalist with top-notch shorhand skills was at a premium). He went to Paris, Strasbourg, Geneva. When that dried up he worked for the Press Association, still in the Houses of Parliament, on a freelance basis. He also did some shorthand teaching at Pitman's College in Holborn.

He didn't give up until he had a stroke that impaired his hearing, at the age of 74. And he lived to be 86.

I've no intention of going before my time. There's plenty to do and I'm going to do it. Flying lessons, anybody?