End of Pensioner "Perks"

[al_yrpal]

Plus 1 Belgiangoth! Loneliness is as big a killer as cancer, so social interaction can be a life saver.
In Australia the "Man Shed" movement is saving many folk from abject misery.
Remember one thing, more of the elderly actually cook rather than just re-heat. No Golden Arches for me & SWMBO. IGICB MM

I tried to set up a Man Shed here years ago pre the ones in Oz . There was lots of interest but the problem was finding some affordable premises. Proved impossible here in the South East. You need power water and a toilet as well as a roof and four walls. But.. we did have a monthly pub meet which attracted lots of Classic Cars and bikes and people bringing along paintings sculptures and woodwork examples. That would be a much better use of taxes on the heating allowance etc and be great for mens loneliness and mental health. Women are great at organising themselves into interest groups, men arent.

Al

[Cugel]

Plus 1 Belgiangoth! Loneliness is as big a killer as cancer, so social interaction can be a life saver.
In Australia the "Man Shed" movement is saving many folk from abject misery.
Remember one thing, more of the elderly actually cook rather than just re-heat. No Golden Arches for me & SWMBO. IGICB MM

I tried to set up a Man Shed here years ago pre the ones in Oz . There was lots of interest but the problem was finding some affordable premises. Proved impossible here in the South East. You need power water and a toilet as well as a roof and four walls. But.. we did have a monthly pub meet which attracted lots of Classic Cars and bikes and people bringing along paintings sculptures and woodwork examples. That would be a much better use of taxes on the heating allowance etc and be great for mens loneliness and mental health. Women are great at organising themselves into interest groups, men arent.

Al

Other men can visit my man shed, although they will be made shed-boy for a time so I don't have to sweep up the shavings and dust. If I like one, I'll let him sharpen the plane blades. Of course, he will have to listen to all my opinions as well as to often rather strange noises from Radio 3. The ladywife will appear at some stage, to try and burst him with cake.

I would like to joing a cycling man-group, even if the wimmin are in it too. (I confess to preferring wimmin to men, in all guises really). But cycling clubs are in short supply out here. In fact, seeing another cyclist is a bit of a rare event. Perhaps I'll take up hobby-sheep or the driving of ancient tractors made shiny. There's loads of clubs for those out here, or so I surmise from seeing them all at it.

The local Wild Indians (the WI) call themselves "The Custard Queens". This brings many possibilities to mind, including some startling images and imagined procedures.

Cugel

[Cyril Haearn]

Boy shed? Shed boy! Maybe it should be on the water-shed
I am male too but I much prefer females
Here is a book for you Cugel
Deep Country by Neil Ansell
He lived 'alone' near Llanwrthwl, I was rerereading it last night
Llandrindod Wells might be quiet enough for me, (has it got busier?) or maybe Llangammarch Wells

[djnotts]

Ever increasing proportion of females on local CTC Rides - perfect! I can only manage the speed and distance of the Saturday "Easy" outings but sometimes also make my own way to lunch stops on other Rides. Very much helps dispel loneliness, but then being widowed last year I also have a new, non-cycling, "girl friend" (silly term at my age, but alternatives worse). All as non-lonely as it's going to get at three score and ten....and certainly keeps me mentally happy and alert. All too easy I think to sink into oblivion....

[merseymouth]

Hi DJNotts , You make my point about loneliness quite well, we all too often wither without opportunities to have companions on many levels.
Having been vaccinated with a gramophone needle I do gossip a lot with cycling often cropping up. One of my regular chin waggers is a nice lady in WHS, it's ok my wife knows. She rides out with the Bicycle Belles. Last week she looked a little laboured & weary. Turns out she had take a tumble from her bike, outcome broken ribs! Of course I wished her well, but sadly I forgot to ask a very important question - "How is the Bike?"
TTFN MM

[djnotts]

https://www.facebook.com/nottsctc/

Scroll down a little to a snap of recent (20 April) Ride - age range 13 to 79! Sure keeps things lively and in perspective!

[ambodach]

Loneliness is certainly a problem when as in my case I was widowed after being a full time carer for a few years. I live in a small community which has good and bad points. One problem is that I am not fast enough to cycle with the local club tho’ I do mix with them from time to time. People of my own age I find boring as I have an active ( or as active as I can manage) lifestyle but most ancients are not very active. I get friendly comments from locals along the lines of “ have you looked at the date on your birth certificate recently?” when out cycling.Fortunately I find the telly mostly deadly boring so not remotely tempted to be a couch potato. Depression does strike from time to time and I think I could welcome death as a release. It passes. My latest madness is an Ice Adventure Recumbent Trike. Time to go out and see how much of a problem this is confronting the tourists.

[Lance Dopestrong]

The only problem I'm having in being a pensioner is having to wait another 10 years until I'm 60 for the perks to start kicking in. Knowing my luck I'll get to 59 and they'll start raising the age

Loneliness, fortunately, isn't an issue for me. I have the much younger Mrs Dopestrong, and 7 year old Mini dopestrong to keep me company, but without their social influence I'm a natural hermit anyway and would have long ago retreated to my cottage in Voe for a quiet life drinking Laphraoig while watching the weather roll in. My best mate is 80, so we're like 2/3 of a Last of the Summer Wine team between us.

I do. though, wonder how I found the time to go to work. Between my charity volunteering, bike riding, rampant Guinness consumption, ham radio, shooting, and writing pompous letters to The Guardian I'm surprised I had the time to fit work into my life back then.

I have even thought about getting a job, but I'm financially secure (but not wealthy) so I find little motivation there. Anyway, I don't want to take a job from someone else who might actually need it.

[Cyril Haearn]

Positive thread alert!
I hope to cycle mostly but occasionally take the train, even bus, re-read some books, I have enough
Males die earlier so there are more females to choose from if seeks a lady friend
Are many older people boring? I am not, I hope. Retirement should be the best part of my life, the transition and move might be a bit difficult

[thirdcrank]

I've been reminded of this thread by this:

Girl and Tonic blogger: 'Giving up booze helped me buy my house'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-48367976

A blogger has told how giving up alcohol for good has helped her to buy her own three-bedroom house.
Laurie McAllister, 28, said one month she spent £1,000 just on going out, and that her lifestyle in London left her "struggling with anxiety".
In 2016, while in bed with a hangover, she decided she was "done" and started saving to buy a new home in Norfolk. ... (etc)

The rationale seems straightforward to me but for some reason the BBC sees this as national news.

Come back, Mr Micawber. All is forgiven.

[Lance Dopestrong]

Common sense is so rare these days, that the blindingly obvious, ie, "if you fritter your cash away on rubbish you won't be able to buy something else" is indeed worthy of reporting in the national news.

Daughter number 3 had the same epiphany about 3 years ago and is herself expecting to receive the keys to her new house any day now, although she doesn't go as far as keeping a blog about it. I guess she thought that 3 years without a new iPhone, boozy nights every Saturday, foreign holiday or new car on PCP every 2 years would not make exciting reading to most people.

[mercalia]

Common sense is so rare these days, that the blindingly obvious, ie, "if you fritter your cash away on rubbish you won't be able to buy something else" is indeed worthy of reporting in the national news.

Daughter number 3 had the same epiphany about 3 years ago and is herself expecting to receive the keys to her new house any day now, although she doesn't go as far as keeping a blog about it. I guess she thought that 3 years without a new iPhone, boozy nights every Saturday, foreign holiday or new car on PCP every 2 years would not make exciting reading to most people.

well is she was boozing that hard her liver must be shot and she wont be here long?

[mercalia]

The free TV license is over. Only free if you are getting Pension Credit.

Those who have to rely on the New State Pension which is almost the same as Pension Credit in value wont get it.
A real cop-out. some one needs to tell the BBC that there may be millions of people who paid their NI instance contributions but have to rely on the New State Pension ( just as many relied on the old one ).

[kwackers]

so the free TV license is over. Only free if you are getting Pension Credit

It follows a consultation with 190,000 people, of which 52% were in favour of reforming or abolishing free licences.

52%!
Landslide...
(Wonder how many of those were actually affected, i.e. pensioners)

[mercalia]

so the free TV license is over. Only free if you are getting Pension Credit

It follows a consultation with 190,000 people, of which 52% were in favour of reforming or abolishing free licences.

52%!
Landslide...
(Wonder how many of those were actually affected, i.e. pensioners)

and you can bet that they dont know any thing about the New State Pension that kicked in I think 3 years ago now.

I can see the courts dragging into the dock lots of oaps who can barely walk and sending them down....