Fit, solvent, free and aged 60. This landmark, once meant old age, now it can be the start of life’s best years. As I head towards retirement this daily blog is about what I do, think, feel and the choices I make at the start of my sixth decade.
My Saturday life is a lottery
I could be £4.1 million richer this evening and if that fails the very specific sum of £376,747.20 by 6.20pm tomorrow. I’d take either to be honest. For 2020, I’ve decided to reinstate my weekly flutters on the National Lottery and my Premier League accumulator. It was scarily easy to pay the necessary cash –Continue reading “My Saturday life is a lottery”
Crime and my love bus camper van
The Love Bus made its maiden voyage of 2020 yesterday. Yes, I have a camper van, me and Mrs Jones – good name for a song – spend many of our weekends and a large part of the summer in it each year. It was just a short journey to keep the battery charged whileContinue reading “Crime and my love bus camper van”
Work is good for you, in moderation
I’m going to work today for the first time this week. It makes Thursday my Monday and it’s kind of a happy one. For years, particularly following stressful weeks at work, I dreamed of selling the business, giving up work completely and retiring. Now I’m in a position to do just that I’m not soContinue reading “Work is good for you, in moderation”
Pension palava and dodgy IFAs
Am fuming! Like many a small business owner my pension planning has been somewhat haphazard. On the advice of accountants to save a bit of Corporation Tax I’ve invested the occasional lump sum into different pension pots over the years and then more recently started making monthly contributions to my business’s own stakeholder pension. ThisContinue reading “Pension palava and dodgy IFAs”
Cold Feet, cancer and GPs over-prescribing
About five years ago, quite by chance, I was diagnosed with an exotic sounding, and for me symptomless, inherited condition called haemochromatosis. It’s the name for when iron levels in the body slowly build up over many years. If left untreated, I learned to my consternation, it can damage your liver, kidney, joints, pancreas and heart.Continue reading “Cold Feet, cancer and GPs over-prescribing”
In search of sun
Monday rain, Tuesday rain, Wednesday rain and so it goes on for the rest of the week. According to the UK weather forecast I’m watching now by Good Morning Britain’s quirky Laura Tobin there’s a week-load of it coming up. I’m doing Dry January in what’s feeling like the wettest January ever. It’s beenContinue reading “In search of sun”
Sunday is still Sunday
Semi-retired I might be but I’m still clinging to the routine of a working week meaning that my Sunday’s still Sunday. It might be because Mrs Jones works full-time or it might be because I like it that way. Routine has its place but there needs to be variety too and five days focused aroundContinue reading “Sunday is still Sunday”
Like Love Islanders, I just wanna have fun
That’s a third of Dry January done now. A big test last night, went for a curry before going out to watch a musical. I love a couple of glasses of red to wash down the bhuna and then a G & T in the interval. During the day I started to think whether IContinue reading “Like Love Islanders, I just wanna have fun”
The crisis in masculinity
I am proud to be a man. I love women, am married to a great wife, have wonderful daughters, still admire, miss and love my mum who died over 10 years ago. Partly thanks to her I’m on the centre right politically and regard Margaret Thatcher as the greatest politician of my lifetime. In herContinue reading “The crisis in masculinity”
Gave yoga a go, never again!
Went to a beginners’ yoga class last night, a New Year’s resolution thing. I do lot of cardio work, particularly running, but wanted to mix it up with something different so tried yoga. I’ve read a few things over the years promoting the benefits of varying your fitness routine and of yoga itself so wasContinue reading “Gave yoga a go, never again!”
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