UkPigeonRacing

The first race is in a month, Trev, first week in July. That is only a week, more or less, after the shortest day of the year. Mid Winter.
Now of course 'mid winter' here is not like mid winter where you are. We have had a few cold mornings with a bit of ice on the cars on the street. No frost on the ground.
But the nights are long, and the days are short, and training young pigeons is good when it is good, and not so good when it isn't.
After nearly a week of flying around home these things are massive!
Then they are using me as a landing board as they pour in.....

I have some news. Just before Christmas we applied for the pension so we could retire.
For some reason the process got delayed, with us being kiwis and things, and yesterday I was told that I am on the aged pension from tomorrow, and can retire. It's a funny old system. To get the pension you need to retire. But to retire, you need to get the pension.
So, on Friday I am done. I worked from when I was 13 years old when I first started in racing stables, until now, when I am 67 years and 6 months old. I have worked for 54 years.
It is quite scary.
After 16 years running the service stations, the staff are worried that all of a sudden I won't be there. I assure them I won't be far away. But I can't hold their hands forever.
It is a big change.
I am looking forward to having time to spend with Catherine, to be able to do what we want.
Also, I will be able to fly or train my pigeons when I want.
I am looking forward to it.

Murray you enjoy a very long retirement mate really hope you and Catherine enjoy it, I also started work young I was 11 starting in a slaughter house

Great news for you Murray. I hope you really enjoy your retirement. I have a few more years to go before I can retire. I’m 61 this year. I too started working young doing a paper round to start after school then changed to doing it before school. Every day of the year and in all weathers. I then started helping on farms at weekends and during school holidays before going into farming full time and leaving home at 15. Have worked ever since.

Good for you Muzza You go and enjoy a well earned retirement mate.
As with Andy and Buster including paper rounds I've been working for longer than I care to remember working evenings and weekends to make ends meet when I first left home and got married. Then working up to 90 hours a week on the farm on the Isle of Wight. I'm only 57 this year so still have ten years to go I am drawing some of my pension this year so I can work a 4 day week !!
Sadly our Dad never made retirement so you enjoy a long one mate

Thanks everyone, for the good wishes. I finished at lunchtime today. Unexpectedly I was given a cake and flowers and a couple of bottles of wine by my staff !
We had a fair go at the cake and a couple of our customers got a piece too!
I will still be around to sort out the inevitable problems they will find, but I don't have to worry about the place 24/7 anymore.

ATB Murray.

Thanks Leslie!

Murray wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 8:14 am Thanks everyone, for the good wishes. I finished at lunchtime today. Unexpectedly I was given a cake and flowers and a couple of bottles of wine by my staff !
We had a fair go at the cake and a couple of our customers got a piece too!
I will still be around to sort out the inevitable problems they will find, but I don't have to worry about the place 24/7 anymore.

-Bet my slice of cake will come in the post I am sure you will leave some big boots to fill mate, wishing all the very best to you and Catherine in your retirement

Buster121 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 11:16 am

Murray wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 8:14 am Thanks everyone, for the good wishes. I finished at lunchtime today. Unexpectedly I was given a cake and flowers and a couple of bottles of wine by my staff !
We had a fair go at the cake and a couple of our customers got a piece too!
I will still be around to sort out the inevitable problems they will find, but I don't have to worry about the place 24/7 anymore.

-Bet my slice of cake will come in the post I am sure you will leave some big boots to fill mate, wishing all the very best to you and Catherine in your retirement