Retirement beckons... (Open to new projects)

[Ynot]

Well, a handful of you in here may have already seen my Facespace announcement a few weeks back that I'm finally retiring, after just shy of 45 years service. I joined the PO Telecoms, then BT as a snotty faced yoof in 1978 and have worked tirelessly (less so recently 🙂 ) since then as well as being involved with am-dram for more years than those, managing the local venue from 1999 to 2021, a small amount of freelance work and being a cassy at the likes of Brum Hippodrome, Cov Belgrade and Leics Curve. Though the latter three haven't been as regular as they used to, I may start to get back into the swing, as long as this aged body can cope with it and the travel/parking/clean air charges don't take up 50% of the earnings... 

So, whilst I have a pretty decent pension lined up, and the lump sum is easily going to finish that pesky mortgage off, I'll likely soon be looking to occupy my days with the occasional 'project' in addition to the voluntary stuff I'll be continuing with. So if any of you luvverly lot have any (preferred Midlands based) things you might throw my way for a reasonable remunerative arrangement, feel free to DM me. 🙂 LX mainly, though set designs/builds aren't out of the question.

I've built a fair few set pieces for local shows in recent years - some of the items made for Legally Blonde, Young Frankenstein and Wind in the Willows have been sold on in the past 3 years or so, and I'm currently looking for buyers for stuff from Singin' in the Rain and Spamalot. I could be persuaded to make up custom items on request. 🙂

Anyway - here's to a productive retirement, eh?
😄 😄 😄

[boatman]

Congratulations on your retirement, it sounds like you will be as busy as ever.

[kerry davies]

Well done on getting there, now stay alive for long enough to get your contributions back. I certainly wouldn't go volunteering time to anyone just yet, I constantly wonder how I ever found time to go to work. Work finds those who don't hide from it.

Yours in hiding,

Kerry. 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by kerry davies

[alistermorton]

Enjoy your new freedom to do what you want.

[sunray]

Not too different this end, there is a picture of me sitting on loudspeakers in my pushchair in late 50's(in the days when pushchairs were proper tubular steel construction and I still have the loudspeakers!). Joined BT in 1972 as a [S]YOOF[/S] [s]YIT[/s] [s]TIT[/s]... Ah TTA until 1994, a year of nighclub sould/light install/repair, AV rack building / installations, from 2005 control panel building etc. But right through my life; side line of PA systems initially with Dad, Mobile disco in 70's, Some theatre work starting with school plays then local council venues and last 10 years or so 4 different AmDrams, 3 of which have faded into obscurity mainly due to Covid.

 

Setting up PA for village fete in 2019 that we first did in 1962, Mrs Sunray told me I had to give it up as my hip was giving so much trouble, sad to admit she was perfectly right and announced my retirement to them at the end. My plan was to sell everything off in time for 2020 summer season but Covid put paid to that so currently slowly disposing, Although still doing some bits within entertainment.

 

As to slowing down... Ha Ha Children and their children, 100 year old father in law etc  take up far more time than I ever dreamt of.

Edited June 26, 2023 by sunray
Seem to have lost the strikethrough function. As Kerry says; the work will find you

[Paul J Need]

No no no no no - You cannot retire. you'll get bored !! 😀  Congrats. And glad this is my first post in gawd knows how many years !!!

[sandall]

Just realised that both my sons are older than I was when I "retired"🤔

[Ynot]

On 6/26/2023 at 10:20 AM, kerry davies said:

... I certainly wouldn't go volunteering time to anyone just yet,...

 

I was looking to 'volunteer' for a little occasional PAID work, not get more involved in freebies (do too many of those already!! 😮 🙂 )

 

[paulears]

If you’re officially retired but still want to do things that interest you, why not start yourself a small business? Take work that sounds nice, reject everything you don’t fancy, and take a few chances and buy kit and not worry? The best bit is that it works for tax. My turnover is very high, my profit quite low, and it works really well. I can buy interesting things and not have to justify them. It keeps you as busy as you wish to be and is sort of neutral, and that’s good for stress. I met a new client recently and told him yes, I could do it, but only if it was interesting. I told him that I was the age where I could simply retire at any point, so I only wanted projects where they kept me engaged, and I wasnt that bothered about the money. They were amazed. They gave me a tester and it went very well. I was honest, and pointed out things that if I perhaps would not have. It worked really well, and another project turned up this morning. Something I’ve not done before, so I’ve said yes again. I can get involved with heritage projects that take time, but don’t pay, but I don’t need to worry about what it costs me because the cost is still a business expense. Works really well for me. I’m sort of retired but not.  It’s also really nice when old awkward clients demand stuff, thinking they’re in charge because they control the money, and you can say, ok, I’ll collect the equipment at the end of the month. They were just playing you, knowing it was a good deal they had, and then when they rebook you, you actually get paid more! “Why is the invoice higher?” You cancelled, so I sold that bit of kit you didn’t want, you’ve now got a new one and it costs more. He he

[timsabre]

Paul's approach is pretty much how I run my business but you still sometimes get the nightmare jobs that sounded like fun in the first place but then go downhill rapidly for varying reasons. I don't feel I can walk away from a job having accepted it so there's no escape then until you get to the end!

[sandall]

1 hour ago, timsabre said:

you still sometimes get the nightmare jobs that sounded like fun in the first place but then go downhill rapidly for varying reasons. I don't feel I can walk away from a job having accepted it so there's no escape then until you get to the end!

Likewise. I'm currently spending hours on the phone (that I can't/won't charge for) trying to source a probably non-available tiny piece of metal, just to save a friend's church the cost of a Sennheiser repair.

[Ynot]

4 hours ago, paulears said:

If you’re officially retired but still want to do things that interest you, why not start yourself a small business? Take work that sounds nice, reject everything you don’t fancy, and take a few chances and buy kit and not worry? 

That's sort of how I'm already looking at it. Like I said, I do casual stuff occasionally, but just when it suits my time, and I already have my name on a couple of lists where I might be asked to do some random jobs for remunerance where it suits. 

So it's that sort of thing I mean - jobs that might be viable at home (made up about 80 DMX cables in front of the TV last year, eg) or interesting work not too far away. Those set pieces I've built for the local am-dram group could be enlarged upon making other bits for other groups to commission, too.

So, yeah, keeping it interesting and making a few quid on the side can work. 🙂

[kerry davies]

My two pennorth would be to wait until it comes to you. Your pension will be at least one third more than mine, you won't be paying my £420 a month rent and to be perfectly frank I simply can't spend my income. The first thing I discovered when I gave away what work I had was the insane amount it costs to go to work. I reckon I went to work for two days a week to pay for going to work, what with diesel, food, insurances, tools and clothing. All for one VW Up rather than a Turbo Golf and a Sprinter. 

Take your time and discover life with less pressure. Take some holidays, reconnect with friends and family and invest your time in you rather than other people. You can make decisions at leisure now. Do that.

[Ynot]

That's sort of why I'm being a bit picky with the Hippodrome cassy work - with the fuel to get there (about a 30 minute drive on diesel) plus parking (I used to be able to park in a BT exchange nearby for free, but that's sadly gone) and in recent years the clean air zone * fee, I have to work for 2 hours before making a penny - so a basic 4 hour shift really isn't worth the hassle.

* The CAZ charge is also a double whammy for overnight getouts as it's a CALENDAR daily charge - so get stiffed for £8 x 2 for those... 😞

 

[Junior8]

When my last two major customers went into liquidation in 2019 I looked at the portfolio of work, that which I'd retained after turning 60, and found (like many a freelance does I suspect)  that much of it was economically pointless especially as even then the exes were rising all the time. So I decided to retire bar a bit of pro bono work I can do without leaving home. The small business idea is attractive but before you know where you are it will begin to interfere with all the time you thought you'd have. My experience is the same as Kerry's and I fear had things not changed in 2019 followed by the Pandemic I might still be working simply out of force of habit.