Monday 1 December 2014

Permanent gardening leave...



It's all go, isn't it!

Scrobs has decided to hang up his briefcase, cards and spreadsheets, and call it a day! There'll be no more wine bar expenses, or boozy lunches, except those with Mrs Scroblene or the family, and the spell of gardening leave will become permanent from the end of this month!

Yup, Scrobs is retiring! I'll have to change a few details on this blog of course, I'll still be in close touch with my chums on the firm, as there are a few schemes still in the pipeline, and I'll want to know how they're going, and maybe get in the way occasionally (for which I will be given a polite sod-off), but you don't ever forget your friends do you!

There's so much to do from now on. The garden and 'The Patch', where all the farming is done, will get a serious seeing-to on a more regular basis, I have to digitize the whole of our photograph collection (about 4,500), and re-file them, the grandchildren are placing more demands on the family's daily routines, so we'll be able to do much more there, the house needs painting from top to bottom with several building jobs to do which will rely on fine weather!

But of course, I will miss all the banter from those with whom I've had the pleasure of talking business for the last fifty years, but there may be the odd opportunity to sneak out to the pub if they're ever within walking distance...

(And if you're wondering what that scaffolding structure in the middle is; it's the daughts' old climbing frame from all those years ago...)!

10 comments:

A K Haart said...

You won't regret it if my experience is any guide.

Staying it touch is a good idea, almost as good as sneaking out to the pub!

All the best.

Scrobs. said...

I've already agreed to give my office (bedroom), back to Mrs Scroblene, Mr H!

She is making plans for grandchildren as we speak...

As for chums, I'll miss most of them, but there's so much to do now, I'm not sure how - yet!

Thud said...

More power to your elbow! I have a post pretty much along these lines due soon so I will follow your progress ever more closely in case I get cold feet. In our trade we never really retire though do we?

Trubes said...

Congratulations Michael on your long earned retirement.
A new chapter begins, Has Mrs S got any plans for a veg patch for the grandchildren?
Good idea so they can do some gardening with gramps, don't you think ?

Best wishes,

Di.x

rvi said...

Goodness me! Are you really 75 already? Isn't that the new age for retirement after the Brown etc years? And I am sure you noticed Ozzie's subtle changes to pension arrangements yesterday.

Good luck with all the DIY you plan, but one tiny hint for your bucket list - don't sod about digitising your photos. Just leave them as they are. When you are dead not one person in the whole world will be the slightest bit interested in seeing any of them. We found that out when we offered all the younger family members to help themselves to any of our photos they wanted, taken all over the world on our travels from 200 miles above the Arctic Circle, tip of southern Africa (Cape Agalhas, not that other place where the oceans meet that claims to be) to the westernmost point of Europe to the southernmost and northernmost parts of the UK and New Zealand - and just about everything in between! (We made a point of visiting as many extremities as we could over the years.) We had two takers who decided they would like 3 snaps each. And that was it, so one weekend we had a grand sort out and shredding session and nobody since has asked again to see our quite extensive library which is now very much thinner. Even we don't look at them much any more either. The memories stay in our heads.

One final hint - do not put your back out lifting heavy things or snow clearing - you never ever quite recover or feel the same.


That said, may Mr & Mrs rvi wish you two the happiest of retirements. Please do remember to post the occasional account of your progress from time to time. We need light entertainment in our lives.

Electro-Kevin said...

Happy Retirement, Scrobs.

Just in time for Christmas !

Scrobs. said...

Phew, sorry for the tardy response to all your good wishes, it's been a week of colds and nativity plays...

Thud, you're too young, so stick at it!

You deserve a medal for that fantastic Bothy building job, and it's certainly raised my game for when I make or build things, I can assure you!

Scrobs. said...

Hi Di, lovely to hear from you as always!

Gardening plans restarted yesterday, with an annual clearing of about fifty million montbretia, which seem to have taken a stranglehold this year...

The leeks though, are the biggest and the fattest we've ever grown!

Good idea to get the GCs down at the Patch though - see Raedwald's latest post!

Scrobs. said...

Reevers, you know I always listen to you...

My feeling on the pics is, that they'll all go on a couple of CDs, and there are some which are such treasures, it's a great project especially when I saw some I'd completely forgotten about!

Nearly all of them are of family people, not views etc, so the GCs will have something for when they are old enough to understand that their mum was just like them...

I still have all the old black and white ones from my folks too!

Thank you both for your good wishes too, the blog will carry on very much the same - I'm afraid!

Scrobs. said...

Thanks Elecs! I'm sorry that our Exeter scheme hasn't materialised in time for me to call round and buy you a pint...