I have called it a day and hung up my Hi-Vis, and retired sick, my knees have gone, my backs buggered, and my piles are getting piles of their own, I have been gradually cutting down what I do for a while, and called it a day when an Agency fiddled me out of £40 last week.
I cannot be bothered with the CPC crap and was going to call it quits then, as I will be 60, but I got out of a cab last week and took 10 minutes to stand up straight because of pain.
To be realistic my chances of getting a non driving job round here are as likely as finding rocking horse ■■■■, so I will be a benefit scrounger, but taking into account the fact that up until now I have always worked, I don’t feel guilty.
Although saying all that, if anybody wants an odd day covering within 40 miles of Scunthorpe PM me, but I mean the odd day.
good luck mate, enjoy your retirement.
don’t feel bad about the scrounging thing, abu qatada and his scum family have so far had approx 10 million quid out of us lot, so i’d rather my taxes go in your direction, and lets face it, you’ve probably earned it over the years anyway
Hi Blunderman. I didn’t feel guilty when my depot closed and I became a job seeker seven months before my official retirement age. I knew no one was going to give a 59 year old woman a job, I went through the motions of looking and applying just to satisfy them at the job centre, but I knew there was no chance.
When I hit 60 I jumped for joy, after 32 years on the road I’d had enough. I’m lucky that my knees are fine, my back is fine, goodness know how though with all that roping and sheeting, oh and I have no sign of piles, ha ha.
Amongst lots of other hobbies, I have taken up walking in a big way. I now have a collection of ordnance survey maps and like nothing better than to get out into the hills. In April I got a train to Morecambe and walked back to the Humber Bridge, 162 miles in nine days. It was my third long walk, I hope to do many more.
So enjoy your retirement, it’s what you make it. I am near Scunny by the way.
Ilona
LadyTrucker1976-2008:
Hi Blunderman. I didn’t feel guilty when my depot closed and I became a job seeker seven months before my official retirement age. I knew no one was going to give a 59 year old woman a job, I went through the motions of looking and applying just to satisfy them at the job centre, but I knew there was no chance.
When I hit 60 I jumped for joy, after 32 years on the road I’d had enough. I’m lucky that my knees are fine, my back is fine, goodness know how though with all that roping and sheeting, oh and I have no sign of piles, ha ha.
Amongst lots of other hobbies, I have taken up walking in a big way. I now have a collection of ordnance survey maps and like nothing better than to get out into the hills. In April I got a train to Morecambe and walked back to the Humber Bridge, 162 miles in nine days. It was my third long walk, I hope to do many more.
So enjoy your retirement, it’s what you make it. I am near Scunny by the way.
Ilona
Ilona are you the same lady trucker that a mag did an article on a few years ago ? there cant be that many lady truckers with the same name …I enjoyed the read and hope you are enjoying your retirement
As for taking out of ‘the pot’, you chuffin go for it! You have worked long and hard unlike too many who just take the pee (the wife ran a P.O. for 10 years … we saw it all)
Look after yourself, enjoy putting your feet up, and enjoy doing wee bit as and when you feel upto it.
(ps … the piles on piles information was just a tad too much fella )
Congratulations on your " retirement" I did the same once basicly for the same reasons so take my advice ( I’m not using it ! ) have a good rest let your body recover and enjoy yourself , but keep your hand in , lady trucker has it right with keeping active.
On Monday morning think of us poor saps doing our walk rounds and getting the paperwork and getting the jackanory from the traffic office, roll over and have another hour in bed !
Good for you and good luck too. I spent about 6 weeks on the dole a few years back - don’t feel guilty - you’ve paid a hell of a lot more in than you’ll get out.
quote LadyTrucker1976-2008:
Amongst lots of other hobbies, I have taken up walking in a big way.
My grandfather took up walking after he retired. He used to walk at least 15 miles every day. That was in 1988 - we haven’t got a clue where he is now
Paul:
Ilona are you the same lady trucker that a mag did an article on a few years ago ? there cant be that many lady truckers with the same name …I enjoyed the read and hope you are enjoying your retirement
I am sure it is Paul, but when I saw 1976 to 2008 I thought that was the end, but no, just the end of one life to start a new one.
Good on you Ilona, you were in my magazines when I was daft enough to buy them.
LadyTrucker1976-2008:
Hi Blunderman. I didn’t feel guilty when my depot closed and I became a job seeker seven months before my official retirement age. I knew no one was going to give a 59 year old woman a job, I went through the motions of looking and applying just to satisfy them at the job centre, but I knew there was no chance.
When I hit 60 I jumped for joy, after 32 years on the road I’d had enough. I’m lucky that my knees are fine, my back is fine, goodness know how though with all that roping and sheeting, oh and I have no sign of piles, ha ha.
Amongst lots of other hobbies, I have taken up walking in a big way. I now have a collection of ordnance survey maps and like nothing better than to get out into the hills. In April I got a train to Morecambe and walked back to the Humber Bridge, 162 miles in nine days. It was my third long walk, I hope to do many more.
So enjoy your retirement, it’s what you make it. I am near Scunny by the way.
Ilona
Now there’s an inspiration…Great to hear someone enjoying a happy healthy stress free retirement…Good on you IIona
LadyTrucker1976-2008:
Hi Blunderman. I didn’t feel guilty when my depot closed and I became a job seeker seven months before my official retirement age. I knew no one was going to give a 59 year old woman a job, I went through the motions of looking and applying just to satisfy them at the job centre, but I knew there was no chance.
When I hit 60 I jumped for joy, after 32 years on the road I’d had enough. I’m lucky that my knees are fine, my back is fine, goodness know how though with all that roping and sheeting, oh and I have no sign of piles, ha ha.
Amongst lots of other hobbies, I have taken up walking in a big way. I now have a collection of ordnance survey maps and like nothing better than to get out into the hills. In April I got a train to Morecambe and walked back to the Humber Bridge, 162 miles in nine days. It was my third long walk, I hope to do many more.
So enjoy your retirement, it’s what you make it. I am near Scunny by the way.
Ilona
Now there’s an inspiration…Great to hear someone enjoying a happy healthy stress free retirement…Good on you IIona
I just wondered why Scunthorpe, my memory tells me that Ilona was from Leicester
Sorry, didn’t mean to hi-jack Blunderman’s thread, just wanted to make the point that one door closes and another opens. I absolutely loved trucking, said I would keep driving as long as I could climb into the cab. Alas the job became less enjoyable so I cut my hours as I headed towards retirement.
I was in the magazines quite a lot after I started the original Lady Truckers Club. I wrote for Trucking International, and CB magazine. I wrote an article for Truck and Driver, and a few for Commercial Motor, and was in Headlight. When I worked for Leicester Heavy Haulage I lived in Burton upon Trent, then moved to North Lincolnshire when I got work at Rugby Cement South Ferriby.
Retirement needn’t be the end, it’s just the beginning of a new life. A few months ago I renewed my HGV licence, because I am not ready to let it go just yet. No plans on driving again, but I wouldn’t mind having a play with one, ha ha.
Ilona
Thank you all, I am going to be doing a lot of research in the next couple of months so that I can release my Curry and Lager diet Video for Christmas, its a very short video, It shows how to drink 8 pints of lager (and maybe a double Jameson’s if you are on form) then stagger home and phone for a Takeaway Curry, I may get a reality TV series out of it, I am taking advance orders now! a signed copy will only set you back £10.
If I hear of any good jobs I will of course post them, and I will continue to post on here, I did PM big vern to see if he still wanted anybody for the odd day on immingham docks, but he has not replied, is he still about?
)
