A Reason to follow Southend

It was with some trepidation that last night I set the alarm clock to 5.50am this morning. This is not a time that I have become familiar with since my retirement, nor do I want to become familiar with it in future. I have to make a trip to undertake some business with my old Project Team in London. However it was one of those days where everything seemed to go to plan.

Boy was it icy when I set off for York, indeed there were some snow flurries and I was glad that the gritting lorry had been out and about as it was difficult to tell whether the glistening black surface was ice or road. For once the train was right on time, it was not very full and was warm. When this is the case it makes Yorkshire seem very close to London. Three and a half hours to cover the 240 miles to London is excellent. It was a lovely day in London so the walk to the office was lovely. There I caught up with people that I had worked closely with for many years. One of advantages of this semi-detached retirement is that I can still keep up with those old friends. It also reminds me why retirement is a great option, when I go into the office I feel relaxed. Probably in this way I accomplish more during the few hours that I am working on the programme, perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt here.

Going to London also puts into perspective living in Scarborough. I would not move for any incentive, however it is nice to see the more urban side of life, and look with envy on the multi-million pound houses in Clerkenwell. The choice for lunch is also really great, you would not get the fantastic tapas restaurant where we dined in Scarborough. However you cannot eat world class fish and chips in Clerkenwell.

There are also the more esoteric aspects of life. I travelled extensively with a guy who supported Southend United, now I love a true football fan who does not just support a premier mega team with whom they have no association. We caught up and he lamented how the last three home games had been nil/nil draws. It brought back my days of supporting Scarborough with the children, of supporting the team on a snowy winters nights with only 627 others, but of gaining intense pleasure from the evening, of supporting a team for whom a successful season was not getting relegated. In a future blog I will try to put into words the pleasure of this seemingly masochistic experience.

So now I am on the train home, it too is on time and I have a comfortable seat. However despite the eulogy for London and the office, I am really glad to travelling back to Marion, and my own bed, to being able to dictate what I do with my day. I think a little bit of work puts into perspective the joys of an active retirement, it certainly makes sure that I do not become complacent and value what I have.