Just joined so I'm introducing myself.
Watch this postI will be 67 next month and retired from the many different jobs in my working life. I guess that I didn’t ever find my calling. I went to university at age 59 but when it was over it was too late to launch a new career. I wanted to lecture but students don’t want to listen to old fogies, so sadly I put aside that idea and settled into life as an eccentric dog owner.
I live in a beautiful Lancashire valley surrounded by hills that demand they be walked/climbed, how could I refuse?
I would like to do a bit of cycle touring but a recent diagnosis of spondylosis and some hip pain means that I may not be doing a world tour anytime soon!
I’m keen to make some friends as I have been on my own for a very long time now, my daughters don’t bother much with me and I don’t have a partner.I didn’t expect to be so isolated at this time in my life, isn’t it strange the way family and friends seem to forget us when we get past 60?
I will pop in regularly and hope to strike up some friendships.
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I will probably never be able to retire. I will have to work till I can no longer work...oh well ..could be worse.
What subject did/do you want to lecture about?
I have just joined hoping to strike up friends that l can chat to l am currently looking for work again as l was a temp and my assignement came to a close in September and l think as you get older it becomes very difficult to find permenant employment, I am 56 years old and enjoy the usual things like reading, listening to music, card making, and cooking when l get the chance as me and my husband both like to cook meals ...so its a case of who gets into the kitchen first....
I live in a beautiful part of England in Devon. I sometimes feel like l am cut off from having some sort of social life as public transport doesn't run very often.
I am hoping that some people might get in touch to chat ....I have a email address it is [email protected] please feel free to email me.
I will only answer on here at the moment, as I am not technical and worry who what & where I am Ha on the internet.
Yes I am a prehistoric but a friendly one Ha.
Have just joined as a member but have followed the site on facebook for a number of months. I am now retired and moved to Co. Antrim 4 years ago and am really happy here with my Rough Collie dog,"Cody". I grew up in Weybridge, Surrey, but over the past 50+ years I have worked all over the UK, and have lived in Cornwall, S. Wales, East Sussex, and Kent and would like to hear from anyone from those areas about their memories. Maybe I will even hear from people who I've met and lost touch with. Fingers crossed.
hope you are doing well May god bless your day I too am a grandma of 7 and I care for troubled kids
What are you hoping to find here if its a new friend you have found one.
Willie
Willie
If you want something else for this decade you could always come to a Greek Island as the responsible adult. Now that would be a challenge,
What part of the world do you live in.
My interests are cars just sold my last 1966 Mk1 Lotus Cortina but still have a great love of them have raced cars back in the 70s, been involved in the early days of on board video cameras had quite a reputation, now just about to send my old film collection to the National Motor Museum, got racing footage going back to 1904 (no I didnt shoot it) dont want anyone to have the problem when I go.
Love the Greek Islands and intend to visit a few more and live as long as possible.
Dont be a stranger
P.S. what Bike have you got
Later in life got into Classic Cars just sold the last one two weeks ago. Now more of an armchair enthusiast and want to travel a bit more.
If your looking for something else for this decade how about coming to a Greek Island I'm supposed to travel with a responsible adult the Nurse said.
What Bike do you ride and where abouts do you ride it?
I listen to Indian music all day long. I like out doors, fishing, watching sports. I am good at playing badminton.
I am in late 40's I am looking for friendly chat in the evenings after my work 8pm to 10pm M-Th, Sun and F-S until depends.
I like to spend out doors on Saturday night like fishing in the mornings.
I am excellent listener and I enjoy learning about others.
I am looking for genuine friendly relationship chats.
Looking forward chatting with you:)
ScMc
I do so hope I can make some friends on this forum, my purpose was in fact to find a group to go on holidays with, you know people in my age group, and that's the main reason why I registered, so everything else whilst going through the process is a bonus! So hello from me and I am looking forward to chatting to more 'silver surfer's '
Aqua
I'm quite new to this site. Haven't had time to log on for the last week or so, the garden is taking up a lot of time at the moment. Where do you live? It would be lovely to get a group together to go on holiday, depends on where though. And for how long. And people really ought to get to know each other first, it would be awful if they didn't get on! I'm a bit more free now to go away and am planning on seeing more of Ireland - where I have retired to. Have got a cat and hens so I couldn't go anywhere for a long time! Though I do have very good neighbours who will feed them. Anyway, I am rabbiting on. If you want to chat here I am!
Ruball
I am from Scotland, you can get in touch with me via email if you like [email protected]
Hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts
I am on [email protected] if you ever want to chat.
So! I know exactly how you feel.
I am semi retired however. But want to give it up. I also do voluntary work.
Anyway! Hope I didnt bore the pants off you.
Am looking forward to lots of bargains.
Take care.
Goldendelicious
Sandy
Welcome to the club, lol! I don't do face book so I'll chat to you on here if you want, I'm new on here so I'm building up friends, I'm still finding my way around all of this lol! catch up soon x
Thank you for the welcome I have Facebook mainly for my family and a handful of friends but would love to chat to you on here,I guess it takes a while to find yourself around I just came on the general board as I'm lazy lol.
So where do you live Hildy? At the moment I live in Kent UK,we are in the throws of moveing from here to live in Northampton hopefully the last move.
We lived in Spain for 6 years that was enjoyable but came back to be nearer the family and health issues,I have 3children 1 grandchild Ben he's just taken his 11+ even though he is only still 10 poor kid ?
I have a cat called Lilly but love all animals, I won't rattle on to long thanks for wanting to chat:)
Sandy x
I've never been to kent, I want to do more travelling in the next few years and meet up with my friends from college days, some of them I haven't seen for over thirty years, they are well spred out,
I'm in Liverpool, just back after 24 years away in the scotish borders, I am a youth worker and whilst up in Northumberland a friend and I opened a gift shop, that was fun, I now work in a childrens residential home, I just love it
I would love a dog but don't have enough time in the house to look after 1 🙁
I am about to seek out the aqua arobics classes, i've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is soooo! painful, I used to do 2hr of excercise before all of his now i just bout walk somedays, I like to keep fit soi need to find something I can do,
how about u? wat keeps you active?
Do you miss Spain? I would love to live in warmer climate but most of the people I now who did live out in Spain or Cyprus have come back, I worked in American when I was in my 20s and the company I worked for asked me to stay but I wanted to be qualified in youth work so I came home to go to college but its my biggest regret, I loved it out there
Hay ho!
give me a shout back or what ever they say lol!
I'm new on this site, I'm up for a chat. Life throws us some curved balls doesn't it, I've never been on a chat room before, I've Just moved back to my home city of Liverpool to be near all my family but I wish I hadn't bothered cuz I'm just as isolated and lonely
Hoping to chat with you when ever 🙂
I went to uni in Liverpool so the city is close to my heart, though I don't think I would like to live there, I'm more of a small town/village kind of gal!
You are right, life does chuck lemons at us and we can't make lemonade from them all, can we? I don't know what I have done to my lot but since my divorce almost 20 years ago I have seen almost nothing of my daughters, they took the side of my ex and I have been cast aside like a used bus ticket, no longer wanted and of no use to anyone.
I brought a little dog into my life 2 years ago and she is my constant companion, we go on lots of lovely walks over the hills that surround us, she has been there for me when no-one else has.
How old are you and what have yo done over the years?
Hoping to hear from you again.
Take care.
What subject did you take at uni?
I'm just entering the world of OAP, I'm 55
I left school in the 70s and worked for Sunblest bakeries in their computer dpt, Nothing like the computers today lol! I worked there for several years but wanted to have a job working with humans not machines so left, trained as a telephonist then after the mass unemployment of the 80s I was sent on a back to work scheme working a youth worker and bob's your uncle I'd found my niche, I went on to go to college to get my diploma in youth work and the get a diploma in counselling (neither diploma's are worth the paper they were written on I'm now told),
I went on work in a very busy young peoples drop-in in the city centre, we offered counseling, information and avice to anyone aged 13 to 28. It was a fantastic job.
I later relocated to Northumberland to become deputy manger in a simular project, I had two kids by this time but aleays wanted to come back to Liverpool.
In 2005 me and a mate opened a small new age gift shop, I was a third generation Medium and she a witch so I read Tarot and she advised on spells and gave crystal healing etc. I still did p/t youth work but we also took over a busy cafe so life was hectic to say the least. Now I'm back in Liverpool, I've just got a job working in a childrens home and I love it, I seen as a gran figure, which suits lol! It means lots of sleep overs or 10-10 shifts but I have no dependants so I can do it, I feel sorry for the younger ones with families, they spend a lot of time away from home,
I've just met back up with a women friend I used to work with 30yrs ago and we've been meeting up once a month, I hope we can get up to mischief in the future lol!
I used to a lot of outdoor activities before I had the kids then never got the opportunity to indulge, even living in Northumberland. My son has Autism so I was the only person who wanted to look after him, everyone bailed, even his father, another lemon lol! Now I've got the time to indulge I've got rheumatism in my ankle and hip so can't lol!
It's sad you think of yourself as a discarded bus ticket, I hope you can work on changing that image of yourself. Maybe as well as lemons we can get ice cream ?? as well!!
Your turn now to spill the beans, what did you get upto before being a discarded bus ticket? lol!
I studied Education at uni and if I had been younger I would have gone on to teacher training college, but there was no point as people do not enter the profession at 63-64 years of age, Pupils/students don't want to listen to oldies in the classroom. My time at uni was really a waste.
I'm dyslexic, though I didn't realise till I went to uni, they spotted it straight away. I think that it sort of sabotaged my progression at work, I could never cope with the paperwork, I would make the most terrible mistakes, I would get dates, times, places all jumbled up and the result would be chaos. I used to turn up on the wrong day for important meetings, usually a day early or a day late, everyone thought I was mad!
I was always in trouble at school, they used to tell me that I wasn't trying when actually I was trying so hard that my brain felt like an egg in a microwave on full power!
They didn't let me take GCE's and no-one told me why, there was no consultation with me, or my parents. My mum and dad went along with what the teachers told them, that I wasn't trying and I used to get a lot of anger from them. I used to feel so confused, I couldn't understand why they were all attacking me.
I stuck mainly to jobs that didn't involve writing, planning or organising because I knew that I would make a mess of it and get the sack. But, eventually I was forced into a management role. I sort of coped by carrying all of my assignments in my head, which made for some 'interesting' situations. I would be driving down to Wales when I would suddenly remember that I had a meeting in Leeds in 20 minutes! I would phone ahead and lie that I had a flat tyre to get myself out of trouble.
It got too much eventually and I was made 'redundant.'
Sorry for rambling on. Right then, I'm taking Poppy out for a wee, then I'm off to bed, we went hill walking today and I am so tired.
More tomorrow,
All the best,
Laura
Sorry I didn't get back right away I was called into work to cover shifts for a colleague, what you said about discovering you had dyslexia has certainly made your life difficult, wow! My name is Hilary by the way 🙂
I hope life is more managable these days, life takes us on twists and turns when we least expect it, then we sink or swim!!! 🙂 It's only now when I look back I think I could write a book about the things I've done and the people that have shaped my life, especially some people lol!!,
I always wanted to be a teacher but by the end of my schooling I became disillusioned with the whole education system, most of my teachers ended up policing the classroom, thats why I went into youth work, it seemed more rewarding at that time.
I know you are surrounded by wonderful hills and beautiful contryside, I would love to walk and climb again but I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, arthritis in the muscles, I sometimes can't lift my arms and I stumble alot, It's managable with meds, I'm hoping to find a swimming keepfit classs that fits in with my shifts, I don't know if you are aware but the government have decided that those born after 1956 can't retire on state pension until they are 68 so I am trying to keep as fit as poss so I can work and manage the pain for the next 13 years lol:) I have been discussing fostering but I want to leave that for a few years yet to see what else might be available to me as I reach retirement. As you say the younger generation don't see any value in older peolpe but I am determind to end my days working in youth work lol:)
You didn't tell me if you had any witching experience ?? I would love to know 🙂
Thanx for the email address I'll get back to on that, I'ts a bit long winded on here lol ! x
It's such a shame Celtwitch that you don't see your family as much as you'd like. I'm lucky. I have a daughter and a son who thankfully think the world of their old dad. But dogs do provide a very welcome presence in a home that could otherwise be very lonely.
Sandra. My daughter has just qualified as a Reiki healer. And is just getting herself known in our village.
Also. Hi to anyone else who tags along. I'm happy to chat with anybody and everybody. 🙂
I too have replied to people only for them to disappear off the scene, it's really confusing.
My own mother was the bitch from hell...she was the nastiest, most spiteful and emotionally bereft person I ever met in my entire life. I don't know what I did to make her hate me so much, I did ask her on several occasions, 'why have you always hated me?' She didn't deny it, she just said, 'I couldn't even begin to tell you.' Which didn't answer my question...she took her 'secret' to her grave. I do not miss her.
I think that maybe there is a chat option on Silversurfers Facebook page, though I'm not certain.
If you reply to this, I will reply back to you in the morning.
Bye for now,
Laura
Lisa
I have been to the USA several times, NY, Boston, New Orleans, Tampa, Detroit and a few smaller places, but not New Hampshire. I was much younger then and I guess that I was well and truly smitten with the'American dream.
You are lucky to have had such a lovely mom (most English people call their mothers 'Mum' but i lived in the Midlands when I was very young and there they say 'Mom') I never once had that 'quality time' with my mom, we never ever shared a bottle of wine, we never went shopping together and never sat down to dinner, just the two of us to enjoy each other's company.
I didn't shed a tear when I heard that she had shuffled off to wherever cruel old women go when they die.
Right, we must put a stop to the 'months without talking to another human being. My email is [email protected] you can use this address to contact me, it's quicker than Silversurfers. I'm happy to chat almost every day.
What did you read at university? I did an Education degree, which has proved to be almost useless, though I can baffle and sometimes impress people with my knowledge of Education theory. I'm sure I also bore a lot of people too!
I'm sorry to hear of your MS diagnosis, I don't know too much about the condition, perhaps you can explain and in the meantime I will Google it?
I have a form of dyslexia, which has impacted on my life in so many negative ways, it was a real struggle at university but I managed to scrape through. But at work it was a different story, you either shape up, or ship out! If you can't keep up with everyone else because of a learning difficulty most employers in the UK will simply terminate contracts for 'operational reasons.'
However, I'm now gloriously retired and' the world is my oyster', whatever does that saying mean?
I hope you have a good day, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards
Laura
You are right, life is never that bad...it's a while lot worse!
I didn’t expect to be quite so isolated at this, relatively, late stage of my life, I always thought that as the family grew in numbers, in terms of grandchildren, that I would be surrounded by loving family.
Sadly, it has not happened and I have been thrown away like an unwanted garment. It hurts at times and then there are other times when I accept my fate with grace and equanimity, there is no point in fighting against something you have no control over, is there?
My dog, Poppy, is my life now, I love her with all my heart, I guess that she gets all the love that I would have given to my daughters and their children. There is a cat too, his name is Buster, he is a huge ginger and white Tom who rules the roost around here, he comes on walks with us and other dog walkers can’t believe their eyes when they see a cat out on the hills!
I do a lot of reading and also spend a great deal of time on my computer, perhaps too much, I don’t know, but it keeps me up to date with all the dreadful things that are happening in the world today and allows me to connect with people on Silversurfers. What did we do before computers?
Well, that’s enough prattling from me for now, I hope to hear from you again soon.
Best regards
Laura
Thanks for responding. I live in Donegal, a very rural area, but the people are so nice. I have just lost the love of my life, my little Bagpuss, who was the sweetest, most loving, funny cat that ever there was. It was very traumatic and she was only 4 and I haven't got over it yet. My son got married last year and they have no children yet, but his wife seems to blow hot and cold with me. I think she has turned him against me, but I don't know why. At the wedding the only member of her family that spoke to me was her father. Maybe friends are more valuable than family when you get older. It is such a shame when you have given so much to bring them up. I agree, it does hurt. I also have 3 hens called Evelyn, Hetty and Rosie after my mum and her sisters. The sisters have passed on now and mum is in a home for people with dementia, she is 96. I don't get to see her very often as my brother has 2 spare rooms full of junk, so no room for me to stay, and a cousin made it plain that she didn't really want me there when I went over for her husband's funeral in July, which I thought was a bit ungrateful as I had made the effort to go, not to mention the expense! I also do a lot of reading, I like a good murder!! I also crochet, make wine, paint and do DIY. I like cooking and trying new things. I love the countryside. I think I probably spend too much time on my computer too, but I do surveys and also a bit of mystery shopping, which gets me out and about and contributes slightly to my pension!! I haven't quite got to grips with this site yet, haven't discovered how to look at profiles or to write my own introductory comment!! Look forward to hearing from you again. Jo
I have a brother, he's 7 years my junior, and for reasons that I could never understand he has always hated me. He would always ignore me at family gatherings, and he would tell the most outrageous lies about me to cousins, Aunts, Uncles etc, and when challenged he would just smirk and walk away. I decided one day back in 1985 to have nothing more to do with him and to waste no more emotional energy in trying to understand his hatred of me; our paths have not crossed since that day and I don't expect, or want, to see him ever again.
My mother died in 2011, she was a little short of her 92nd birthday, however, I didn't know of her death until 2013 because my brother didn't tell me, I found out by doing a bit of detective work. Unfortunately, my mother also hated me, she didn't want me when she saw that I wasn't a boy, she didn't like girls for some strange reason and always treated me like an unwelcome guest in her house. I could never do right by her, she would pick up on the slightest mistake and turn it into a major infraction. She ignored my achievements and magnified my childish failures, how do you cope with a mum like that?
The final indignity was her decision to leave her house and everything else to my brother, I wasn't even mentioned in the will; it was as though I had never existed.
I have been so very unlucky where family is concerned, I wish that I could understand why.
The rain has come down like the proverbial stair-rods this morning, but now the sun is coming out so I will sign off for now and take my little pooch for another walk.
Take care,
Laura
I try and keep busy here with the garden, the odd job, and I am involved with the Donegal Donkey Sanctuary. I man the visitor centre on Sundays. I used to muck out for them, but they have a couple of men to do that now and so I have promotion. I crochet donkey key rings to sell there and I do paintings to sell. You could look them up on their website. Do you have any hobbies?
My mother's house has been sold to keep her in the home, it costs £900 a week!!! But they do look after her well. I don't think we are talking long term as she is 96 now.
You take care. We have a very strong wind today, though it isn't raining at the moment.
Jo
So, new stage and new ventures. Anybody else where I am?
You seem to have been through the wringer a bit in recent months , but i'm sure you will come out of it a stronger person than before; the human spirit is so strong in times of crisis.
Old at 70? Never, age is only a number, so they say, although i know people much younger than myself who have simply given up and are, in effect, just waiting to die!
Are you Welsh, I'm part Welsh myself, my Gran was from South Wales and I think that I have always 'felt' Welsh, deep down inside my soul.
When I went to uni I was asked, 'what is your national identity?' Without even having to think about it, I answered, 'Welsh.'
I'm happy to chat at any time, but not at 3am please!
Hwl fawr
I haven't quite come to grips with the layout of this site as yet. However, I have written about myself in a profile, and imagined that this profile would be accessible by simply clicking on my fictional name? Not so?
Yes, I am a Welsh speaking Welshwoman living in a far-flung place called Porthmadog. Are you Welsh on your father or mother's side? Did you know and visit your Gran? Where did she live?
Carol
Cheers
Laura