A Retirement Blog by Caree Risover

    I am not sure that any of us likes change. Set in our ways, it can be experienced as extremely disruptive. Of late we have had several changes of occupant on our road and after years of being used to the rhythm of previous neighbours, it does take some getting used to. There are now people who park in the street where the residents before were accustomed to putting their cars on the drive. Then there are those who light up a barbecue at the slightest whiff of sunshine, adding a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the scent of my washing drying on the line. Grass mowing hours have altered and there are even owners' cats to contend with, as they seek to extend their territory into our garden.  I hope none of my readers likes garden gnomes. To be fair none of our new inhabitants have yet gone so far as to install any but we do find the lifesize model deer furnishing a nearby front porch something of a novelty. However, today a Christmas wreath has appeared on the front door so

  When visiting Anglesey as described in my last post , I called into the public conveniences located near to the beach where we ate our picnic. I was tickled to see this sign on the inside of the cubicle door. I imagine there are many ways to experience relief within the enclosure of a toilet stall. However, having a sign to indicate the exit has to rank highly especially, as you can see, it was not only written in Welsh but helpfully translated into English.  I know our mental alacrity purportedly declines with age but I am still unsure as to which demographic the notice was intended for. Nevertheless I am grateful for the information imparted. Who knows, without it I might still be sitting there and what a way to spend retirement that would be!    

  Yes we have been on our travels again visiting both Wales and Scotland in the course of just over a week. I'd like to say we travelled by car, but our journeys to both felt more like swimming as the rain swept down in torrents.  I confess the further I get on in retirement the more inclined I am to become a fair weather traveller. So much so that when I saw the forecast for our 4 day trip to Anglesey I did wonder whether that super dooper travel policy I had to pay millions for might enable cancellation on the grounds of soggy conditions. Of course it didn't. Hence Mister E, the youngest and I set off, expecting the worst and prepared for it with heavy duty waterproofs   But, as we all know, the British climate is fickle to say the least and although we very much floated there in some of the foulest conditions I have ever encountered on a motorway, the black clouds dispersed upon arrival and we were indulged with sunshine for the rest of our stay. So much so that we even had