As a pharmacist my background has always been in NHS pharmacy/pharmaceutical industry/medical technology industry in sales and marketing roles.
I am bored of that now and need a new challenge to revive my passion for work.
I have paid off my mortgage and my two kids, 14 and 15, are happy at school and doing well so no issues there.
I have a decent severance package that will keep me stable for 12-18 months and could risk £20k into a new venture.
Any wacky/sensible ideas gratefully received!
Stand up comedy is not an option!
With your background the next step writes itself surely?
Up!
My compounding skills were lost in the early 1990s
@Gatz beat me to it!
Invest* in a record shop. Aunty Wheaty may not approve.
*Investments may go down, especially if you specialise in NWOBHM
I was thinking about the vinyl revival linked to my sandwich making abilities to launch -a combined record shop/cafe called – Rock and Roll!
You may jest and yet… there is a fairly new and thriving business near me called ‘Bread & Records’, which sells… well, have a guess! Opened by two blokes from alt rock bands, one of whom wanted a vinyl shop and the other of whom bakes things. His various sweet pastries (okay, it’s not only bread) are extraordinary. And they do quality coffee too. I was in with a pal for two times two coffees and a couple of said pastries only this morning. It’s near Cyprus Avenue and indeed stocks The Man’s new ‘Live at Orangefield’ vinyl – seemingly dropped in personally by The Man’s factotum.
Bread and Records is genius.
Wouldn’t work in Oxfordshire though.
Sourdough and Vinyls might attract the students in town.
Brilliant, Colin!
That Bread and Records place sounds wonderful.
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/12/08/news/east_belfast_gets_the_best_of_both_worlds_as_bread_and_records_continues_to_thrive-3810261/
As always, you’re the man with his finger on the pulse and his hand round a pastry.
in Watford this does indeed exist:
https://www.thelpcafe.com/
My word, LPs are pricey these days.
I wonder if they’ve heard of Pie and Vinyl in Southsea?
Been in there a few times during visits to see my son at Portsmouth Uni. Lovely little place.
I had the Blue Moo, steak and blue cheese. Very, very good. Then we saw The Waterboys at the Guildhall. What more could you want!
We were telling my son’s girlfriend about Pie 6 Vinyl a couple of days ago so I expect we’ll be going soon as she likes her food.
The cafe record shop in Bedford seems to never have anyone in it.
I’ve not yet been, but it is on my list. A colleague live in Gibraltar (the village, not the island) and raves about it. And there’s another record shop in the old Arcade. Could be an expensive trip.
Writing and reviewing music. You could earn up to £70 a month. (My personal high water mark; thank the Lord for pensions…..)
Tell me more…
No I am not wearing tight leather trousers.
Head to Asia and set up as an expert in whatever interests you and will also capture the backpacker zeitgeist.
Thank you for using the word zeitgeist.
Much under used In the age of most of the contributors here!
For at least 6 months do only things that amuse or interest you and give no thought to finding work or income. Read books, re file your CDs, do jigsaws, take up pickle ball, learn to speak Dutch, make sculptures from used tin foil.
At some point something will call you and you’ll have had the chance to see what might be the thing and what won’t.
And if none of that works there’s always Deliveroo.
Good luck!
I will walk more and hopefully lose some weight.
I can only agree with fortuneight – take some time and decompress.
Walking and losing a bit of weight sounds good – I did something similar when I retired (also at 59, funnily enough). The other thing I did was get myself re-familiarised with guitar and bass – and get back in a band!
From your comments in the OP, it sounds like you’re viewing it as an opportunity to try something different – which is great!
I was made redundant at the tender age of 75 by the Eden Project, and as exclusively predicted by moi, they came straight back and asked me to do what I’d been doing before but freelance. That was either the third or the fourth time I’d been made redundant in my long career, depending how you interpret the circumstances. So there’s certainly life after redundancy.
But you seem to realise that. Like fortuneight I think you should do SFA for a bit and see what turns up. I always promised myself that if I found myself at a loose end and could stop work for a bit I’d jump in the car and impose myself on old friends all over the country, but by the time it happened I’d left the country. Good luck!
Sorry to hear that.
If you’re in North London, you could get a job polishing Tottenham’s trophies.
Oh, hang on a minute…
Oooh, I don’t know – the 1972 Anglo-Italian League Cup could do with a going-over with Brasso….
I work in the hi-tech industry. A few months ago I was having lunch at a restaurant inside a nearby supermarket where you can consume hot food or salads etc bought on the premises. There was a 60 something janitor collecting garbage and he asked me if I minded him emptying the container right next to me. I said it wasn’t a problem and we started talking. Turns out he had been laid off some time earlier also in hi-tech and he had given it up and taken this much lower paid job, with notably less stress and agreeable co-workers. He said he had never been happier.
Good luck in your future endeavours.
I was 59 in a job that I hated and decided to throw in the towel nearly 4 years ago. Being mortgage free helped, but I can honestly say that I’ve never looked back. I have a very modest pension, so will never be able to do anything extravagant, but Mrs B still works and we get by reasonably comfortably. I now have time to smell the roses and watch the world go by, and it’s great. It all depends what you want out of life I guess, and how strong your desire is to be in the thick of it. I would echo the advice of others above, and take some time out to do something else for a while. It will definitely help you decide what to do with the rest of your life. Good luck.
Bummer, but (at least how I’m reading it) hope for a new endeavour.
Best of luck for the future, but I think fortuneight nailed it – kick back for 6 months and see what you fancy doing, or what turns up.
Mate of mine retired at 58, and is now filling his time with voluntary work, and doing stuff he wants to do.
His words “I’m happier than I ever was working”
I don’t. get my state pension until I am 67 and although I have some decent private stuff to draw on it is not massive and I still need to work again for 3-5 years I reckon. And I want to.
Really hoping you find something for that time, but do have a bit of downtime before getting back on the (work)horse. Me guessing you’ve earned the right to be content with the work you do.
By all means kick back for a while if you can afford it.
But don’t kick too far back or for too long.
This morning I was officially made redundant and will get a severance package at the end of November.
This afternoon I had a final interview for a job that I have got and will commence in January.
A Perfect Day!
Hearty congratulations.
Great news! I trust you’ll raise a glass of your favoured tipple this evening.
Well done,you!
Huzzah! Well done! Air black with hats!
That’s the jackpot! Well done
Many congratulations – a settlement, 2 months off, and pastures new to explore in the new year.
A most agreeable result.
Congratulations!
That’s wonderful! Congratulations!
Wonderful! Well done.
An excellent conclusion. Congratulations.
Thanks for the lovely messages.
I. will go and donate some of the severance deal to The Mods now.