Retirement and a New Decade!

When the year turned around I had been ‘retired’ for five months.  It has proved to be an interesting experience and not quite as I imagined it despite talking to numerous retired people.

For starters when in work I always had the discipline of producing a monthly News & Prayer Letter. I have struggled to find the time and motivation over the past five months.

Relocation from Stafford to Rugby obviously has taken a lot of time and effort. We are renting a property under a scheme for Church of England ministers. The house was decorated throughout but still needed the neglected garden sorted. We also bought ourselves a rather nice shed and this required considerable work laying a solid, level surface of paving stones. We also inherited a patch of bamboo – if you have tried to remove bamboo you will know how hard that is. The only thing that helped was buying a full-size mattock and then a lot of hard work digging it out. We have got downstairs more of less sorted, including the conservatory (with some very expensive fitted blinds!).  Upstairs is still ‘a work in progress’ as we had to massively downsize.  Lots of trips to the recycling centre, also several big pieces of furniture to British Heart Foundation. We have some steps, light and boards being installed in the loft early next year so we can use it for light storage.

Also, during the last five months we spent nearly six weeks in Cornwall, being there for the whole of October. We stayed at our ‘Holiday Home’ (static caravan) at the Par Sands site. This gave us time to spend some quality time with our three Cornish grandchildren, Kerryn, Lowenna and Isla. While there we were able to join in the celebrations for Isla first birthday and Daniel’s (eldest son) birthday. We also had a great time catching up with many other friends and generally enjoying Cornwall, even though it was very wet and many of the walks we had planned had to be postponed. 

We did miss being with our other grandchildren, James and William as they are so little and changing daily, it seems. They are the main reason we moved to Rugby. It is great fun being able to ‘do life’ with Tabitha, Peter and the boys. Having moved around a lot this is a whole new experience and we are loving it. We are even settling into a pattern on Wednesday’s where Jane and Tabitha take the boys to our home church for their Parents & Toddlers group and then Jane brings the boys back home leaving Tabitha to have some time for herself for the rest of the afternoon.

Our ‘home church’ is SS Matthew and Oswald. Again, a whole novel experience as it is our parish church and we can walk there in ten minutes. They have been in vacancy for the past twenty-four months with a new Vicar being appointed in November 2019. Alan Hulme along with his wife, Jane, who has been appointed as Associate Minister.  Alan previously worked for the Diocese of Guilford, advising on Parish Development, Mission and Evangelism. He and I have met before as part of the National Missioners Network. Jane has a developed ministry in All Age Worship and a very helpful resource web site.

http://www.allageworshipresources.org/author/janehulme59gmail-com/  

Both Jane and Alan have respected our ‘sabbatical’ – i.e. we elected not to engage with anything until 2020. However, Jane H did ask if I could help with a puppet presentation for the Crib Service. Also running on into 2020 to help with Collective Worship.

Jane has written several sketches with James, a mischievous boy and grandad. I’m grandad. As we move into 2020 Alan has approached the Diocese of Coventry to see if they would give me a PTO so I can be covered for safeguarding, etc.

Others have also been very understanding on our taking a sabbatical. There is a very active Farming Community Network Group in Warwickshire, but apart from informing me of meetings I have been left alone.  Although I know they are looking forward to my becoming more actively involved in 2020 going forward.  I have also discovered that Anne, a member of SS Mathew & Oswald, is a member of a very active Prison Fellowship Group. I have been to one of their Prayer Meetings and plan to pursue this link in 2020. 

The only thing I did attend was a trustee’s meeting of Rural Mission Solutions in London. I am Chair of Trustee’s and so considered it important that I attend.

One of the things I thought I would have more time to develop was ‘contemplation.’ This hasn’t happened yet although I do enjoy being able to take a more ‘leisurely’ approach to saying my daily prayers. I am also hopeful that in 2020 I might find a Religious Community within a reasonable distance. Somewhere I can go for a period of quiet and possibly Spiritual Direction.

SS Matthew’s & Oswald sits in the Evangelical wing of the church and the Eucharist is not celebrated every week.  However, I have found a delightful Tuesday morning celebration at St Andrew’s, the parish church of Rugby.  After the Service people gather around a big table for coffee and conversation. They attract around twelve to fifteen people. I have also been joining them for the Big Table Gospel Conversation held on a Friday morning. One of the delightful aspects of being retired is that on occasions like this I can linger longer.

Running is also something I find I am also able to do more and go for longer runs. Initially I was very frustrated as I couldn’t seem to find anywhere away from roads, buildings and dual carriage ways. But I have discovered some routes that take me out into countryside and now have some routes I know well covering four, six or ten miles.  Although picking up a nasty cough/cold has meant no running since last year!

We have also enjoyed a shot break in Gran Canaria, staying at Puerto de Morgan in the south of the island. Not overly hot (think British summers at 20/22) but very pleasant and a great place to drive around in the mountains. Also to enjoy a nice alfresco meal down by the harbour.

Items for prayer…

As we move into 2020 both Jane and I need discernment on what to engage with.

Currently I am planning to explore involvement with RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) along with FCN and the Prison Fellowship, plus picking on Rural Mission Solutions.

On the 28^th and 30^th January I am with Jane Hulme at a local school with the puppet sketch. (Grandad and James)  

Next year we have decided to make several shorter trips to Cornwall, mainly to try and be there for the girl’s birthdays. So, our first trip down South West is the 22^nd – 29^th February. It would be lovely to catch up with Cornish friends – do be in touch if you might be around and up for a visit.