Retirement Thoughts

This was nearly the route I took on leaving school. If I recall correctly though, the RAF and maybe the forces in general were trying to offload skilled service personal (around 1994). Ended up doing a mechanical maintenance apprenticeship with Exxon instead. But I've been having this conversation with my son of late. He's considering the RAF. Suggesting to him that an airframes, propulsion systems or avionics trade would serve him well in civvy street.
He'd better be quick, there's not much of the RAF left and the trades are being civilianised at an alarming rate. Give it another ten years and it'll just be the rock apes and the grow bags still in uniform.
 
He'd better be quick, there's not much of the RAF left and the trades are being civilianised at an alarming rate. Give it another ten years and it'll just be the rock apes and the grow bags still in uniform.
How can I still read this with perfect comprehension after 30 years out of it! LOL
 
He'd better be quick, there's not much of the RAF left and the trades are being civilianised at an alarming rate. Give it another ten years and it'll just be the rock apes and the grow bags still in uniform.
Could start a whole new thread....Forces..What Forces. Sorry to deviate from original thread:)
 
He'd better be quick, there's not much of the RAF left and the trades are being civilianised at an alarming rate. Give it another ten years and it'll just be the rock apes and the grow bags still in uniform.
Junior also mentioned his interest in perhaps being a Snow Drop. I've taken it upon myself to explain to him..... having friends is important. :thumbsup:
 
To be fair, it's not really possible in the UK any more either - most of the final salary schemes mentioned above were closed to new entrants circa 20 years ago and replaced with much less attractive defined contribution schemes - most people now have to look forward to retiring at 67 (likely to soon be increased to 68).
Correct, I've been working for 20years and missed out on final salary etc. I'm also another 25years until mortgage is paid off so well into my 60's until that's going to happen. Most of those retiring now will be the last folks that can "early".
 
Junior also mentioned his interest in perhaps being a Snow Drop. I've taken it upon myself to explain to him..... having friends is important. :thumbsup:

Comprehensive training at Southwick Park for Tri Service Policing, with the final phase for Aviation Protection being "Barrier Up/Barrier Down" training :eek:
 
Comprehensive training at Southwick Park for Tri Service Policing, with the final phase for Aviation Protection being "Barrier Up/Barrier Down" training :eek:
WOW....RAF Newton ( ex Snow Drop nursery) shut years ago.....I’m getting old.....is it all joint this and joint that....thank god we got the Navy (watch out for the soap!) ....oops sorry:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I retired at 54 taking voluntary redundancy after 21 years at a very senior level with a vehicle manufacturer. I was worried that after such a busy job I wouldn’t cope with having nothing to do but the reality 2 years on has been very different as I have completely redecorated the house, worked on the kids houses, got myself a couple of driving jobs (zero hours contracts so no commitment from me) and done voluntary work as a blood biker.

The fact is that I can do as I please, if one of the companies I do bits for calls, I will help if I want to, if I say no then they find someone else. I’m fortunate that I have a HGV license so have driven tippers for an aggregate supply company as well as helping a high end body repairer who specialises in Bentley, McLaren and others. I wont work more than 3 days a week and probably turn down as much as I do, if I worked full time at any of these I would hate it but when I get fed up I take a break and do something else. The best bit is if I want to take a month out to go away then I just say I cant work.

A really good friend of mine who retired a few years before me said he didn’t know how he found the time to work full time, this is my experience also - I don’t regret a thing And really don’t think I could work for someone else again.
 
No. But he thought it might be a good grounding for a future application to er..... the proper Police.....One day in the future.[/QUOTE


In the past a fare few ex military police ended up as MOD plods and transport police....as you say good grounding , beats hands down direct entry uni -types that don’t possess any real life skills...lots of options....but he’ll still have few friends :rolleyes::rolleyes:

ps ..and still joining the better service:whistle::whistle:

oops that went wrong ?
 
No. But he thought it might be a good grounding for a future application to er..... the proper Police.....One day in the future.

When I joined the Police in 1989 most new recruits I joined with had just finished in the military, mostly army. Civilian Police forces knew these chaps were physically fit, disciplined and robust. (that means the didn't back away from a scrap!) They learned quickly and followed orders, they would work a 19 hour shift in pouring rain and not complain. In short, they made excellent Police Officers.
Now very few ex military will be accepted as Police Officers. Senior Officers want a degree educated young person, even if they have no common sense.
Life experience is not valued now. They want diversity at any cost. Police are also wary of recruiting young men who just spent several years being shot at and blown up by people of a certain type in Iraq and Afghanistan in case it causes them to have prejudices.
So military service used to be very good preparation for joining the Police, but now he'd be better off changing his name to Sophie and getting a degree in performing arts.
Sorry. :rofl:
 
When I joined the Police in 1989 most new recruits I joined with had just finished in the military, mostly army. Civilian Police forces knew these chaps were physically fit, disciplined and robust. (that means the didn't back away from a scrap!) They learned quickly and followed orders, they would work a 19 hour shift in pouring rain and not complain. In short, they made excellent Police Officers.
Now very few ex military will be accepted as Police Officers. Senior Officers want a degree educated young person, even if they have no common sense.
Life experience is not valued now. They want diversity at any cost. Police are also wary of recruiting young men who just spent several years being shot at and blown up by people of a certain type in Iraq and Afghanistan in case it causes them to have prejudices.
So military service used to be very good preparation for joining the Police, but now he'd be better off changing his name to Sophie and getting a degree in performing arts.
Sorry. :rofl:

So if they haven’t been shot at..or blown up...and didn’t join the army..and changes her name to Bruce and has a diverse upbringing ...dyes his hair (sorry her..) ....that’s ok then.....WOW....lots of good guys and girls not given a chance ..PC (political correctness) gone wrong.....
Ummm.....what happened to equality?:cry::cry:
 
When I joined the Police in 1989 most new recruits I joined with had just finished in the military, mostly army. Civilian Police forces knew these chaps were physically fit, disciplined and robust. (that means the didn't back away from a scrap!) They learned quickly and followed orders, they would work a 19 hour shift in pouring rain and not complain. In short, they made excellent Police Officers.
Now very few ex military will be accepted as Police Officers. Senior Officers want a degree educated young person, even if they have no common sense.
Life experience is not valued now. They want diversity at any cost. Police are also wary of recruiting young men who just spent several years being shot at and blown up by people of a certain type in Iraq and Afghanistan in case it causes them to have prejudices.
So military service used to be very good preparation for joining the Police, but now he'd be better off changing his name to Sophie and getting a degree in performing arts.
Sorry. :rofl:



LGBTQI EGR DPF ECS ABS ARB H&R ATS TDI 16valve (bi)Turbo.

Dont worry @DaveD. We got all the letters covered in this family. Some of them, more than once. Selection panel will be a breeze.
:thumbsup:
 
Has anyone been lucky enough to be in the position to take an early retirement (mid 50s) and if so what we’re the pros & cons for you?
My biggest worry is having no structure to the day after a lifetime of regularity. Having said that this last few weeks at home under lockdown I’ve actually quite enjoyed - hence the retirement consideration.
We were lucky enough to be able to retire at 55. We’ve been living the dream for just over a year. The old cliche “don’t know how we found time to go to work” is very true. Notwithstanding the current situation, we should now be preparing for a 10 week trip to Portugal in the van. Once the kids have flown & the mortgage is paid, it’s surprising how little you need to live (very comfortably) on.
Highly recommended
 
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