Most of my former customers will know by now that I officially retired just over two years ago. So how do you fill up retirement time? An important question for an aging population.
The short answer is more of the same. While I am no longer fully active at Ainsworth Maguire, I do lend Adrian a hand from time to time. However, there is much more time to fill and to enjoy – but it takes planning and effort.
In addition to walking, swimming and taking on an allotment, I have also joined and become very active in the local U3A. If you don’t know this organisation it aims to help third agers (the retired) keep active in both mind and body. If you have older friends or relatives wondering what to do with their time, then urge them to join their local group.
U3A’s are driven by members and the one I belong to has over 800 participating in around 60 different activities. Old habits die hard. I have always had a professional interest in all areas of engineering industry and manufacturing. Much of my past public relations work was looking at cutting edge technology – like the surface treatment applied to knee and hip joints for smoother operation and to reduce post-operative infection. Now I know people that depend on them!
In keeping with my keen interest in technology I have just started a U3A group to look at transport and industrial heritage. We are taking in canals, railways, motor transport, mines, engineering, the textile industry and local aero manufacturing. These subjects are not that far from the core themes I promoted working at Ainsworth Maguire where, in supporting customers we were often involved with writing feature articles about developments in automotive and aerospace engineering.
Looking now at how these industries developed, I am even more convinced of the importance to Britain’s future success in a post-Bexit world, that manufacturing needs to be at the core. Time has moved on and modern industry relies more on its knowledge base and original research than ever before, but making things is still vitally important.
If you know anyone who is of the mindset that Britain should become a post-manufacturing nation, then send them to me. Over a pint I will be happy to explain why they are utterly, utterly wrong.
Find out more about U3A here.
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