Always expect the unexpected by Angela Caldin
You hear a lot about retirement planning these days and I’d be the first to agree that it’s a good idea to put money aside to finance a comfortable retirement so that you can do, with luck, what you’ve always wanted to do. Global citizens But let’s remember that what we’re talking about here is financial planning which is all well and good, but what we can’t plan for is what life and our families are going to bring us. In our case, it is a life in two hemispheres – six… Read More
The Confessions of a Grumpy Old Git by Trevor Plumbly
Equal Opportunity? I was sitting at a café the other day, next to an obviously proud and knowledgeable grandmother and her offspring. As grannies go she was of the gushing variety, lots of high voice baby-speak along with helpful hints and useless clichés to the obviously frazzled mother. ‘They don’t come with manuals dear,’ she offers as one little horror decides that the only way to attract attention is to throw a screaming fit, and then somewhat nostalgically, ‘Ah, the terrible twos!’ as another destroys some crockery. Everybody, it seems, falls over… Read More
Happy Birthday To Me! By Trevor Plumbly
On the morning of September 18th 2006, I rose out of bed a little more tentatively than normal. I was now 65 years old and it was time for a bit of a stock take. A glance in the mirror confirmed hair loss, teeth intact and the basics of the old chiselled features discernible, dimly, but nevertheless discernible. Sadly that didn’t extend south. The beer, pies and fish and chips had sent in their account and my waistline had paid in full. Turning sideways I drew in a deep breath in an… Read More
verbalberbal 