Write-Place

  I could begin this by asking myself ... what should I write today ?  or, I have been meaning to write something for a while now - as has been the precursor to many of the posts on this blog, over the years.  But not today. Today it's my birthday and I have reached the official State Pension age (currently 66) and have given myself carte blanche to write whatever I feel like and whatever thoughts come into my head. Maybe someone other than me will read this, but if not, so be it. Having said that, this is not so different to any other things I have ever written , or are likely to write in the future. 😊 I have also given myself the full go ahead to use a smiley face/emoji which is not generally the done thing in a blog - but, you see, its my birthday and I'm a pensioner now. Here's another, just because I can 😀 I could write about the state of the country/world and the selfishness of society and governments or many other things. I could write that today I have written m...

 On reaching sixty five years old ...  Until around 2010 I'd imagined my 65th birthday to be more of a milestone than it's turned out to be, though the words 'pension' and 'retirement' age are so ingrained in my past that it is inevitable that they are still on my mind now that the day has come, and gone.  (25th July for anyone interested; I was too busy celebrating with my family from 23rd onwards - and managing to stretch the 'birthday period'  to at least the second week in August - to write a blog post, on the day).  Over the last few years, there have been a number of significant changes to the State Pension entitlement for women.     Between 2010 and 2018 the age  changed from 60 to 65 for women  and  is now increasing in stages, alongside men, until it reaches 68. At the moment, it is forecast that I will receive mine at age 66 next year, but I have no expectations whatsoever that this will actually happen. I feel that it's m...