One October weekend

Yesterday I went to Rochdale's festival of Literature and Ideas. I heard Bonnie Greer speak about the Brontes but also more broadly about the value of reading, especially the classics. She owes her own education and many values and attitudes to her father and compared this upbringing  with Patrick Bronte's influence over his children. 

Great to see so many people there on a Saturday early afternoon. The audience included many young women who I'm sure went away inspired.

After a break something completely different. Dom Joly, best known for Trigger Happy TV. I was never a big fan of that programme as I have never liked seeing people being hoaxed- and always been over-anxious that it would happen to me. But hearing him talk about some of the stunts from his perspective was truly entertaining. While the unacknowledged costs of some filming caused an intake of breath, he is certainly someone with an imagination and able to describe  his experiences vividly. The audience of fans went away from this very happy I'm pretty sure and I was definitely won over.

Back to Manchester for my favourite curry in a familiar and relaxing restaurant, ended a lovely day.

Today Sunday and an extra hour to come round slowly before heading for the allotment and some fresh air.

In the afternoon , unusually, we headed off by bike to the Whitworth Art Gallery to attend a Manchester Literature Festival event. This was a discussion between novelist Sarah Hall and environmentalist and politico George Monbiot who I have long admired, since reading that he had covered 4 allotments with fruit trees.

His particular passion at the moment is the idea of "re-wilding", that is re-introducing species to wilder parts of Britain which he believes will restore the ecology and bring about environmental benefit. Sarah Hall's most recent novel, The Wolf Border, also deals with this topic. Their discussion was interesting but what particularly came through from George especially, was the notion that rewilding is about more than just  physical change to the landscape.It is also an attitude of mind and he believes that we need to recapture the wildness deep within ourselves to free our imaginations and creativity. I like this notion.

Regrettably, that's all the "book" events for this year I think. But after even only a few, I know there is a pile of books I have been inspired to read over the winter months. 

What a good weekend- and I haven't mentioned the friends met, the banter on the tram to Rochdale, the allotment discussions and the energising impact of fitting a cycle ride into this as well.                  

Amongst Women

Reading Group Day again. This month's read was Amongst Women by John McGahern. Hurrah for a short novel for once.
Though short (almost too short perhaps) there was a great sense of atmosphere and claustraphobia lingering throughout this book. We all appreciated its power  and quality, even though to a woman, we all disliked Moran, the controlling man at the centre. Interestingly the 2 men in the group kept very quiet on this one.

Apologies that I've been a bit quiet recently- just too much going on. I've been at Elizabeth Gaskell's House - including sweeping leaves in the garden- a very satisfying activity- which does oneself  good at the same time as the lawn, as well as creating good soil improver for next year. A "victorian" sentiment on my part I suspect.

Manchester Literature Festivall has begun and I've already been to see two fabulous women writers. Jane Smiley, author of A Thousand Acres ( inspired by King Lear) and who has just completed The Last Hundred Years trilogy; a history of the USA through the eyes of a family rooted in farming in Iowa. I have just finished the first part 1920-1953 and am hooked- can't wait to get on to the next volume which will from now on be set in my lifetime.

Last night I wwent to hear Patricia Duncker talk about her novel Sophie and the Sibyl which I have also read and is based around the character of George Eliot at the end of her life. Another absorbing read. My admiration for both these writers is huge- they are both knowledgeable and creative, able to spin  stories from all they have read and learned, as well as talk about them in humorous and engaging ways.

I'm just beginning to appreciate having a bit more reading time again and as the weather gets colder I'm sure I'll be enjoying even more of this.

Variety is...

Today was a good example of what being retired is all about.

Despite a gloomy  forecast, the weather was good when I got up so I decided to go to the allotment. Over-wintering onions needed planting and there is a lot of weeding needing to be done.

I went up on the bike and the sun was bright. It crossed my mind on the way that formerly this would have been a working da, y which seemed to add to the pleasure of being out in the fresh air.

A couple of hours later and I was home again with fresh sweetcorn and cooking apples for cooking later.

A qiick change then into Manchester by train and a walk down to Cross Street Chapel for my first Gaskell Society meeting. Around 30 people were present, a handfulof whom I recognised from my stints at Plymouth Grove. There was a friendly feel, even though most people had someone specific to meet up with.

I listened to a talk on 19th Century philanthropy in Manchester. given by a retired History Professor, Michael Rose. Inevitably the talk was stronger on historical fact than literary allusion, but the speaker had done his best to bring in Gaskell references as much as possible. It taught me things I didn't know before,  such as about the foundation of The Manchester Statistical Society in 1833 which under-pinned most of the Social charities which came later.

After this hour of education, a quick trip to the shops felt luxurious. The shops were quiet following the lunchtime rush and relatively my time was open-ended.  One thing I have learnt since retiring is that it is possible to spend quite a lot of money because I now have more time to spend it in!

So with an unplanned skirt and top purchased, I returned home to do lots of domestic things- cook, read the paper, talk to a few people on social media. What is there not to like about this new lifestyle!

One month in

I have already been retired for a month. It has flown by and so far I have been very busy though of course it has included a week away in Austria, which not every month will.

Last night I went to someone else's retirement do, which gave me reason to reflect. Several people asked how I was finding it and of course I said it is wonderful, which it is. I said that I wake up in the morning and choose what to do from  all the things that I like doing!

Then I started to wonder if this is really true. So far I haven't had a day that isn't already planned out- with things I have decided to do, or know I need to do,  e.g.  dentist or opticians, buying curtains, allotment, garden, Elizabeth Gaskell's House, visiting mother, seeing friends etc etc. Yesterday I had to remind myself that I actually do need to do a bit of housework from time to time.

So a sense of freedom hasn't really arrived yet. Its more like a new beginning- a chance to do things that I want to do, without feeling that they are squeezed into a few spare moments. I think this is what I have been waiting for all  my life. The chance to think about what I really want to do without feeling pressured by responsibilities or  the need to earn money.

Anyone who knows me,  will know that I spent 5 years really caring for my mother at all times when I wasn't at work. Unfortunately her dementia is now at a stage where she doesn't really seem to know if I visit or not and is often asleep when I do. While this is sad and often upsetting, it does mean that the burden of feeling the need to visit very frequently and for lengthy periods  has lifted, just at the time when I actually have more time available. So I guess this is why I am perhaps feeling doubly liberated.

Yes,  I am now free to make endless choices about how to occupy myself and seem to have no difficulty doing that. I need to find more time somehow to do more things, chiefly reading and remembering to talk to my husband!

The hard bit for me I think is  adjusting to having a diary that isn't full; that leaves some days empty for spontaneous activity; that does make it possible to watch the weather forecast and decide to go out somewhere because its going to be fair. That does indeed mean that I can wake up and only then decide what I am going to do with the day.

Reading Group Day

Today was the day I made my first return trip to Manchester Central Library to meet with my reading group. First time back to the library felt only a little strange. The library seemed very busy- no doubt lots of new students visiting and joining for the first time.

Also first time with my reading group since June, 'cos of holidays. We were a small group as a few people still away. 2 of them are in Australia and one in Nice. Don't know where Geoffrey was. We are a well-travelled lot.

Today's book was A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy- thankfully one of his  shorter novels. I enjoyed " the reading experience"  i.e. back with Hardy who I used to admire for his descriptive powers and idealised characters. But I confess this book irritated me. The social conventions were stifling and Elfide, the central character both did not seem to know what she wanted and was incapable of communicating. I know I'm reading with 21st Century attitudes, but did Hardy have such a low opinion of women? We know he was "disappointed" in marriage but he can't have been an easy man to live with!

One of our group is a real Hardy fan and she pointed out how many of the themes were taken up again in his next book, Far From The Madding Crowd, also a story of a woman with 3 "suitors". We had much discussion about Hardy himself,  as this is considered his most autobiographical novel. as always, we managed to stick to discussing the book for a full hour and thanked Brian for recommending it.

A quick trip around a bookshop afterwards reminded me of several new titles I must try to catch up with on return from holiday. Time to test out my library service's reservation system I think.

Using my local library

So 7 minutes from my front door to my local library on my whizzy new bike this morning. That's good. Not quite far enough to be really good exercise but not likely to ever put me off going on damp days.

Very impressed that my library ticket still worked even though its years since I used it. Less impressed that I couldn't reserve Jonanthan Franzen's Purity despite it being publication date,  "as the service hasn't ordered it it yet". This doesn't bode well for some of the small-press titles I am likely to want to reserve and which the service may never order without a little push.. Still- early days. I shall persevere.

 I did find 2 books to borrow which will come on holiday with me- We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo  which I have heard of and  looks fun  and The Secrets We Keep by Jonathan Harvey. Never read anything by Jonathan Harvey even though he's a name I know well. This edition has a picture of a left luggage ticket from Manchester Piccadilly station on the front and  I'm a sucker for novels that feature Manchester.

I've just checked the ManBooker 2015 shortlist which has been announced. Bit surprised to see A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler there which I have read and was under-whelmed by. I do like Anne Tyler and have read many of her books. This one just seemed a bit dull to me and not nearly as good as Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg, which struck me as having many similarities to Anne Tyler's work in its family focus,but with a bleaker atmosphere. Having enthused about it to lots of people I really wanted to see it make it on to the shortlist.

I haven't read any of the others yet and hope my library service is getting them ordered today.

Improved vision

So- on my way to an eye test I was cheered to hear a discussion on Woman's Hour (BBC Radio 4) about older women actually feeling better than they had done when younger. Contrary to  popular belief most older women i.e. 55+ feel re-energised and fitter and apparently an increase in testosterone makes us more confident.

Its difficult to remember how one felt when younger- most of us probably say we feel the same- but perhaps  the ability to be more assertive as well as more sure about what one wants out of life is partly based in hormones as well as experience.

Then to the opticians to be told my distance vision is improving! Balanced by less-good near-sight of course but I seem to be in a happy place visually!

Eye-test is another job on the post-retirement list ticked off. At this rate I'll be able to go back to work by Christmas.