Goodbye 2025

It’s that time of the year, dear reader, where I try to sum up the year that is about to be filed in the annals of history while thinking ahead to the new year. 2025 marks the end of my first full year of retirement and it was special for that reason. I spent the year enjoying not working. Gone are the days when I had to deal with constant deadlines and office politics. 

It is very relaxing and I am much happier for it. 

On the other hand, I promised myself that I would try to keep my mind and body active and I think I have managed to achieve that with a routine that has given me some purpose. That said, I am still thinking about what to do in 2026 and also still learning about what is out there for an old git like me. 

The best way to summarise the year is to be guided by a set of questions that hopefully cover what happened in 2025. 

Here goes. 

1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?

I gained a daughter-in-law.

My eldest son got married earlier this month in a small ceremony in Manchester with just close family members attending. They are going to have a big celebratory party in 2026 but for the purposes of the wedding they wanted to keep it small and special. 

I also joined Lancashire Cricket Club so that I use my free time in the summer relaxing while watching a peaceful cricket match. I managed to see Lancashire play and also attended a couple of England games, including a very lively and very exciting test match against India. 

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Yes I did, largely. The routine I set up last year helped me battle against procrastination. Over the day or so I will be looking at extending the routine to perhaps bring in a few more resolutions. One that I particularly want to do is to expand my reading a little by making time to read non-fiction books about subjects that interest me, in particular science subjects. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I know that my new daughter-in-law’s sister gave birth to a son but I’m not 100% sure that is was in 2025 or not. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, sadly. 

Mrs PM’s step mother sadly passed away in November at the age of 76. It was a real shock to us because we went for a meal with her a few days before it happened. I will miss her. 

5. What countries did you visit?

We had a great year for travel in 2025. 

In February we visited the Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was my first visit there. 

In May, we took Mrs PM’s mother to Valletta in Malta. 

In June, we visited Nice, which is one of our favourite cities in France and on one day we took the train to what is another country, Monaco. 

Finally, we took a cruise with some close friends of ours and visited Greece and Turkey. I was particularly pleased to have visited Athens for the first time. 

Here are a few holiday snaps. 

Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Sunset in Playa Blanca

Boats in Valletta, Malta

A Fountain in Valletta

A Dream Theater tribute band in Nice

A nice car in Monaco

Sunset in Greece

Mrs PM, PM and two cruise buddies

6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?

For this question last year, I asked for a better summer than usual. I think somebody divine must have read it because we were granted with a really good summer with several heat waves and much less rain. Of course, in typical fashion, the lack of rain meant that some parts of the UK were told to be very careful with their water usage. However, we are in Manchester so there was enough rain to keep the water supplies at the appropriate level. 

For 2026? I am still waiting for that elusive lottery win. 

7. What dates from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 13th is a great date because that’s when I gained a daughter-in-law and officially became a father-in-law. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making an average of 10,000 steps per day in 2025. 

I can say this is done because even if I don't walk tomorrow that target is in the bag. That's an average of 5 miles per day and about 1825 miles walked in the year. Maybe I will aim for 2000 miles in total in 2026 - but we shall see. 

9. What was your biggest failure?

I’m still trying to draw myself away from politics in an attempt to be more positive but it is difficult to do so with the trends that are happening worldwide. When I watch You Tube for example, I find that the “algorithm” is offering me political opinions that I really shouldn’t take any notice of. It is difficult and I really need to have more self-control and not end up following these trails of pain that lead me into territory where I start getting really angry. 

It's a battle that I will no doubt continue to fight in 2026. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had a couple of colds but nothing more than that.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The holidays were a great purchase, particularly the Aegean cruise. I also bought a little desk tidy unit that fits snugly next to my desk and makes it much less cluttered. Actually, Mrs PM bought that for me, so not sure whether that counts. 

Oh, and I bought a new smart watch.  

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

As usual, I award Plastic Mancunian Knighthoods to those heroes who dedicate their lives to helping others without wanting the plaudits that many more famous people crave.

I salute you all - you know who you are.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Well that is a really easy question to answer. 

Donald Trump continues to turn America into a dangerous place to be and in his second term he is breaking more rules than he did before and making a much bigger mess than he did during his first term. He is a typical malignant narcissist who has created around himself an alternate world where truth doesn’t exist unless it favours him and his views. 

Likewise we have Nigel Farage in the UK who is slowly but surely trying to create a divisive narrative in the UK with Trumpian values that echo what Trump is doing in the US. Sadly, he is gaining in popularity and that is very dangerous for the UK. 

And of course we have other dangerous lunatics in the world, like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. 

This is why I am trying to shield myself from politics because my anger is rising as I type. 

Let’s pause while I walk away and take some very deep breaths. 

14. Where did most of your money go?

Definitely holidays this year – as is also the case in other years. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I was excited about my holidays but also I saw some amazing and varied gigs this year. 

Rock gigs I went to were: Zakk Sabbath (an all star tribute to Black Sabbath including Zakk Wilde, Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist), The Wildhearts, The Black Spiders, two tribute festivals and a tribute gig in Manchester, Nine Inch Nails, Ugly Kid Joe, The Eureka Machines, Ricky Warwick, The Stranglers and The Offspring. 

Pop gigs I went to were: Absolute Bowie (a David Bowie tribute band), Massive Attack, Bjorn Again, Heaven 17, Squeeze and Madness.  

16. What song will always remind you of 2025?

I discovered a couple of new bands, the most prominent being an Italian progressive rock band called Kingcrow. I loved their album Hopium (which was released in 2024) and here is a great song from that album:

I am a huge fan of Riverside and the genius behind that band, Mariusz Duda has a side project called Lunatic Soul that released a new album this year. Here is a beautiful song from that album called The Prophecy:

Other great albums released this year that I loved are:

Dream Theater – Parasomnia

The Wildhearts – The Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts

Steven Wilson – The Overview

Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares (soundtrack)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

I am happier definitely because it is my first full year of retirement. 

I am about the same in terms of weight – just slightly overweight with a BMI of just over 26. 

I am probably about the same financially too – maybe slightly poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

I’m quite happy with what I did last year but maybe I could have been a little more adventurous.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

I am desperately trying to avoid getting drawn into the world of politics because it makes me angry. I tried to step back and ignore it in 2025 and discovered that you can’t really do that unless you ignore the news. I can’t do that and certain “leaders” made me rant when I am trying to become more laid back. At least these days, I try not to talk about politics with other people – and that is helping a little. 

20. How will you spend New Year's Eve?

We are having a small New Year’s party at a mate's house in Sale. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2025?

I was already in love in 2025. 

22. What was your favourite TV program?

I am currently enjoying the second season of Peacemaker and am watching Parks and Recreation for the first time which is fun. I will be watching the final series of Stranger Things next year.

I really enjoyed Daredevil Reborn and Dexter: Resurrection. 

I think I will name the last two as joint winners. 

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don’t hate anyone but there are certain people who really really push me to the limit. I mention them all the time so I won’t give them any more airspace this year. 

24. What was the best book you read?

I enjoyed Mr Mercedes by Stephen King which I read for the first time. I will also be watching the series in 2026.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I would say, Kingcrow as mentioned above. But I also discovered a band called Volbeat who have been around for years and I hadn’t heard of them until I saw a tribute band for them. 

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted to have a few holidays in my first year of retirement – and I got exactly that. 

27. What did you want and not get?

That elusive lottery win that I am still waiting for. 

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

I would say Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. It was a great way to end a great series of films. 

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

At my time of life, birthdays have virtually no importance. This year I was 63 years old and I was travelling back from a cruise on the Aegean Sea. 

30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

As I said, it was my first full year of retirement and I know that I made exactly the right decision. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?

My fashion sense was and remains non-existent. Perhaps the only thing I bought this year that makes any difference is a new three piece suit for my son’s wedding. 

32. What kept you sane?

Mrs PM of course. 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don’t really “fancy” celebrities (for many reasons) but I recently saw Kate Beckinsale and Gillian Anderson and they both looked lovely, so I will share the honour between those two ladies. 

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Where to start without ranting …

See my answer to 13 above. 

35. Who did you miss?

I will miss Mrs PM’s step mother. We got on really well and it is such a shame to have lost her. 

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Nobody leaps to mind.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.

My retirement routine works and I plan to tweak it in 2026. 

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

With question 13 in mind …

The righteous rise with burning eyes

Of hatred and ill-will

Madmen fed on fear and lies

To beat, and burn, and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us

Our immigrants and infidels

They say there is strangeness too dangerous

In our theatres and bookstore shelves

Those who know what's best for us

Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge, quick to anger

Slow to understand

Ignorance and prejudice

And fear, walk hand in hand

And finally...

I wish everyone who stumbles across this blog post a very happy and fruitful 2026. May all your wishes come true – unless your name is Nigel Farage or Donald Trump. 

Retirement - A Year On

41 years ago today, on Monday 17th September 1984, I started work as a Graduate Computer Programmer at a large company that was based in South Manchester. It was the beginning of almost 40 years in Software Engineering, which basically means that I spent my entire working life in combat with computer software running on a variety of machines that slowly evolved and now continue to evolve to this day.

I actually loved writing software but eventually all the politics and crap that surrounds such a career got to me in the end. I guess all office based careers end up mutating into something else and that was definitely true of my job. 

In a sense I was lucky because for about thirty five of those forty years I worked in the airport industry, which meant that I got to travel to exotic places such as Russia, China, USA and South Africa as well as Europe. 

What I discovered as part of these travels is that people the world over are largely the same. When I say “people” I mean ordinary people such as myself, not politicians, celebrities and others wielding power.

For example, in Russia, I worked with a guy who was wonderful company and very helpful to me. In China I was looked after so well by the people I was working with and my attempts to speak Mandarin were met with enthusiasm but laughter as I skilfully mispronounced all manner of words, turning simple sentences into utter gibberish.

On Thursday 12th September 2025 I waved goodbye to all that and retired.

Now, on the day that career started, I thought that I would reflect on what has happened since I handed over my work laptop and said goodbye to my work colleagues. 

Do I think of work now? 

The answer is not really. I am still in touch with quite a few people I used to work with and I definitely miss some of the trips abroad, even though they were hard work in terms of the job I had to do. Thankfully, now that I am free of the chains of my career I can revisit some of these places as a tourist and enjoy them without the pressure of the job. 

The question I am now asked most is:

“What are you doing with your time, Dave?”

When I was younger, I thought that retired people just spent their time doing nothing but now that I have joined that elite group of people, I know how wrong that naïve view is. Some of the retired people I know are actually busier now than when they worked. 

From a personal point of view, my plan for retirement was to make sure that I didn’t fall into the trap of doing absolutely nothing. I wanted a routine. I wanted to keep fit. I wanted to challenge my mind. I wanted to make time for fun. 

I actually went about the task of bringing this plan to fruition in quite a methodical manner. I guess this is no surprise for somebody who designed algorithms for computer systems to follow. Here’s what I did:

First, I made a list of things that I wanted to do (hobbies if you like), and a list of things that were necessary (such as chores etc) as well as finding something to do to simply relax. That list is huge by the way and I have only really looked at a fraction of it. 

In a sense, I was lucky to retire when I did, though fellow retirees will almost certainly disagree with me. Retirees I know said that the best time to retire is at the start of summer yet, paradoxically I ignored that advice and quit my job at the start of autumn. The weather in autumn in the UK is okay but steadily gets worse as time passes inexorably towards winter. Consequently, I found myself staying at home as the weather devolved into unpleasantness. 

You may think this is a bad idea, but it wasn’t bad for me. It allowed my routine to take hold and now, a year later, I have a daily routine that absolutely works for me. 

That is a key thing (and I can’t emphasise it enough) – get yourself a routine that suits you. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it is something that you can look forward to every day and something that is fulfilling. However, there is a caveat, which I have learned this summer. By all means stick to the routine but don’t be too hard on yourself if something more interesting comes along like a trip out, a holiday or just hanging around with friends. My life was rigid enough when I worked and, as paradoxical as it seems, I don’t want to take that into retirement even though I have a routine for less active days. 

I have a massive list of things that I would like to try and I have spent time listing those in a document for future use, but for now, I have selected a couple to fit into my routine. 

These include, teaching myself (badly) to play the piano, playing with a synthesiser, writing (including a novel, a memoir and blog posts) and learning languages (Spanish, French and German). 

The timetable includes time for daily chores, a bit of relaxation and time to be a total child with my PS5. 

As well as this, I try to walk roughly five miles a day. I do this first thing in the morning because this serves a couple of purposes. First, it wakes me up and second I find it quite mindful and relaxing. Walking also gets me out of the house and is great exercise for an old git like myself. I do this even in terrible weather (Like this morning when I was asking myself whether there was a new Noah constructing a brand new Ark). 

So, have I stuck to myroutine? 

In short, the answer is yes.

It was easier during the winter months and even into spring. 

When summer arrived it was more tricky because there was more to do. I started seriously watching cricket, for example and I have been to a lot of games. Also, the weather improved which meant that I was able to get out and about more or simply sit in the garden and read, enjoying the nice weather. For once we have had a great summer in 2025, involving four heatwaves (yes four – can you believe that in the UK?) with temperatures reaching the high twenties to the mid-thirties Celsius. I don’t think I have spent as much time in the garden as I have this summer. 

To be honest, summer has ruined my routine quite a lot but that is a good thing if you consider that going out and doing stuff is as good as settling into your routine. Summer has taught me that no matter how rigid you wanted the routine to be, it is okay to put it aside for a while and enjoy the benefits of good weather, like a cricket match or simply reading in the garden, as well as other activities and socialising with mates.

Holidays have also required me to shelve my routine a lot. I have been on holiday nine times, three of them in the UK and the rest abroad. There are a few other things going on too, notably bi-monthly get-togethers with a bunch of old retired workmates to travel around the local area via train to seek out new pubs and new breweries – to boldly drink beer where no Mancunian has drunk beer before.  

As well as that, I have become a domestic goddess. Mrs PM is still working and so while she slaves away over a hot laptop, I look after domestic chores such as washing, shopping and being a slave to our two furry overlords. 

That works well and I am (relatively) happy to take over. 

What about the future? 

I am going on another holiday at the end of next week, a cruise around the Aegean Sea with two friends, and after that I will take stock of where I am and consider changing things around a little bit as winter approaches. 

I don’t think that I will change much, if I’m honest, because I am content at the moment. I have a list of new things to try and perhaps I will find time but at the moment I am happy to continue for a while. I will of course review again as the New Year approaches, as this is the time that people traditionally review their day to day lives. 

Life is peachy at the moment and I will try to make the most of it while I am still in the go-go period of retirement. As I said above, I have learned that no matter how disciplined I am with a routine, it is absolutely fine to break that for more interesting pursuits – and in fact it should be actively encouraged. 

I expect more of the same next year and I am delighted with that.