Thanks all for the positive thoughts and suggestions.

Lots going on here at work and at home- my partner had a hip replacement on Friday (same day as my unsuccessful interview) so my brain is overfull at the moment...

Unfortunately I can't afford to retire yet or even reduce my hours, so have to jump through a few more hoops yet. I have another 13yrs to go before I can claim my pension- I'm young enough to have had my working life extended considerably.

I have let my union rep know of the situation from my point of view and they are going to be meeting with management this week.

In the meantime I am still supposed to provide excellent customer service...