They ought to be more flexible. Sometimes you have to re-think your career. At least, that's how its been for me, and I suspect it is for most people.

When Denise got ill, we were in our twenties and we were both teachers. Obviously it was no good being a teacher any more - they're still going to ring the school bell and the class will be waiting - even if you have got to help your wife on to the toilet, cos she's disabled.

So I became an entertainer - did that for a lot of years. then i got ill with my heart, and I couldn't do humping around big PA systems or throw myself around a stage any more.

Took me a while to work out that I could still play the guitar in pubs and that was better than being retired, and the world having no use for you any more.

I suppose if I get a stroke and that is taken away from me, i'll have to think again.

Retirement needn't be final. Not if you don't want. You can have a think, and think of some other sort of thing you'd like to do.

I f you want to spend a long time painting, doing your garden, reading all those books you always wanted to read - that's not really retiring. there's still some sort of anbition burning away somewhere.

I think I object to the term retiring - its so negative. Sounds like a cricket batsman too knackered to go on.