Colourful retirement stories

We want to change the way retirement looks. Which is why we asked you to tell us your retirement stories. From trips to the Arctic to helping with food banks and returning to education, we’ve heard truly unique and inspiring retirement stories.

Read some of the stories we received from people living colourful retirements.

Libby's story

Sometimes geography or other people’s busy lives mean we end up not seeing as much as we would like of those we love. Libby, aged 81, has turned strangers into friends through volunteering

Cheryl sitting by a window overlooking London

Cheryl's story

Trina's story

When Trina retired from her “wonderfully rewarding” career teaching English, she was looking forward to bright times ahead.

Roy's story

Many people struggle to find meaning in their later years, without the discipline of a job or a close family. That was never a problem for Roy.

Feyi’s story

Caring for someone with dementia can be unbelievably challenging. Not everyone would have the imagination (or energy) to start a business on the side, but when Feyi became her mother’s sole carer, it planted an entrepreneurial seed.

Heather and Alan’s story

Jane's story

Many of us think back fondly to earlier relationships as we get older, and wonder what might have been. Few of us get the chance to find out.

Christine's story

You might imagine being a therapist would make it easy to handle complex family relationships. But Christine, who spent her working life as a social worker and psychotherapist, says reality is different.

Diane's story

Volunteering with the vaccine roll out called on skills from Diane’s career that proved invaluable in helping her support people through the vaccination process.

Tina's story

Few people have the foresight to start planning their retirement in their 30s. But Tina began to lay the foundations for her current life more than 20 years ago.

Jennifer's story

“We both took early retirement about ten years ago; I was 57,” she says. “So we sold our house and bought a 70' narrowboat called Roma. We’ve been living on it ever since.”

Carol's story

Ching-Fu's story

After lifesaving surgery, she was told never to let what happened get in the way of achieving her goals. 20 years later, Ching-Fu still isn’t.

Jill's story

Retirement changed the way Jill enjoys exercise - including the addition of a Sprocker Spaniel running partner.

Peter's story

Peter’s retirement mantra has served him well so far. From five marathons to an art degree, he’s embracing every opportunity life throws his way.

June’s story

Patrick's travel story

Travel has pushed him into experiences that he now considers highlights of his life. Take the sky dive at Lake Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island.

Elizabeth’s story

Nothing fazes Elizabeth. Key to her travels is not only an adventurous spirit, but also a curiosity about different places and people.

Robert's story

The desire to travel is often seen as the urge to explore faraway places – a couple of months in Australia, six weeks in the Far East. But Robert’s sights are set much closer to home.

Patrick's story

Coming out as he approached 40 was a shock, but since then Patrick has enjoyed years volunteering with the LGBT+ community and travelling the world.

Annie's story

For Annie, retirement has been a golden opportunity to give back to the community she feels so proud to be part of.

Ted's story

Sylvia’s story

Sylvia expected to spend her retirement relaxing. Soon she found herself running her local foodbank and helping friends plan their retirements.

Ebo's story

There are plenty of different ways of choosing a project that inspires in later life. For some people, it’s their immediate community. For others, it’s a hobby such as music, writing or wild swimming.

David's story

David spent much of his working life helping the police solve major crime cases using pioneering technology. Now he’s making the most of retirement by sharing his experience with eager audiences of all ages.

Nigel's story

Rosetta's story

Retiring five years ago, Rosetta's taken skills and lessons learnt throughout her working life and shared them with people across the world. Her inspiring story proves that retirement can mark the start of creative freedom.

Jacky's story

Retirement can be the perfect time to explore a second or even a third career, as Jacky found out when she went back to university in her 50s and embarked upon a new career adventure.

Mick's story

Mick was able to turn his lifelong love of skiing into a career after the age of 50. Now retired, he still works part time teaching novice skiers how to get down the slopes.

Rewirement with Angellica Bell

Life’s milestones often come with big financial decisions. How much should I pay into my pension? Can I retire early? How do I get on the property ladder? In series three of our award-winning podcast Rewirement, host Angellica Bell meets inspiring guests who share their unique stories. She’s also joined by financial experts who help solve their money dilemmas.

Listen now

Colourful Retirement Stories