Ahh but the River Aire does flow through Castleford..

Airedale Terrier - nice dog !

Oh goodness, this reminds me of about 30 years ago when someone thought my mum was my grandmother, she was most offended! She didn't look old, it was just at that time I looked much younger. How times change, now I'm using a bus pass!

My sister-in-law has just been visiting us in Switzerland for a few days. She is single and retired earlier this year at the age of 56. She is planning to move from Essex up to a coastal area in the North West, within easy distance of the Lake District, even though there are no relatives or friends currently living in the region.

She's been to visit some brand new properties (and spoke with some residents who showed her around their new home there) on a former holiday park north of Morecombe, Lancashire on a gated retirement development for the over 55's.. She showed us the estate-agents brochure and the development looks really nice. There is a clubhouse with a cafe, a gym and a heated indoor swimming pool and the beach is in the immediate vicinity. It is semi-rural so she says although it is peaceful it isn't too cut-off and not too far to get to the shops, doctors etc. although she says it's not a suitable place if one becomes really infirm/immobile etc.

The buyer for her current house has just pulled out due to an impending divorce but she says that the builders may be able to buy her house off her. What I thought may be of interest to BE readers is that they are continuing to build a few more properties on the same development.

This is one of the properties for sale there right now:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-35244284.html

Just what we want!!! Now if they would only build something like that in Suffolk, Norfolk or Essex near coast I would showing it to my OH today!

Hi islandwoman, hope all is back to normal for you. I think you said you were from Jamaica? I was born in London, but grew up in Kingston, now living in the US. Planning on going back to the UK in a few years, and actually looking at the Exeter area (amongst other near-coastal places). Went to boarding school near Totnes so have some familiarity with the area. Actually one of our school outings was to Exeter to see Elton John...that would have been in 1971! Would love to talk some patios with you

Old habits are hard to change.....I just went to Costco and got all their free samples to eat. Loved it

That is a really nice property - I wish I was in a position to buy it. One thing I don't understand - how on earth can people in their 50s retire in the UK? I know so many people around my age (I'm 59) who have retired or are planning to retire. I don't know how they can manage it financially. There is no way I could do that - I'm single (divorced) and need to work full time for both an income and for health insurance. I was back in the UK in late Oct/early Nov and met with a few old friends - a few of them didn't seem to understand why I needed to work - I suppose they think the streets of America are paved with gold!!

People go to work for a company/government, etc. and stay there for 30 years, get a great pension and retire.

Sounds good to me!!!

Great way to have lunch!

That's exactly it, I have friends and family that retired in their early 50s, the Nice house is paid for and their standard of living is great, trips around the world 2-3 times a year etc.

My Uncle was a coal miner and forced to retire when pits closed, he never had a lavish lifestyle but his nice bunglaow is paid for and he goes on cruises a few times a year.

Of course here I am in my mid 50's and expect that I will be working till I'm 70, while many people I know in the UK have a far better living and retire in their 50's, like it or not the British have a far better lifestyle than us, we are part of the 99% that have had it put to us slowly but surely, our benefits are nothing compared to Brits, they have 5 almost 6 weeks off per year, Huhh that adds up to over 2 years extra vacation time off over our working life, so much for the American Dream...

I Love the interior of that Bungalow, its what Id like to call home, I love the lounge, kitchen and grey bathroom, (Im a grey person) the price is a bit steep for my blood, I wouldnt need all those extra over 55 facilities, I'm sure something similar could be had for much less with no monthly housing association fee's... Thanks for posting...

There are apparently quite a lot of similar properties in the area (many are especially for retired people) which are not as expensive as they are just single properties and don't have the club house, pool or gym etc. I was surprised at how inexpensive the properties are in general in the Morecambe and Lancs area (it is pretty much on a peninsula, so not an easy daily commute to major cities like Liverpool, Manchester etc.) yet my S-i-L isn't interested in living in large towns and loves to go walking, cycling etc.

There are lots of bungalows in the region listed on http://www.rightmove.co.uk ..I guess there aren't that many jobs there, but it's not really an issue for those whom have retired.

I know quite a number of British people who've retired in their 50's. Don't forget that in the UK most mortgages were taken out for 25 years, so many people who first took out a mortgage in their 20's have paid them off by their early 50's. Our little house in Essex which we bought in 1987 has now been paid off...yet we have another 18 years to go on our mortgage on the house in New Jersey... (We will definitely sell it in the next couple of years or so, our son is currently living in it and he would be homeless if we sold it right now! ).

My S-i-L has never married (or been in any relationship with anyone for as long as I've known her, and certainly had no interest in having any children) and when she left the WRAF which she joined after taking her 'A' levels at the age of 18, became an Immigration Officer...it is well known that in the UK the Civil Service pensions are regarded as 'gold plated' and keep in line with inflation. Also in the UK no-one needs to even consider paying health insurance fees, unless they wish to do so with the likes of BUPA etc.....