The perfect life

DR MAX PEMBERTON says people who retire early are more likely to suffer from depression and ill health (Mail) but this couldn’t be farther from the truth for me.

i’m 61, work in social care and can’t afford to retire for at least ten years. However, i’d stop working today if i could.

instead of staying in bed wondering what’s the point of getting up, as was suggested, my retirement would be crammed full of activities i’d be able to do at my pace and not around a work routine.

i would cycle one day, go fishing the next, have long walks in the hills and enjoy early morning swims in the local pool.

Maybe i would take up some voluntary work to help others. Working for financial reasons is where the real stresses of life come from.

And contrary to the idea that my wife would get fed up with me hanging around the house, she’d be happy to see me finally living the life i’d longed to enjoy. DAVID McLACHLAN, Oundle, Northants.