We often think of retirement as a time of slowing down, but for some in life, it can become the complete opposite – a time, perhaps, where societal rules no longer apply. Across the world, people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and older are proving age is no barrier to doing something – well, a little unexpected, shall we say. Not for them sitting back and watching daytime television, or decluttering the cupboard under the stairs. They want a little bit more out of life. From DJing in nightclubs through to transforming a garden into a mini wild-west town, these individuals are bucking the rules that we can sometimes fall into the trap of setting for ourselves.
In this post, we’re celebrating those who dared to step sideways — people who swapped routine for reinvention, comfort zones for curiosity, and convention for creativity. Their stories are proof that when we think a little differently, and, as you will see, behave a little differently, we can lift the restrictions on the conventional and live a life that has a nice dose of wackiness along with a decent quantity of surrealness. No harm there as far as I’m concerned.
So let’s begin. This post has one simple aim. Not that you all necessarily pop out tomorrow and buy yourself all that is needed to transform your garden into Bandera, Texas (you can if you wish though – although i’m not sure that B&Q sell saloons), but that you get inspired, and see that we really do have choices out there in how we can spend this wonderful time that retirement gives us.
Why Not Become a DJ?
I remember when I was going through my teenage years that I had dreams (like many others) of becoming a rock star. My imagination was filled with images of me playing the guitar, dressed in trendy gear, and overall looking mighty cool. Trouble was, I couldn’t play the guitar, or any instrument for that matter, my clothes were distinctly average, and I was as uncool as an uncool person could get. Still, it’s nice to dream.
But do your musical ambitions have to end by the time you have plodded through life doing all manner of the usual things, such as holding down a job and paying a ridiculous amount of bills? Not according to Jason, Matt & Sara it seems.
It seems that an increasing number of individuals over 50 are discovering DJing as a fulfilling hobby, with many even turning it into a profession. Phil Morse, founder of Digital DJ Tips—the world’s largest online DJ school—notes that nearly half of his 40,000 students are aged 50 and above. Many are drawn to DJing for personal enjoyment, while others aspire to perform at events or parties.
The article goes on to reference a few real-life stories.
Jason, aged 54, always admired DJ’s from the dancefloor. After over a decade of learning, he secured his first paid gig at a wedding, fulfilling his dream of sharing music with others.
Matt, in his early sixties, organised his own event at a local club and later performed at the Brighton Fringe Festival. He describes his DJ journey as a “never-ending adventure” that has significantly boosted his confidence.
And Sara, 55, a VAT consultant from Sussex, found that learning to DJ reignited her passion for music and enhanced her focus and mindset in other areas of life.
Modern DJing technology has become more accessible, enabling newcomers to achieve proficiency quickly. Digital DJ Tips offers both free guides and paid courses featuring industry professionals.
But of course, DJing is just one of many different choices we have when it comes to making music. Over the years, I have dabbled with online Digital Audio Workstations, software that basically allows you to compose your own music from the comfort of your own computer. There are paid-for resources, but also free ones. If this takes your fancy, have a quick Google and see what is out there. But if digitised creation of music isn’t your thing, the number of further options out there is plentiful. Flutes, clarinets, trombones, cornets, violins, guitars, harpsichords, accordions, pianos, the triangle – actually, maybe not the triangle – but you get my point, instruments galore out there you could practice with.
Age doesn’t have to matter when it comes to creating music. It doesn’t have to matter for most things to be fair.
So now it’s time for me to once again dream like I did when I was a teenager, find an instrument that I won’t be able to play, dress incredibly untrendily (that has to be a made-up word) and be as opposite of being cool as one can get.
Fancy pretty much hiking until you die?
It seems that Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans do. They have made it their mission to hike across the world with an aim to visit more countries than their combined ages. As of their latest journey at the time of this article, they have reached Poland, which marks their 83rd country. Not a bad effort.
Health challenges appear not to have put them off, though. Louisa has metal plates and pins in her ankles, and Barry is undergoing chemotherapy. That hasn’t stopped them from undertaking a three-week trek in Nepal, along with walking the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Naturally, looking after their own fitness is paramount. Both Louisa and Barry engage in activities such as walking, cycling and yoga, amongst others. They also take calcium supplements to support their health. A reminder that looking after our physical selves is an important aspect of our lives.
They both acknowledge they are in a fortunate position in life where the financial resources are there to enable them to carry out this pursuit. For a lot of us, that won’t be the case. We perhaps don’t need to go this big, though. If you can, that’s great – do it – but if not, you could try and find your own alternative. Here I come with a few suggestions;
- Explore nearby parks, nature reserves, or trails. Even small local walks can give you a sense of discovery. Hopefully, one isn’t too far away for you. Trekking in Nepal is nice for those of us who can do it, but developing a walking habit close to home is no bad thing. You could even go a bit crazy and do a spot of wild camping whilst you’re out and about. Bear in mind that toilet facilities might not be the best, though.
- Start exploring historical sites and National Parks. We can always look at what is far away and see how beautiful it is – and of course it is beautiful. Hiking through the Ecuadorian Andes or doing the Inca Trail will be incredible experiences, but you can also gain enjoyment from exploring what is available locally. Do your own Louisa and Barry thing, but realise you can do it without having to pop over a big mass of water (the ocean is what I am trying to say there). See what your own country has to offer and get yourself out there exploring.
I do like a quote on this website, and a lot of the time I pop in quotes of the famous whose names you may have come across previously.
Not on this occasion, though. This particular quote comes from Louisa Rogers, one of the subjects of this section.
“I’ve set a high bar for myself on what I can achieve – and I’m more capable than I know, even in my 70s.” – Louisa Rogers.
That sounds good to me. And maybe we can replace 70s with 80s, 90s or even older as time goes on. Why not.
Let’s get some more inspiration.
Why not buy yourself a home that moves?
Seemed a good enough idea for Trevor Burgees, who is a retired logistics manager. He fulfilled a long-held dream of living full-time on a narrowboat in the UK. In February 2020, he bought a narrowboat for around £24,000, then spent a further £1,000 making it into a livable home. He now lives on the boat, continually cruising the UK canals rather than mooring, and runs a YouTube channel (“Trev’s Travels by Narrowboat”) which has about 2700 subscribers sharing his inland waterway adventures.
The article goes on to break down the main monthly costs that Trevor has, which he says compare favourably to the average cost of a home in the West Midlands. Trevor, however says the appeal is less about the savings and more about the freedom and community life that narrowboat living brings.
It sounds quite nice, doesn’t it? For myself, I’m partial to our UK waterways and love walking along tow-paths and just seeing the narrowboats moored up, or cruising the cut. As a family, we venture every now and again to a pub which is located alongside a working lock. There are benches outside which are slap bang next to the lock. I’m there, with a nice cool pint, just watching the narrowboat as it rises through the lock. Normally, when this happens, a person suddenly appears! We’ve had a few nice conversations over the years with those who are navigating the waterways, and they always seem to have a large smile on their face. I can see why.
Trevor describes being on a narrowboat as like living in a small village, the longest, narrowest village in the world. He also enjoys the ability to be able to move every day, chat with other boaters, and just be part of a wonderful community. He describes this type of life as being so much preferable to living in the city.
Trevor does remark, though, that it’s not for everyone, and I guess one can see why. Cold winter months may take their toll, having to monitor how much water you use could be a bit of a bind, and don’t start me on how it all works from a toilet perspective! But I suppose most things in life come with drawbacks, and I’m sure that the positives of narrowboat living far outweigh the negatives. It’s an idea I’ve dabbled with over the years, and I still haven’t ruled it out come my retirement years. But convincing Helena (that is my wife, not a random stranger!) could be the tricky part of all that. I understand that – it’s a completely different way of living, but if it is your cup of tea, hey, maybe don’t rule it out.
How the West Was Mowed: Grandad Turns Garden into Cowboy Country.
Most of us probably mow the lawn, tend to the shrubs, and pull up a few weeds in our back gardens. Most of us, that is, except for Stephen Smart. Stephen Smart is aged 65 and lives in Shepley, Kent. He has spent about 25 years transforming his front and back garden into a themed “Wild West” town.
As you do.
This is made all the more interesting by the fact that Stephen has never visited America.
Stephen’s interest grew through his love of cowboy films, country music and themed parties. His garden now features numerous custom-built structures, a saloon, a bank, jailhouse, haberdashery, undertakers, general store and more – all handcrafted by Smart. Pretty good going. Our garden contains a couple of roses, some grass and a chair or two. Pretty inferior by comparison.
So what does Stephen’s family think of his endeavours? Mixed opinions, it would seem.
Stephen’s wife is on board, and they even hosted their wedding reception in the themed garden. His kids, however, have a slightly different viewpoint. Stephen says, “My kids think I’m stupid, and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it here”.
What I like about Stephen’s idea is a few things. Firstly, let’s be honest, this is a pretty niche idea. Secondly, the length of time it took. How many of us, myself included, get put off by doing certain tasks in life purely due to the length of time it would take? That didn’t put Stephen off. Twenty-five years of endeavour here. A reminder to us all that patience is a virtue, and who knows what we can produce over a long period of time – a wild west garden for one. And the third and final aspect of this I like is that Stephen may have been met with a few cheeky and snide comments over the years, but did it put him off? It appears it certainly didn’t. It was his own passion, and he worked at it and saw it through. Kudos to Stephen there.
But remember, you don’t have to transform your garden into a “Wild West” town. There are other ideas, you know. How about;
- Jurassic Park (on a budget) – Fill it with oversized ferns, hidden Bluetooth dinosaur roars, and a plastic T-rex from the garden centre. Just don’t tell the postman.
- Back-Garden Buckingham Palace – DIY royal balcony, a few plastic corgis, and a crown for the compost bin. Perfect for those who already wave to passing traffic.
- Mini Glastonbury – A few fairy lights, a Bluetooth speaker, and one slightly muddy patch. The line-up: you, your partner, and a confused-looking cat.
Okay, all a bit silly, but that was fully the point. If transforming your garden ventures into your headspace, get creative and see where it all takes you. If nothing else, you may make it as an entry onto a blog post in a quarter of a century’s time!
Rolling Through Retirement: The Million‑Mile Journey.
The final article I will look at today is that of British cyclist, Russ Mantle, who, at the age of 82, has reached the milestone of having ridden 1 million miles on his bicycle. I remember that the band Queen used to say, ‘I want to ride my bicycle’ and Russ very much has followed their advice.
Russ has been logging his cycling since 1952, maintaining detailed handwritten records that include not just mileage, but towns passed through, cafés visited, and even wind direction and temperature. Wow, now that takes some effort. Good on you there, Russ.
Over his lifetime, he has owned ten bikes; one in particular has done major touring across Europe, North America, Ireland and the British Isles. He remarks that even though his annual mileage is reducing (he estimates 5,000‑6,000 miles per year now – come on, Russ, pull your finger out!), at that rate, he might still hit another million miles by around age 100.
His ride of the final four miles was along a canal path near his home in Mytchett (30 miles west of London) on 7 November 2019, in the company of friends.
What an incredible feat, I think. Russ’s story is inspirational: it illustrates longevity, consistency and passion in a hobby well into your older age. Clearly, when Russ started all this off in 1952, he didn’t put in any self-imposed barriers, such as having to stop at a certain age. He is still looking forward, even talking about hitting another million miles by around age 100. Wow, just wow.
To me, this emphasises the idea of purposeful activity‑ even simple habits (logging miles) become part of identity and meaning. It shows how retirement (or near‑retirement) doesn’t mean winding down completely but can involve setting ambitious long‑term goals.
But as ever, there are alternatives to what you can strive for – it doesn’t have to be a number as big as a million, and it certainly doesn’t have to be on a bike;
- Step Count / Walking Challenge – Aim for 10,000 steps a day or 1 million steps in a year; track with a pedometer or app. My walking target, as I reference in this blog post, is 1000 miles a year. Around 45 minutes of walking a day. More than achievable if you remain consistent.
- Book Marathon – Set a target for 500+ books, or a goal like “read a book from every country in the world.”
- Photography Challenge – Take 10,000 photos of nature, architecture, or pets and document them in a journal or online gallery.
- Puzzle Completion – Solve a certain number of crosswords, jigsaws, or Sudoku puzzles in a year or decade.
- Mind/Skill Development – Learn 50 new skills or hobbies in retirement — from origami to birdwatching, coding to ceramics. I particularly like this one, as this really can get your creative juices flowing.
There are plenty more, of course. Choose what works for you and just throw yourself into it.
The purpose of this blog is fairly simple. It’s not about you necessarily going out there and becoming a DJ, moving into a narrowboat or transforming your garden into something John Wayne would be proud of. It’s about recognising that we don’t have to follow the ‘norm’ on how we spend our time in retirement. We can think outside of the box and essentially do as we wish. We have that freedom.
These are just a few examples of showing that age should never be a barrier. If we have the physical and mental capabilities, then we should get out there and not let a number hold us back. The aim of this post is to inspire you and get you thinking of your own ideas, which can be wild and wacky, or just plain normal. It really doesn’t matter. It’s just about forging your own identity, doing your own thing, sometimes regardless of what society expects of you.
I’ve entitled this post Part 1 because I thoroughly enjoyed researching these articles! So a Part 2 will come in due course.
For the time being, though, if you are spending time in your retirement doing what might be deemed unexpected pursuits, please do share in the comments below. Or if you know someone who is, please pop their stories down. It will be great to see and could be inspirational for others.
I’m off now to turn my garden into a haunted forest, buy myself a narrowboat, and start my first of a million miles on a unicycle. Wish me luck.