So Trevor has been a salaried employee for the last eighteen years. Some companies think that the best way of saving money in difficult times is to reduce the number of employees by over four-fifths, to cover the same area. When that (obviously) does not work, they lose critical contracts. So they trim again.
Trevor asked for, and got, voluntary redundancy and is ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED about this. If he was twenty years younger with dependents he would have felt very differently, but it suits us.
Having speculated for two years as to what we would do when and if this opportunity arose, we were somewhat taken by suprise and need to gather our thoughts. what next? Watch This Space..
Blog-sur-Aude 
Hello Trevor. I know what you went through as just four months ago I left an IT company I had been with for more than twenty-five years. They were looking for cheaper employees…… one has to wonder if they are more productive. As I achieved, or indeed in the previous year doubled, the targets I was set one would have thought the company would be happy! Obviously not. Well my intention wasn’t to go into my exit, but more to reflect on what came next.
So I am now the editor of a cooking magazine, un-paid purely for pleasure. I have started up a cookery blog, again un-paid. I walk the hills around the village here in Spain and to be honest with you am as happy as a pig in muck!
So as with you it sounds like everything has worked out for the best.
Thanks for visiting my blog, firstly for being interested in what I had to say, and secondly because it brought me here and I have enjoyed reading your blog.
Best regards,
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Trevor says thanks for that & we are looking to make the big move over to France ASAP.
I have had a look at your blog and we will be trying some of your recipes.
We have a question- re paella, is it deemed acceptable to mix seafood and meat in the same dish ? Just curious as to authenticity, and it’s one dish we seem unable to get maximum flavour out of!! Gill
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It took me a while to make the move to Spain but have never regretted it! I hope everything works out for you.
Glad you liked the blog. It has only been going a few months but I enjoy writing it…. my hope is that people enjoy reading it. Only time will tell I guess.
As for paella. Many regions believe they have the original authentic dish. I have seen just about everything in a paella. One of my favourites is in fact just rice, no bits of meat or indeed fish at all. It is all in the stock of course. A fantastic stock with all that flavour that soaks into the rice.
So yes, put meat and fish together if that is what you fancy. Some people will cringe, other will applaud, but if it is what you fancy then go for it.
Best regards,
Lincoln
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Cheers
Will work on that stock!
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Mes felicitations to you both. Timing is everything in life and it seems that timing is on the upside on this one. The answers will present themselves, of course – ‘let it be’ as a likely lad from Liverland once said 😉
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Taking voluntary redundancy can be scary but Trevor is right to think of it as an opportunity. Best of luck!
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Thanks
It does take a little time to get your head around it..
We will turn it into a positive I promise
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Perfect! I’ve worked for myself my whole life and couldn’t imagine it any other way. It’s not easy, but it’s so rewarding – sorta like remodeling a house 🙂
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mmmmm….yeah, sort of…..
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Wow! Good luck!
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Thank you
We are quite touched by all these supportive messages.
Maybe the sudden chance to effect a huge change touches a spot in all of us.
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As they say, you never know until it happens or you try it.
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Freedom!!! Enjoy it, work hard and leave plenty of time to practice the guitar.
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Oh, yeah. Bravo, Trev. I hated being a wage slave like you cannot believe and I absolutely love my life of working for myself. My guess is that his next job, the self-selected one, is waiting for him in a little village in the south of France. Whatever the choice, well done!
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I think so too.
I have worked for myself for a while now and love the freedom of choice that it gives me.
I could not be an employee again, even for the massive & lucrative opportunity I was offered earlier this year. It’s not all about the money
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Massive and lucrative? I must admit, architects don’t get offers like that. Don’t know what I would have done.
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Well it would have burnished my profile, but I might have had to sell my soul so it was a no brainer
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Aw, come on. Tell. Were you going to have to defend Bernie Madoff or something?
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No
worse………..
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OMG, you were going to be the general counsel for my scumbag pornographer ex-stepson? Or maybe for the North Koreans? Some day I’ll pour you a generous dollop of Scotch and let you tell me all about it. Sounds like there’s a good story here.
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I can’t possibly comment
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As in, “You could say that. I couldn’t possibly comment.” Like that? Actually I don’t care about an answer. I’m having too much fun with the possibilities.
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You’re lucky to be outside “Will sell soul for health insurance” land.
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Thanks Chad
I like your house, by the way.
Please keep the quirks; when you come to sell on, for every potential buyer who wants “perfect” there will be an old house fan who wants to see some original character
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I’m trying my best. I lost some quirks, kept some, and went salvage shopping to add some back in. And hey, the second rate spec rehabs on the market now will be out of style in 20 years while mine won’t, right?
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Absolutely
We are doing the same
And old original character never goes out of style!
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Exciting times. How brilliant!
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Thanks. Yes, if it were anyone else but Mr low-key I might be able to tell if he actually is excited..
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Good for him. Félicitations et bonne chance!
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Thanks
This moves plans on quite a lot!
Now I just need reliable internet and we are off to France! Unfortunately I think I am the only person in our little village that actually wants or needs a reliable internet connection!
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