[Jay Le Huray]

In 9 months time I will reach my 70th birthday,
I have been cleaning glass since about 1975 and still love my job, however I'm now finding it harder on my old body.

In the early days I was trad (the only way it could be done) and changed over to WFP about 17/18 years ago which was a god send especially when cleaning gutters and facias etc.
I built up a very good round and 5 years ago I was going to semi retire so I sold half of the business making things a bit easier for me but since then I have gained more and more customers so I'm now back to 5 days a week from 9am-2pm.

Not only have I gained more customers I also do lots of Gutter and Facias cleans for a mate as he is so busy he has no time to do them himself,

My wife who is a few years younger than me (64) will not get her pension for another 3 years which is the time I was thinking of retiring completely. However I have a great fear of staying at home and watching day time TV, it's just not me  as I have to have a reason for getting up every morning.

So will I retire in 3 years ? I'm really not sure, I think I may keep going until I can no longer pick up a pole, we will see.

Of of interest are there another other shiners on here over the age of 70? if yes please let me know how you are dealing with it.

As an after thought maybe I would need to take up a hope like fishing LOL

[tlwcs]

Stop taking on/ helping your mate out. He’s too busy and making you too busy.
I’m now 3 days a week, (60) doubt I’ll retire just do 2 days a week.
I bought an electric bike and enjoy getting out on that. I think you need to do something.
As long as you can and are happy to, keep doing a bit. But don’t flog yourself for a mate
Enjoy!

[AuRavelling79]

In 9 months time I will reach my 70th birthday,
I have been cleaning glass since about 1975 and still love my job, however I'm now finding it harder on my old body.

In the early days I was trad (the only way it could be done) and changed over to WFP about 17/18 years ago which was a god send especially when cleaning gutters and facias etc.
I built up a very good round and 5 years ago I was going to semi retire so I sold half of the business making things a bit easier for me but since then I have gained more and more customers so I'm now back to 5 days a week from 9am-2pm.

Not only have I gained more customers I also do lots of Gutter and Facias cleans for a mate as he is so busy he has no time to do them himself,

My wife who is a few years younger than me (64) will not get her pension for another 3 years which is the time I was thinking of retiring completely. However I have a great fear of staying at home and watching day time TV, it's just not me  as I have to have a reason for getting up every morning.

So will I retire in 3 years ? I'm really not sure, I think I may keep going until I can no longer pick up a pole, we will see.

Of of interest are there another other shiners on here over the age of 70? if yes please let me know how you are dealing with it.

As an after thought maybe I would need to take up a hope like fishing LOL

Hi Jay,

60's not 70's. I passed/sold on about half my round to my son in law in 2015. Since then it has grown back almost to where it was when we split. But it less work by cutting out gutters and the like.

I had a change in circumstances which meant I had more time. So I am a nerd/hobby man and since then do the following...

Bought a caravan.
Used my motorbike more.
Cycling a bit.
Started learning a language,  first at a local school then on line during Covid.
Volunteer occasionally on helping open old railways into cycle/walking paths.
Watch old films with a mate once a fortnight.

I have an interest in heritage railways and am thinking of volunteering on one. You know -  weedkilling/cutting back vegetation/maybe progress to ticket collector! 

Oh - and buying a real book from time to time.

[Jay Le Huray]

In 9 months time I will reach my 70th birthday,
I have been cleaning glass since about 1975 and still love my job, however I'm now finding it harder on my old body.

In the early days I was trad (the only way it could be done) and changed over to WFP about 17/18 years ago which was a god send especially when cleaning gutters and facias etc.
I built up a very good round and 5 years ago I was going to semi retire so I sold half of the business making things a bit easier for me but since then I have gained more and more customers so I'm now back to 5 days a week from 9am-2pm.

Not only have I gained more customers I also do lots of Gutter and Facias cleans for a mate as he is so busy he has no time to do them himself,

My wife who is a few years younger than me (64) will not get her pension for another 3 years which is the time I was thinking of retiring completely. However I have a great fear of staying at home and watching day time TV, it's just not me  as I have to have a reason for getting up every morning.

So will I retire in 3 years ? I'm really not sure, I think I may keep going until I can no longer pick up a pole, we will see.

Of of interest are there another other shiners on here over the age of 70? if yes please let me know how you are dealing with it.

As an after thought maybe I would need to take up a hope like fishing LOL

Hi Jay,

60's not 70's. I passed/sold on about half my round to my son in law in 2015. Since then it has grown back almost to where it was when we split. But it less work by cutting out gutters and the like.

I had a change in circumstances which meant I had more time. So I am a nerd/hobby man and since then do the following...

Bought a caravan.
Used my motorbike more.
Cycling a bit.
Started learning a language,  first at a local school then on line during Covid.
Volunteer occasionally on helping open old railways into cycle/walking paths.
Watch old films with a mate once a fortnight.

I have an interest in heritage railways and am thinking of volunteering on one. You know -  weedkilling/cutting back vegetation/maybe progress to ticket collector! 

Oh - and buying a real book from time to time.

I have had several motorbikes including 3 Harleys but I've to give that up now due to arthritis in the hips

[AuRavelling79]

Sorry to hear that Jay. I really would stop gutters and such like and cut back. If you have arthritic hips you don't want to make it worse.

Motorbiking is a very minor part of what I do. One fair weather ride of about 40/50 miles per month or less in the winter.

Lots of other stuff.

[dazmond]

Cleaning gutters and fascias is harder work for sure so I would knock them on the head and just concentrate on refining your window cleaning round into the best,easiest jobs....

The great thing is you can cut down your hours to suit as you age....only you know your body and how you feel....

I know 2 window cleaners who are fast approaching 80 and their both still shining!(on ladders too!)albeit part time.they look well for their age...one is in the pub every day for 4pm!

[DJW]

I have a relative approaching 80 still working in the building trade.
What a bloody idiot!

[Stoots]

5 days a week sounds like far too much, you must enjoy it or have no choice financially  ?

I wouldn't want to get to 70 and have to work full time, now that is a scary thought but choosing to work a few hours or days a week at a comfortable pace for a bit of pocket money sounds more like leisure than working.

[dd]

Is arthritis in your hips aggravated by wfp?

[Jay Le Huray]

Is arthritis in your hips aggravated by wfp?

no not at all, it's only bad if I'm walking especially if it's an incline

[tlwcs]

Is arthritis in your hips aggravated by wfp?

no not at all, it's only bad if I'm walking especially if it's an incline

I’m very similar to you. I had an X-ray last week on my hips, should know in a couple of weeks

[Perfect Windows]

I've suggested to the franchisees that if they choose to carry on they should be running down to a couple of mornings a week, bungalows if possible. That wouldn't even feel like work.

Vin

[Spruce]

I have a relative approaching 80 still working in the building trade.
What a bloody idiot!

If he is fit and healthy and not doing anything dangerous, then I don't agree.  I've seen too many active ones retire, vegetate and die within a short period.
One of our customers retired from the water board a couple of years ago. He was still digging trenches until he reached 70. The W/B didn't want him to retire. He now sits in front of the TV watching Netflix. I saw him the other day, and I'm shocked at his physical deterioration. He was struggling to walk and had trouble stringing a sentence together.

My Grandfather worked until he was 80. My father worked until he was 84. I'm 70 and have no other option but to continue to work for as long as I can. I get a small pension (not a full pension as I haven't worked in the UK long enough to qualify for it) which I'm very grateful for. I could apply for pension credit, but even with that I don't see how we can pay bills (e.g. gas and electric) in the coming months on the current state pension.

I'm very grateful for my current way of life.
I have suffered with a bad back all my life. Working has helped everything back related from totally seizing up. It's an effort to go out to clean windows some days due to pain, but once I get going I feel better.

My wife is also 70 and also works part-time. Unfortunately, she fractured her hip 3 weeks ago in a boating accident, so is on the sick. At her age, her working future with her current company isn't guaranteed.

[DJW]

When I’m on my death bed I won’t be wishing I’d kept working my whole life. Might wish I’d had a few more women, travelled a bit more and had a life. There’s no way I’ll be thinking “if only I could scrub a few more windows, maybe have a record day!”
Work to live, not Live to work.

Seem to be plenty of younger people that work the system round my way I’m buggered if I’m going to pay for them my whole life.
Whatever floats your boat I guess but when I see the retirees enjoyng life, down the gym, morning swim then a bike ride before coffee then I know what I’d rather be doing.

[NBwcs]

In moderation, this job has a lot going for it in old age.  A good top up for your pension, a mild workout in itself if done in small doses, a good social outlet talking to customers. I definitely don't want to completely retire when I get to 70, as others have said, you hear of many stories of people who retire and then sadly die not long after, the change in lifestyle I'm sure pays a major part in this.

[Jay Le Huray]

Just to recap , I work because I enjoy doing so, I have got a few quid in savings which would last a few years and also whatever I could sell the business when I eventually retire would help too so it's not all doom and gloom.

Today for example I started at 9-30 am and was finished my work by 12-30pm so only 3 hours and lovely easy day.

[andycap]

Just like my day..and same tomorrow...👍

[Shrek]

I’m really hoping iv saved enough to retire properly and not have to work til I’m 70 to top up my pension. I’m sure there are lots of things to keep you active apart from working , just because you stop working altogether, it doesn’t mean you’ll turn into a vegetable. Buy a bike , go walking , swimming etc . No disrespect to you guys at all who do work at that age , I’m just really hoping to fully retire at a decent age.

[Stoots]

I bumped into an old boy today who was telling me he was a window cleaner for 65 years!

Stopped working full time at 72, sold most of his round and bought a place on the coast but kept 1 day a week of work and used travel back once a week to do it and didnt fully retire till he was 81. I didnt ask how old he was but he seemed to have really enjoyed being a window cleaner all those years.

[H2GoKent]

Really useful post this,
I'm a young man of 50 so it's been on my mind a bit 

I enjoy my job, and I think retirement just to sit around would not suit me.
In theory I could sell my work and downsize my house and never work again, but I wouldn't have enough money to go and enjoy myself
If you have a bit put by, then you can work as much or as little as you want and my plan is to trim down my days over the years.

Also, there's more to working than just the money, it's keep you interested, keeps you fit, I think to an extent it keeps you young. You have all those small interactions with people that make life a bit more interesting.
I have a lot of older customers and I think stopping work entirely kind of sends your body a message and messes with your head so that you feel even older than you are.
I'm not talking about breaking your back working full time until you drop, but rather doing what you want to do and cutting back over time.
Had a new guy come and buy water from my water business, retired at 72, after about 8 weeks went out and got some work to do, people need purpose in their lives, and we are lucky in this job that we can pick and choose.

Anyway apologies for the novel, thinking aloud more than anything else.