Five Years

1st April 2026

It might feel like this long since our last post, but that’s not the inspiration for the title of this one, nor is the opening track on Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album. Our latest stint in Pollards Mill ended in early March and naturally there’s less to blog about when we’re not there, though things keep ticking over in the background – and we will be sure to share anything worth shouting about!

My uncle Tal was a coal miner in south Wales. His years ‘down the pit’ came to an early end due to a serious injury suffered underground. His young nephews were far more interested in his later jobs, because he then worked for Hymac (take us to see the big diggers, uncle!) and OP (wow! Free chocolate biscuits!). Getting away from the dangerous life of a miner must have been a relief, and he did something right because he retired altogether at an early age and spent the rest of his long life happily tending his garden, growing vegetables, cooking delicious meals and being a lovely husband, dad, grandfather, brother and uncle. What a wonderful man.

Tal was a great conversationalist and storyteller, and both Nicola and I (and other family members) loved spending time with him and my lovely auntie Nancy, devouring his amazing ham, laughing at his tales, and learning about his life experiences. I remember him reflecting on his long retirement, saying that decades ago it had been very unusual, especially among miners exposed to choking coal dust and other underground hazards. He explained that it was typical, on the death of an ex miner, for the man’s friends to say something along the lines of “See old Will’s gone, aye. Sad, mun. He had a grand retirement though – five years!”

Tal massively bucked the trend, living to the age of 92 after decades of freedom. I am thinking of him today as, incredibly, I hit the landmark of five years since early retirement. April 1st 2021 was definitely a Big Hair Day – here’s the April Fool:

Well, we’d been in lockdown. No barbers available! At the time my feelings were a mixture of jubilation, disbelief and gratitude, and that’s scarcely changed since – despite the fact that my time of leisure and indulgence lasted only three and a half years, till 1st October 2024 when we completed the purchase of Pollards Mill. As our friend Rachel down the road in St Philip said, “No more retirement – back to work for the Bebbs!” Too true! So today also marks eighteen months of our adventure in Barbados to date, and of course we have had the opportunity to do much more than just work as we’ve immersed ourselves in the whole experience.

Like Tal, I hope to buck the trend. 92 sounds a good target to me – for starters at least 😎. Whether we’ll get it all done in the next 31 years is debatable, but we’ll give it our best shot 😆!