Following the Easter weekend where my priority was to get some order to my gardens.

Lawns mowed, patio and barbecue clean and ready to go.

This weekend was supposed to be a visit to one of my favourite destinations Bath.

However disaster struck this week, I had a full week of client visits booked for my business advisory service.

3 Post’s already to go for Ropho – Tuesday morning site, crashed.

Managed to post in the evening however, page speed has nose dived this week.

As previously explained, I am learning as I go, this is my not giving up, part of starting something new and learning a new skill,.

I could easily ask one of my friends, several are web designers, but for me this is part of the process.

Once I have reached my goals for reader numbers etc, I will employ someone to maintain the site.

However until then I appreciate my current readers patience and hope this helps to inspire some of you not to give up or accept defeat and take the easy route.

Today I will hopefully get the site back up to speed.

So next week will be a visit to Bath and surrounding areas, tomorrow I will plan another couple of long weekends for the rest of April and May.

What examples do you have of not giving up in your 60’s or 70’s.

Please let me know, hearing your stories motivates me to keep going, even when it gets tough.

A Couple of my Favourite UK Weekend Break Destinations

So as we plan for our weekend breaks in May, I have listed a few of my favourites

York, North Yorkshire

York is truly one of my favourite cities, maybe because it has such a rich history in one of my forbidden pleasures. Chocolate!

And what a history it is, while other Northern UK cities built their wealth on coal, steel, or wool,.

York built its fame on chocolate. For nearly 300 years, the city has been the UK’s confectionery capital, home to global icons like the KitKat and the Terrys Chocolate Orange. 

York Minster – One of the world’s largest and most magnificent Gothic cathedrals, featuring incredible stained glass and stone architecture.

The City Walls – As the longest medieval town walls in England, you can walk a 3.4km circuit for scenic views.

The Shambles: A beautifully preserved medieval street with overhanging timber-framed buildings, frequently cited as one of the prettiest streets in Britain.

Viking & Roman Heritage – Explore the city’s roots at the immersive JORVIK Viking Centre and discover remnants of a Roman fortress

The River Ouse runs through the city, offering relaxing boat trips and picturesque riverside walks.

Proximity to Nature – What makes York such a great place for a long weekend is its location near both the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors national parks.

Independent Shopping & Dining: A vast array of independent boutiques, tea rooms (like Bettys), and local pubs. 

Another destination which is one of my favourite long weekend getaways is Cornwall which has many gems.

St Ives and Mousehole are two of my favourites and are relatively close together.

The Vibe: St Ives – Turquoise water and world-class art.

What’s new: The Tate St Ives has some incredible 2026 exhibitions focused on coastal light.

Mousehole, Cornwall

The Vibe: The “prettiest village in England.”

What’s new: It remains the ultimate retreat for 2026, with the Mousehole Rock Pool being a top spot for a chilly “wild swim.”

The Lake District, Cumbria is an obvious choice for a long weekend with many different destinations.

Key Areas & Lakes

• Keswick & Derwentwater – The “Queen of the Lakes” and the northern hub for hikers. It’s the base for the Mountain Festival and the famous Catbells climb.

• Windermere – The largest natural lake in England. Bowness-on-Windermere is the most popular tourist town, offering iconic steamer boat cruises.

• Ullswater – Often cited as the most beautiful lake, home to the Aira Force waterfall and the heritage “Steamers.”

• Grasmere – The heart of the “Poet’s District,” where you can visit Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage and buy world-famous Grasmere Gingerbread.

The Vibe: Epic fells and literary inspiration.

What’s new: In 2026, the Keswick Mountain Festival (May 15-17) is expected to be the biggest yet.

I am always looking for ideas, for new long weekend destinations, please do not hesitate to let me know your favourites.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s latest instalment Week 3.

How to run a business after 60

Dreams and Vision: The First Step in Building a Business

Business After 60: Week 2 of 8 | The Map to Your Dream

I didn’t intend to write a post today, as this being a Monday bank holiday.

My next instalment of building or reviving a business series for over 60s.

Will be posted tomorrow, when hopefully our thoughts will have turned from holiday mode into how, can I make some money mode and still enjoy myself in my sixties.

I felt compelled to write this post because of a sporting event and a developing rivalry with my 11 year old grandson.

If you have been following my story you may know I love sport and love following Southampton FC.

With all the emotional ups and downs following your favourite sports team brings.

Supporting Southampton FC Love, Loyalty and Lifelong Suffering

Which brings me to this Saturday evening when I sat down with a lovely glass of Rioja by my side.

Ready to watch Southampton take on Arsenal in the quarter finals of the FA cup.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of a Sports Fan

I am like a lot of people I know, a curious mixture of optimism and pessimism.

The type laced with hope and fear, sheer joy when your team scores the first goal, makes that early try or the batsman takes the fast bowler to the cleaners in the opening couple of overs.

Only for that veil of pessimism to slowly draw over you and create a feeling of impending doom.

“That’s it we will sit back make a self inflicted mistake they will sore then we will get hammered.”

“The batsman is going to get carried away, and will nick the ball to first slip.” etc, etc.

Well for some unknown totally irrational reason I had a feeling we could create an upset and beat the Premier league leaders.

A House Divided: Southampton vs Arsenal

What made this even more interesting than usual, my 11 year old grandson is an Arsenal fan.

We actually now live in close proximity to arsenal’s training ground.

I have always made a thing with him, that you should if possible support your local team, and as his dad is a North Londoner who supports Arsenal it was inevitable that he would follow that path.

I also made it very clear, it is an unbreakable rule that once you’ve made that decision you have to support them through thick or thin.

So to the match.

The match started reasonably from my point of view.

Arsenal whilst creating a bit more than us, weren’t making me that worried, and we indeed had a couple of clear chances.

When Support Turns to Rivalry

In the 35th Southampton scored the first goal, my phone rang it was my grandson, I was going a little crazy with happiness.

” Ha lucky goal” says grandson, don’t worry we will equalise soon and beat you 3-1.

Now that’s it!

For once I didn’t have that veil of impeding doom coming over me, it was something quite different.

A stirring feeling of rivalry that felt a bit strange.

This is the boy, that, every Sunday for the last four years I have been getting up early to take him to watch him play.

In all weathers shouting encouragement at him, delighting when he makes a great tackle or goes on a marauding run down the wing.

Well I must say this was totally different no we are going to win.

Even when arsenal equalised I felt sure we would win, and sure enough in the 85th minute we scored the winning goal.

My grandson had gone quiet and ignored my phone call.

The Beauty of the Game (and the Banter)

So it’s begun, he came to our house for the traditional family Easter lunch.

I started to tease, him or do I thought, I don’t want to upset him.

Then he said he wasn’t upset because it was only the FA cup and Arsenal were going to win the premier league and champions league anyway.

So maybe the rivalry is only building in my head because Southampton aren’t a threat, as he sees it.

But this just shows how fantastic following a team is.

Grandad and grandson are both happy and very optimistic for now,.

Or though you know the inevitable losses will come at some point in the future.

But it just doesn’t matter because this weekend has been a great weekend.

Next week back to shouting encouragement to grandson.

Sport, wow fantastic.

Now to finish that gardening I promised to do at the start of the weekend.

Let me know if you are ever unexpectedly happy or unhappy at sports events, or is there something else that makes you glad to be alive, all comments are very welcome.

“That same spirit of ‘irrational optimism’ I felt during the match?

It’s exactly what we need when starting a new venture.

Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment of my business series for the over 60s!”

“Easter Bank Holiday Balance”

“The plan was to be knee-deep in moss and lawn clippings by now, but the British weather has other ideas.

So, while I wait for the patio to dry, I’m reflecting on a great Hampshire find and prepping for the sun’s return…”

Before the garden chores called, we spent last weekend in Hampshire for a baby shower, in the evening, we found ourselves at The Bugle in Hamble, and it hit that “sweet spot” I’m always looking for.

• The Vibe: Nautical, historic, and bustling.
• The “Yes—Sensibly” Choice: I stuck to the fresh local seafood. It was light, vibrant, and meant I had plenty of “calorie credit” left when the waiter started talking about the wine list.
• Verdict: 5/5 for service that feels friendly but professional. A proper “grown-up” pub.

The “Bank Holiday” First Cut

The sun is out, this weekend allegedly, although a look out the window, it’s cloudy oh well!, Saturday, Sunday shows promise according to the weather forecast.

“The plan was to be knee-deep in moss and lawn clippings by now, but the British weather has other ideas. So, while I wait for the patio to dry, I’m reflecting on a great Hampshire find and prepping for the sun’s return…”

If your lawn looks like mine, it’s currently a hay field.

• The Mistake: Scalping the grass. Don’t do it!
• The Fix: Set your mower to its highest setting. Think of it as a tidy-up rather than a transformation. You’ll save the grass from turning brown, and you’ll still clock up 5,000 steps before lunch.
• The Reward: Gardening counts as resistance training in my book. It’s the perfect excuse for a glass of something cold later.

The Friday Find: A Rioja Under £15

Since it’s a Bank Holiday, you need a “Safe Bet” bottle, doesn’t have to be a Merlot, I’ve just found this lovely Rioja.

• The Selection: Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva (Check your local supermarket—usually around £12-£14).
• The Vibe: It’s smooth, classic, and feels like a celebration.
• Coming Soon: Speaking of celebrations, I’ve just discovered a new favorite Italian restaurant in Shenley.
• It was the perfect “refuel” after a long walk this week. I’ll be sharing the full review, and whether their pasta passes the “Balance” test, very soon.

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“I’m always on the hunt for those hidden gems, the kind of place where the food is great but you can actually hear yourself think.

Have you found a local Italian or a proper food pub recently that’s worth the drive?

Drop me an email or leave a comment—I’d love to add it to my ‘Yes map!”

Grandmother Conversation

Last week I shared some thoughts on perspective and purpose, and on how our priorities often shift as we move into life after 60.

The response was unexpected and deeply moving. One reader’s message in particular stayed with me.

She explained how she has become a full-time childminder for her grandchildren to help her family cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

She does it out of love.

But she admitted to a quiet, creeping feeling of being under-appreciated.

Not just by her family, but by a world that seems to assume her time for learning or striving has somehow passed.

I suspect her message resonated with more people than she might realise.

Across the country, people in their sixties find themselves quietly stepping into supporting roles.

Helping with grandchildren, offering advice, filling the gaps that modern life seems to create.

Another reader left a comment that made me pause for a moment.

She explained that at sixty-eight she is helping care for her ninety-year-old mother.

It reminded me just how complicated this stage of life can be.

Many people in their sixties are not simply slowing down.

They are quietly supporting both generations, helping children with grandchildren while also caring for ageing parents.

Invisible perhaps to society at times, but absolutely central to their families.

Most do it willingly, even happily.

But somewhere in the background there is often another thought.

Is this all there is now?

Or is there still something more I could be doing?

It made me realise that many of us may be wrestling with a strange paradox.

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The Great Disconnect

If you look at the world stage, people in their sixties and seventies are everywhere.

They are heads of state, chief executives, and the people making some of the most important decisions in business and politics.

Yet back in everyday life, many people in this same age group quietly report feeling increasingly invisible.

We see it in small ways.

A barista serving younger customers first.

Advertising and social media that seem to focus almost entirely on youth.

And a subtle cultural message suggesting that once you reach a certain age you should take your bus pass, slow down, and quietly step away from the stage.

The more I thought about those messages, the more I realised something important.

These people are not simply “helping out.”

In many families they are the quiet stabilising force holding several generations together.

Active Wisdom

We need to stop viewing our past as a closed book and start seeing it as Active Wisdom.

This isn’t about nostalgic reminiscing.

It’s about applying decades of problem-solving, resilience, and emotional intelligence to the present, whether you have spent your life working hard, running a business, or raising a family.

Whether you are navigating complex family dynamics or launching a digital project like ROPHO.

You carry a kind of shorthand for life that only comes with time.

Our experience isn’t a museum piece.

It’s a toolbox full of insight, judgement, and understanding that we can still use.

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The Pivot Generation

We are effectively the first generation to navigate this new “middle distance.”

We aren’t old in the traditional sense, yet we are finished with the frantic building stage of our thirties and forties.

We are the Pivot Generation.

We have the opportunity to redefine what the years between sixty and eighty can look like.

We are pivoting from the roles we once had to the purpose we now choose.

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The Three Freedoms

While the media often focuses on what our generation might be “losing,” it rarely talks about the three freedoms we have gained.

Freedom from Ego
We no longer feel the desperate need to prove ourselves to everyone we meet.

Freedom from the Climb
The endless ladder-climbing is largely behind us, leaving space to focus on the quality of life itself.

Freedom of Perspective
Many people at this stage enjoy a level of stability and disposable income that allows for a different kind of risk.

The risk of trying something new simply because it feels meaningful.

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From Invisible to Undiscovered

If society sometimes chooses to look past us, perhaps we should stop seeing it as a slight and start seeing it as a strategic advantage.

Being invisible can feel lonely.

But being undiscovered is a position of power.

It means we can build, learn, and reinvent ourselves without the heavy weight of other people’s expectations.

There is a quiet, rebellious joy in being far more capable and ambitious than the world assumes.

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The 3-Hour Rule

The hardest part of this stage of life is often reclaiming our time from the many supporting roles we play for others.

To combat this, I use a simple framework: The 3-Hour Rule.

One hour of protected, non-negotiable time, three times a week.

I personally use this time for strength training, because keeping the body fit and healthy is essential for the work I still want to do.

But it can be anything.

Learning a new tech skill.
Writing.
Exploring a business idea.
Developing a creative interest.

This isn’t just “me time.”

It is a scheduled appointment with your future.

It becomes the bridge between thinking about a new chapter and actually living it.

And it ensures that while we are busy being the stabilising force for our families, we don’t accidentally disappear ourselves.

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The Real Opportunity

After sixty, the goal is not to drift quietly toward a finish line.

It is to choose a new direction with clarity and purpose.

That, in many ways, is the spirit behind ROPHO.

We have every right to be proud of where we’ve been.

But we have an even greater right to be excited about where we are going.