Last day at work

Today was by last day at the office. I don't formally retire until Monday 31 October, but I have taken that as my final annual leave day, so today is the day I finish.

A few months ago I had been thinking that this seemed a long way away - too long, but it seems to have arrived quite quickly. In fact, I can't really believe that we are already here, although it was over seven months ago (back in March, shortly before my 50th birthday) that I actually signed the forms that committed me to leaving. Nonetheless, I still can't quite belive that it has now actually happened. I have been feeling very strange for the last few days - butterflies, and that kind-of 'wobbly' feeling you get when you are anxious. Nothing severe. Nothing troublesome. Just a wierd feeling of things changing. Which they obviously are going to. I'm not worried or concerned about my future - I've done endless calculations to show that I'll be OK financially. Just feeling a bit strange about ending a 27 year career in the Civil Service, and leaving all that - not just my curent colleagues, behind me.

I've already done most of my "exit" preparation - finished-off outstanding work, cleared-out my personal belongings, transferred/copied important personal documents and e-mails and all that stuff. So there was not a great deal to do today other than properly clearing out personal files and such. I knew that I would have to endure some kind of presentation and speech. Robert, my line manager, had made it clear that I was not going to get off that lightly. In the end it was not so much of an ordeal, and Robert had made the effort to gather a bit of information about earlier periods of my career - including a very sweet quote from Fiona.

After that was over, I went to another former GOL collague's retirement presentation, then did my final clear-out and managed a fairly discreet exit from the building for the last time.

For the evening "celebration" I'd decided that I really wanted to make it low-key and familiar, so off to Greenwich for a couple of pints with Dave at the Rose & Crown, and then to good old "La Cucina" for a meal.

And that was that.