Thanks for all your kind and thoughtful comments about my being made redundant.
It does sound as if a heck of a lot of you have been through the same thing, or similar, often after a similarly long period of service. Either there's a lot of it about, or my readership are "of an age" where this kind of stuff often happens.
Whatever, I thought I'd answer some of your questions about the future (and not answer some of your questions, and answer some questions of my own).
Q: Are you going back to work immediately? A: I have no intention of going back to work immediately.
It's about to be the summer for heaven's sake. After the best part of 30 years in work, wouldn't you take a summer off if you could?
Q: Don't you need to go back to work soon? A: I have no urgent need to go back to work yet.
I'm not in any immediate financial peril, but this is more down to prudent budgeting over the years than any final payment I might have received. Not buying a frothy coffee every morning for the last three years has paid this month's rent, and not buying a frothy coffee every afternoon for the last three years has paid next month's.
Q: But won't you get bored? A: I have no intention of being bored.
You've read the blog, so you know I have no trouble finding the most mundane things interesting. It helps enormously that I live in London. London is never dull.
Q: Will you be monetising the blog? A: I will not be monetising the blog.
Hell no, I am not going to submit you to adverts, promotional puff or sponsored posts. I dare say I could make some money that way if I tried, but only at the expense of binning all my principles, so it isn't going to happen. If you do turn up one morning and read a post about a super new pop-up gin restaurant, it's going to be a piss-take.
Q: Will you be asking readers for donations? A: I will not be be asking readers for donations.
I never asked you for money while I had a job, and I have no intention of asking you for money now I don't. I write stuff, you read it, it's not a financial contract.
Q: Will you be writing a book? A: I have no plans to write a book.
I know I know, all that spare time, all that opportunity. But what's important isn't whether you'd like to read one, it's whether I'd enjoy writing one. I didn't enjoy it last time, and didn't judge the outcome to be worth the effort. But never say never.
Q: Will you be writing stuff for other websites? A: I have no plans to write stuff for other websites.
That sounds far too much like having a job, and my plan is to enjoy not having one.
Q: Will you be posting more on the blog? A: I have no plans to post more on the blog.
I could write twice as much, but what's the point? All that'd do is trap me at my keyboard more, rather than actually getting out and doing things. One substantial post per day, most days, still feels like the right amount to write. Hopefully you won't notice much of a difference at all.
Q: Will you still be publishing posts at 7am each day? A: I'll probably still stick to 7am, but I might be later on some days.
The reason I picked 7am to press 'Publish' is because it fitted nicely into my working routine. I don't have a working routine any more, so I'll likely sleep past 7am, so if I haven't scheduled something in advance please be patient.
Q: Will you be writing more often about places you've visited? A: I might well write more often about places I've visited.
A full working week offered limited opportunities to get out and explore, whereas not working means I could go out somewhere every day. Don't worry, I'm not going turn the blog into a travelogue of where I went yesterday, not least because I think a mix of topics is important. But yes, you might read about me getting out more.
Q: Will you be travelling outside London more often? A: I'm already writing about 'outside London' more often than I was.
If you were hoping for a pure London blog, diamond geezer's never been that. It's perhaps less that now. But there'll always be plenty of Richmond, Ruislip and Romford in amongst the occasional St Albans, Sheppey and Sheffield.
Q: What are you going to do with the rest of your life? A: If any of us knew that, it wouldn't be half as enjoyable.
Watch and see.
