When you think about retirement, what comes to mind? Knitting needles, newspapers and arm chairs, or cooked breakfasts with a sea view, long walks in the country with your dogs, and morning bike rides?

A day in the life of a retiree isn’t what it used to be… Research we conducted found that two thirds of retirees spend more time with their families when they leave work, a quarter take up new hobbies, almost half spend more time with friends, and a fifth travel more.

We spoke to our customer Barry, who retired aged 60 after a long career as a refinery technician, about what a normal day looks like to him, and to hear his top tips on making the most of retirement. Apparently, retirement most certainly isn’t what it seems…

What does an average day look like for you?

“When I retired, I moved to Norfolk and bought a house near the River Ouse with my wife and two dogs. It was always a dream of ours to live in the country. A normal day for me usually starts looking out over the river and watching the boats, whilst eating a cooked breakfast.

“I keep very active and swim half a mile twice a week. On the other days, I go out for about half an hour on my bike. I also take my two dogs out for long walks around Norfolk every day.

“Depending on the weather, my wife and I usually eat together at home outside in our garden, however we love going out and trying new places around where we live as well”

Is retirement everything you expected?

“Retirement is a lot better than I ever expected, especially as I was lucky enough to retire slightly earlier than I thought I would. The best part about it is having no worries, and not being time restricted by having to go to work. It’s given us more time to do the things we love.

“We spend most of our holidays travelling around the English countryside, but at the start of my retirement we ticked off a bucket list item and enjoyed a few weeks in the Caribbean.

“I am also socialising a lot more now I don’t work, having made loads more friends since moving to Norfolk. I also travel back to Essex to visit my family and old friends as much as possible.

What advice would you give to the younger generation thinking about retirement?

“It’s really difficult to save, but it’s important to do. If we hadn’t built up a good nest egg, we wouldn’t be enjoying the retirement we have. When you retire, you can enjoy being able to do all the activities you love and also socialise more, without the pressures of having to go into the office every Monday morning – as long as you’ve worked hard and saved, retirement is the best time of your life.”