Back in 2020, TV producer and Pointless co-host Richard Osman released his debut novel. The cosy crime caper set in a Kent retirement village topped Christmas bestseller lists and sold more than 10 million copies. Steven Spielberg quickly snapped up the film rights for an undisclosed amount.
Earlier this month (22 August), The Thursday Murder Club arrived in cinemas.
The film stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as the titular club members, who meet each week to solve cold case crimes. They find themselves on the hunt for a murderer when a dead body appears on their doorstep.
While you might not be planning to spend your retirement entangled in ongoing murder investigations, there are still some important retirement lessons you can take from the successful book series and film.
Here are just three of them.
1. Staying social can help to keep you mentally healthy
The luxurious Kent retirement village of Cooper’s Chase offers plenty of opportunities to be sociable. While some residents opt for jigsaw puzzles, regular sing-a-longs, or listening for the clink of wine as Waitrose delivery vans pass over the cattle grid, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron have other ways to stay socially active.
The “cold case” murder of a young stabbing victim provides the perfect means to bring this disparate group together every Thursday. And what starts as a hobby turns into a real-life investigation when a local property developer is found murdered.
Last year, we marked Loneliness Awareness Week by writing about how your financial plan provides purpose and can help combat loneliness in retirement and acknowledged that the adjustment to retired life can be tough.
A fast-paced company and a busy office offer plenty of opportunities for social interaction, and it’s only natural to miss this life when you retire.
Thankfully, it’s never been easier to stay in touch with friends and colleagues. Arranging in-person meetings is a simple as a text, and video calls can help you keep in touch or even reconnect with friends and family who have moved away.
An active social life is key to mental health and wellbeing in retirement, so be sure to nurture the relationships that matter to you.
Start with a simple catch-up, with no pressure to move on to solving murders.
2. Taking up a hobby could help you to find purpose in retirement
A long and successful career can provide purpose. So, it’s important to find a replacement to perform the same function once your career ends.
That might mean continuing to use your skills and knowledge in a consultancy role, volunteering your time, or taking up a new hobby.
You might find retirement provides the time to fully commit to a hobby you’ve previously dabbled in. You might’ve abandoned a passion entirely when you started your career or while you raised a family. Now might be the perfect time to take it up again. Equally, retirement is the perfect excuse to try something completely new.
Whether it’s painting, photography, world travel or learning an instrument, there are plenty of ways to indulge your passions, through local art classes, online tutors or a visit to your local travel agent.
3. Staying active is key to maintaining physical health
Life at Cooper’s Chase is simple. There’s a gym, a library, and Shepherd’s Pie on a Monday, served in the “contemporary upscale restaurant”. The most complicated task is understanding the four different colours of recycling bin!
But the gym isn’t for everyone, and you might need to find other ways to stay active and physically healthy.
For Joyce, Elizabeth, and the gang, that involves tailing potential criminals and the occasional high-speed chase, but you might opt for a stroll with a friend or a weekly sporting activity, like walking football.
Even simple exercises can help to keep you flexible, which is key to maintaining movement into old age.
Exercise also has the added benefit of getting you out into fresh air and, if you exercise as part of a sports team or walking group, keeping you socially active too.
Financial wellbeing begins long before retirement, so timely advice is key
Of course, being a luxury retirement village, life at Cooper’s Chase doesn’t come cheap. To enjoy a socially active retirement with plenty of exercise for body and mind, you’ll need to have a solid plan in place.
It’s your financial wellbeing that gives you the confidence and peace of mind to take up new hobbies or to travel the world, which is why a solid but adaptable long-term financial plan is so important.
If you’re looking for an independent financial adviser in Milton Keynes or Olney, look no further. At Jane Smith Financial Planning, we’ve been helping clients for 30 years, so contact us at info@janesmithfinancial.com or call 01234 713131 to see what we can do for you.
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