From Redundant to Retired

[codfanglers]

I may have brought this up a few years back, but after viewing Series 28 and pondering how different it was from the early years, I ask this question.

At what point in the show does the trio go from retired to redundant?

I believe this is totally hypothetical and it may be fun to think and have a friendly debate about this.

The Blamire years- totally redundant

Foggy's first run - I am not sure, it had a bit of a retired feel to it, I don't recall much of an emphasis on searching for employment

The Seymour years- Seymour himself, seemed more redundant as he was looking for something greater, like his postal courses and returning to headmaster status, inventions, etc.

If anything, I can say the trio was completely retired by "The Return of the Warrior." Isn't this where Foggy returned from Bridlington, and the guys really seemed like they were through with any employment.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Pearl]

Hello Cod, I'm not sure about Norman Clegg but I seem to remember that Foggy turned up already retired from the army. I would think that Compo just eased from unemployment into retirement with a change of form filling when he reached retirement age. We know Wesley retired because Sid tells us that in Car and Garter.

Entwistle was still flogging washing machines so he was still working.

 

[gill]

I seem to remember that Howard used to work in the Power Industry. Not sure if he retired or was made redundant.

 

[wstol]

Hard to solve all this as we don't know exactly when they were all born.

First of the Summer Wine implies around 1921.

Compo's passport in LOTSW says 1923.

With that in mind, Compo wouldn't have reached retirement age (65) until as recent as 1988!

Common retirement ages were 55, 60, 65 and now 70.

If we assume the characters were born around 1921 that would make Foggy 55 when he left the army (typical army retirement age perhaps?). Wesley (not sure if he was the same age as the trio) would be 60 in Car and Garter, so he may have been in a position to retire.

For Clegg, not sure if Co-op employees got their own pensions then, and if so at what age.

Certainly seemed to me when they were redundant they were NOT desperate to work. Blamire was at one time though.

Foggy never really expressed a desire to work - he was actually into get rich quick schemes. His dog walking and car parking ventures did actually involve very little hard work.

 

[barmpot]

I think originally Clegg was redunandant, no market for lino and there would have been unlikely to have been a Co-op pension so he would be on the dole. Compo had always been on the dole, often explained as a problem with his back that prevented working and Blamire was retired from Army with a pension but obviosuly still keen to earn a little more. Foggy was likewise made redundant froma civilian job in the barracks after he had retired from the army but he would have had a pension so would have been less likely to need to work.

Seymour's school seems to have spluttered out and he was not rreally retired but presumably had signed on at the unemployment exchange as Clegg would have done. At one time you stated your occupation - lino salesman - "told nothing like that available, so come back in two weeks time". The last time I was redundant my occuption had been "senior manager and they had nothing in that line at the Job Centre so I got my dole! Actually anyonew lookig at my qualifications would ahve rejected me outright as I would have been over qualified for all the local positions: even went for a few jobs but turned down on the fact of too academic a background!

 

[chris]

I have been redundant four times in my working life ,going to the labour was a joke no jobs I wanted and once the bloke behind the desk suggested I start my own company as a recruitment consultant ,he knew of a franchise ! Compo would have been a pro at beating the dole people getting him a job and Foggy was a soldier no matter he was retired he wanted to join up when he was a signwriter and Clegg never had any ambition and would have been relieved to finnish work although how he plucked up the courage to be with Mrs Clegg I will never know!

 

[Adanor]

Foggy seemed to have these schemes for making money. Dog walking, selling sandwiches at the health club, etc. Funny he never considered sign writing? Or painting eggs.

 

[barmpot]

.....r and Clegg never had any ambition and would have been relieved to finnish work although how he plucked up the courage to be with Mrs Clegg I will never know!

Clegg did not pick up courage, the future Mrs Clegg did!