Have a Happy Retirement
I gave a talk recently on “Places of Interest in Leicestershire” for the Leicester Adult Education Centre.
The Centre organises courses for people who are coming up to retirement age, and deals with a number of important issues like financial benefits and health matters.
But the courses also look at the more enjoyable aspects of retiring – the freedom to enjoy yourself, without necessarily going to the ends of the Earth to do so.
In the talk, I highlighted the many charming market towns around Leicestershire and Rutland, such as Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Hinckley, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Market Bosworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham and Uppingham. All of these are good for shopping, of course, but also for quietly looking round.
Then there are the museums. Leicester has a fine crop. These include the New Walk Museum, Jewry Wall Museum, Belgrave Hall and Abbey Pumping Station, as well as the iconic National Space Centre. But there are good museums in some of the other towns, notably Loughborough, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and Oakham, as well as Snibston Discovery Park at Coalville.
There are some smashing parks. Abbey Park in Leicester is one of my favourites anywhere, and in particular Loughborough and Melton Mowbray have really nice ones.
The Great Central Railway is Britain’s only main line preserved steam railway, and runs between Leicester North and Loughborough Central, while there is also the Battlefield Line running through the country near market Bosworth.
Getting out into the country, there’s Charnwood Forest and Watermead Country Park to the North of the city, and the rolling hills of High Leicestershire to the East.
Garden Centres? There are plenty, and if you love animals there’s Twycross Zoo and Stonehurst Farm at Mountsorrel.
The Adult Education Centre run these courses three or four times a year. If you are coming up for that magic age, why not get in touch and book a place?
Posted by colin on Sunday 16th October, 2005 at 5:08pm