THE R WORD

Retirement comes to us all in the end, welcomed by some dreaded by others. For gamekeepers, many of whom will have spent their working lives on an estate, stepping down and passing the reins to someone else is an almost painful experience.

Not so much because they want to continue working, but rather that they fear a loss of identity. Their job has been who they are, their social standing, for want of a better description, has always been related to their position. When they retire, they will step away from it all and in most cases have to relocate as well. It can be a tough time.

I have friends who were gamekeepers and who have changed careers, and while they have generally enjoyed some of the freedoms associated with the change, it is the social interaction that they have missed the most. True,