Back in great-grandad's time, there was no such thing as a 'retirement age'. There were no social benefits, no pension arrangements, and unless you were of the wealthy persuasion you worked from childhood for however long your body would keep on going. When it wouldn't... well, that was generally that.

The development of social welfare, National Insurance and pension systems has changed the way we map out our lives. Most over 50s have watched their parents and relatives work until their 60s then take their gold watch or 'We'll miss you' card and head for home, the Post Office pension queue and a life of comparative leisure. Retirement was the point at which paid work stopped and a quieter life began. But now, our life cycles are changing beyond recognition...

All change
Despite its initial appeal, many used to dread the onset of retirement. It signified the loss of far too much - friends and social contact, money, purpose, occupation, structure, being needed... It also heralded infirmity and old age. Not the most uplifting prospect.

Yet today's retirees are embracing a very different future. Changing demographics mean there are lots more of us more mature citizens around, living longer, healthier lives - though often with fairly tight financial resources. Fresh opportunities for learning, career change, part-time work and age discrimination law all meld together to offer a new way ahead. Add in the recent blurring of the 'retirement age' concept, and our later years take on an altogether busier, more focused and vibrant hue.

Bridge that gap
Retirement as complete separation from the workplace is now replaced with more flexible arrangements and many are getting used to the idea of bridging employment. Bridging is a kind of partial retirement in which an older person spends some time in temporary, part-time, self-employed or voluntary work and uses any remaining downtime as they please. Bridging allows people to try out different jobs, fill labour market shortages and get a feel for life after a full-time career. It can also fulfil retirees' commonly cited needs: to keep active and healthy, stay productive, mix with others and (if it's paid work) earn extra cash to buy luxuries or help out cash-strapped offspring.

Bridging also fits in well with the many opportunities for learning new skills: a host of adult learning and online courses now make lifelong learning accessible to everyone. And because in general we're fitter and healthier than our parents' generation at the same age, there are endless leisure pursuits and pastimes to try out or refine.

Life's for living
So increasingly, the traditional notion of retirement is being replaced by lifelong work in various roles and in various amounts at different times of your life. Retirement - the final stage of a linear life - becomes part of a dynamic lifecycle that interleaves many varied periods of leisure, learning and work.

The years beyond 50 are surely now a time to be welcomed, a time to choose. A time to grab opportunities with both hands and make the most of your time, your skills and your drive to enjoy life. We may not be the wealthiest group in society but hey, it's an enviable space.

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