17-05-2025
What it's really like when you retire
Gary Harrison feels guilty when he takes his dog, Artie, for a walk each morning. 'You see all these people in their vans, rushing to work, and you're off to the woods with the dog,' he said. 'I worked for fifty years before retiring last year. I still wake up at 6am — if I slept in until 7.30 I'd feel bad about that too.'
Harrison, 63, set up his electrical contracting company in 2000 and was used to working 70-hour weeks, including weekends, nights and taking calls on holiday. 'As a small business owner you do everything — you're never away from it,' he said.
Last year he decided it was finally time to shut up shop. Harrison, who lives in Calver, near Leeds,
