[theo_luddite]

Sorry to hear about everyone's personal situations on here.
It's not good....it's not good at all.

Aye well, at least we're not Leeds fans living in Bradford.  

Or Baggies fans living with the Dingles - oh, hang on a minute. nah, no problem we always win down here anyway.

SHEP.

Provisionally they are offering me an initial 12 months as a contractor/consultant. It can't be a full 12 months ( i.e. four weeks work each month) as otherwise HMRC would be on them like a ton of bricks to re-employ me. Two weeks per month will pay all the regular bills and let me do most of what I like to do, like wander around the country watching Town as and when we can do that again, though I won't save much/might just dip into savings occasionally. 3 weeks and I'm more than happy but it also gives me the chance to find odd bits of consultancy stuff elsewhere too without worrying about where my next bacon sarnie is coming from. I've another 4 years until the Gov't Pension kicks in. The forecasts on my Private Pension will barely pay the bills, but they are taking almost as much a year in fees, robbing barstewards. I've currently (or had) enough in there that if I drawdown £1 grand a month it will last well into my 80's.

Talking to one of the lads that set this company up a few years back, it was more about dropping numbers off the direct payroll. If they want me in for more than 3 weeks in a month I'll end up with more top line than I get now and my tax drops to 20% as self-employed. One door closes, another one opens. If it doesn't, give it a kick.