The complete collection
Articles
Blog posts and articles on life, retirement, technology and the outdoors—written from experience, without jargon or performance.
Read at your own pace
Blog posts, stories, opinions and memories.
New pieces will be added regularly as photographs, memories and ideas become the next A Dose of Dave.
I Planned for Retirement. I Didn’t Plan for This Cost of Living.
After 51 years of work, why rising costs, pension policy and the social contract matter to today’s retirees—and tomorrow’s.
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Are We Watching Civilisation Begin to Collapse?
The cost of living, fading trust, social division and online fear—are these separate problems, or warning signs of something deeper?
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The First Day of Autumn That Felt Like Summer
A warm, sunny walk, the first fallen leaves and a late allotment harvest—autumn was arriving, but summer had not quite finished.
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Retirement Means Nobody Owns My Time Anymore
Work was something I did, not who I was. A reflection on flexible days, knowing what is enough and owning my time.
Read the article ↗Stop Blaming Ordinary People for a System That Is Failing Them
Pensions, housing, welfare, care, migration and hospital promises—why struggling generations must not be turned against one another.
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Rain, Roots and a Box of Good Food
A wet morning, remarkable vegetables and one of those quiet moments that explains why Dave enjoys allotment life.
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Leigh 8–19 Wakefield: More Than the Final Score
A disappointing result, a possible tactical question and another family-orientated night supporting Leigh.
Read the article ↗Being Skint Is Not a Character Flaw
Why admitting you are struggling financially is not a failure—and why a person's bank balance never determines their worth.
Read the article ↗EDF Wanted Another £80 a Month—So I Picked Up the Phone
My account was in credit, but an automatic calculation wanted another £80.26 every month. One telephone call made the difference.
Read the article ↗The State Pension Is Not Greed
After contributing for more than half a century, why should pensioners be portrayed as greedy for receiving the pension promised to them?
Read the article ↗Welfare Reform: A Serious Solution or Playing to the Crowd?
Why compulsory community work may win applause—but proper training linked to real jobs could achieve much more.
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August on Dave’s Allotment
Chillies ripening, tomatoes reaching their final weeks and another harvest beginning to come home.
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More Than Eighty Minutes
A season ticket, a strong Leigh side, a roaring crowd and a 22–10 victory over York Knights.
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Turning 70: A New Chapter
A birthday reflection on the road so far—and the freedom, gratitude and curiosity still ahead.
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Five Days at Ullswater
Family, falls, food, rain and the small moments that made a Lake District camping trip.
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We Are All Seeing the Wonders of AI
The promise is enormous—but what happens when imperfect technology is given too much authority?
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At 70, I Realised I’m Part of Technological History
From watching video calls in Thunderbirds to building a website by talking to artificial intelligence.
Read the article ↗The Strange Stages of Retirement
Freedom is only the beginning. A personal look at structure, identity and finding purpose after work.
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Returning to Williams Clough
A familiar sign, more than sixty years of memories and the wisdom to know when a walk has gone far enough.
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A Camera, a Brew and a Winter Day
Snow, a camera and outdoor skills in the Scottish Highlands—plus a reminder that memories cannot be stolen.
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Dave’s Allotment
A shed, a polytunnel, plenty of preparation and the all-important brew before the growing season begins.
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The Road Belonged to Them
Four Highland cattle, one quiet Scottish road and a 15-minute lesson in patience.
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A Lakeland Village in Miniature
One old photograph and an enduring memory of extraordinary patience, craft and attention to detail.
Read the article ↗Prefer the open air?