RH, I think MP used the wrong word in the second case - did he mean to say "I was taken out to dinner on my retirement by several pilots who had faced
retirement redundancy who just wanted to say thank you, a very kind thought."? I did that when one Contract I was on started to wind up so I left what work there was to the young guys with families - I had the flex to work away from home, semi-retired, which I then did for several years. People gradually left over the next 18 months but, at least, it bought them more time to plan.
Mind you, the young bu66ers never took me out to dinner tho!
Praps they were just glad to be shot of H 'n' H!