sys4, you chose to be made redundant back in 06. If you wanted to stay in the industry you could have. Like many before your exit and many since, you could have relocated to where the work was. You chose not to and took the money.
You'd think 8 years after the fact you wouldn't feel the sense of glee by getting on a forum and throwing barbs at people that didn't throw themselves at the sword so you could preserve your job way back then.
In closing, take some responsibility for your own life and stop blaming others for where you've ended up.