He says that at the end of the year when this contract comes to an end, he plans to retire. Hmm.

Economist James Banks of the University of Manchester says retirement can be good or bad for your health depending on what you have come from and what you are going to.

If you have had a highly paid, high-status job but little time or inclination to cultivate social activities or friends outside work, then retirement could be a negative step even if you have a huge pension pot. “You may walk all day and do sudokus all night once retired, but still miss the social and intellectual stimulation of the workplace,” he says. However, if you have given up a physically demanding and hazardous manual job, or one with little control and lots of stress, then retirement may be a positive step.

UK, European, US and international studies show a mixed picture; it depends on an individual’s change of status when they leave the workplace. And it is possible it may not even change your life much; if you can maintain your standard of living, interactions and sense of purpose, then retirement may not have an impact on your quality of life.

Academic Gill Mein, at St George’s, University of London, worked on the Whitehall II study, which looked at the social determinants of health among British civil servants. She has two tips for a “good retirement”. One is to develop a hobby or interest while still employed, which you can build on when you leave work. The other is to involve your partner/spouse in your change in role at home once you retire. “I met some couples where one person was used to being at home all alone day and found it difficult to adjust to both being at home and with each other 24/7.”

Professor Deborah Schofield, of the University of Sydney, says: “Moving into a planned retirement from choice is very different from having to leave because of illness. Control over your plans – such as paying off the mortgage, building up some savings and waiting for kids to leave home – are thrown into disarray, you may have less income and also fewer plans. You can find yourself at a loose end without companionship.”

There is a relationship between income and reported satisfaction with life; money may not make you happy, but it helps to be able to afford the necessities of life and a few luxuries. Schofield adds that divorce can hit women particularly hard as they often have lower savings than men. And the three main causes of early retirement because of ill health – pain, arthritis and mental illness – are poorly treated and resourced compared with other conditions such as cancer.

So since he has relatively good health, certainly none of the above issues, it bodes well. Since, between us, we have good pension provision and good levels of savings, plus the house bought and paid for, we should be well placed financially which always gives people choices.

There are said to be three stages to retirement: SAGA. AGA and GAGA that is, an adventurous start, a phase where home is best and a quieter life, followed by the decline into dementia and care homes. In my family experience, whatever age we live to, the last two years will be tough. The average life expectancy for my generation is around 80, but there are serious variations by geography, a fairly obvious proxy for wealth in the UK.

Geriatrician Dr Jeremy Jacobs, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says research into a cohort of Jerusalem residents has suggested old people who rate their health as being poor are more likely to be lonely, depressed, poor, obese or have back pain. “Loneliness is common, but it doesn’t kill you,” he says. Once you take financial security out of the equation, culture, country of origin and ethnicity seem to play a very minor role in how you age.

People over 90 stop reporting pain as a problem; no one knows exactly why.

To live longer and with good quality of life you need to sort out vision and hearing problems (cataract surgery and a hearing aid), take measures to prevent falls (nail down the carpet), avoid taking siestas, eat a decent amount and range of food (not vitamin supplements – they may increase mortality) and, above all, keep moving and stay engaged.

“Adverse life events don’t affect longevity, but if you sit at home all day doing nothing, you will deteriorate. You need to leave the house every day even if you’re in a wheelchair. And keep mentally, socially and physically active at whatever level you can manage. You don’t have to stay in paid work; volunteering is fine too,” says Jacobs.