The family sold the shares in Woodbridge and Company primarily because Dad had forced the issue since he was concerned at his elder cousins following the tradition of reducing their work week by one day for every year over 60 leaving him with more and more of the work and responsibility, but with them still "involved" and therefore him being constrained in its management.  The truth was that by this time a lot of the companies profits were coming from his investment of previous profits and had very little to do with lorries, packing and warehouse storage facilities. He often described the company as just the wrong size- not a large business by any measure, but too large to be small and intimate.  When some of the staff are close relatives and others are long standing employees and often of the second or third generation, it makes any business decision affecting them far more difficult.

After around a year of taking stock in Ilford and looking for a place to retire, chose a new build house at Bradford on Avon for both the countryside and proximity to Bath for its university and Roman connections.  It is possible that may have decided to have remained in the area for the remainder of their retirement, had it not been for the arrival of grandchildren and in particular the iniital poor health of Oliver which meant that regular driving up and down the M4 (almost always looking directing into the rising or setting sun) got too wearing and the decision was made to move closer too them and also far closer to their childhood roots.

For a while had a small holiday retreat at Barton-on-Sea overlooking the Isle of Wight, called JOSH because of first letters of JOhn and SHeila.