Retirement

Retirement, Summer 2006

David Tall formally retired as Professor in Mathematical Thinking at the end of the academic year 2005-2006, which officially extends to September 30th 2006 and shared celebrations with Eddie Gray, who retired at the same time. It marks the end of an era as the Mathematics Education Research Group diminished with five research members leaving out of six. Retirement is a time of new opportunities...
At our joint retirement party, Eddie and I drink a toast to our colleagues who have honoured us by arranging a bench with our names to be placed in the University of Warwick.	A final party to celebrate Eddie’s student Hazel’s award of a PhD. A happy time tinged with sadness as many of us leave. (Point at the picture to see who is left.)

Adrian Simpson and Nada Stehlikova organised an international conference for us in Prague to celebrate our retirement over the weekend July 15–16. The Festschrift of 29 research papers pictured on the right can be downloaded from here as a pdf. Copyright in individual papers is retained by the individual authors, so please contact them with respect to any copyright issues.

The final presentation of mementos, including recordings and photos of the occasion to David and Eddie by Nada Stehlikova, together with the Festschrift containing 29 research papers edited by Adrian Simpson.
John Monaghan organised a surprise party at the conference of PME attended by more friends from around the world.	*Eddie and David sing Good Night Ladies* for the last time, Given our intonation, perhaps it was a time too far... SEE HERE FOR MORE PRAGUE PHOTOS.**
Retirement started seriously after returning from our goodbyes in Prague. Now it is time for pastures new.
Sue and I had begun the new life with a visit to London to see some shows.	We spent a week in Bradford enjoying the music of Delius and the countryside of Yorkshire.
On Father’s Day we attended the christening of our youngest grandson Simon John Tall (left) with all my children and grandchildren and my brother Graham and his boys. (June 18).	The week after returning from Prague, the wedding of my nephew Robin and Sarah in Wales on the estate once owned by James Watt. (Aug 5th).
A week in St Ives on holiday as grandsons Lawrence and Zac protect Grandpa Canute from the tide. (Aug 3rd – 10th).	We celebrate at St Ives as son Chris and his wife Ruth join us with daughter Rebecca, Phil and their boys.
We visit the Eden Project on way back from Cornwall on the 10th ...	... and visit Nic and family in Taunton on the way home (this picture was taken a couple of days later).
Meanwhile, sister Rosey and her husband Daryl were over from Las Vegas for Robin’s wedding and we travelled around with them including three days visiting Rebecca, Phil, Lawrence and Zac in Chester (Tues 15th – Thurs 17th).	Brother Graham (in the background) organises a barbecue for over forty family members, including our three children, Rebecca, Chris and Nic, with Rebecca’s boys Lawrence and Zac and Nic’s Simon and Emily.
*The three Tall girls meet for the first time ever: my daughter Becki, grand-daughter Emily and sister Rosey.*	Baby Simon (smiling) plays with Graham’s first grandson, Daniel.
*Graham gets cousin John Greenhalf, and cousin Barrie Tall together for the first time in over 40 years.*	David, Barrie and John all played Rugby for Northamptonshire Schoolboys team when they were boys at Wellingborough Grammar School.

Two days later, six strong men arrive to fit a new kitchen and rewire our whole house, so we move out to stay with son Chris and his wife Ruth in Newark Nottinghamshire.	This gave me a chance to travel a few miles to Woolsthorpe to the Manor House where Isaac Newton famously contemplated the falling of an apple.
Over the weekend September 1st – 4th we stayed with nephew Phillip and Jane, attending the christening of Daniel on the Sunday.	At last, on Tuesday, September 5th, we were able to return to our own home, our new kitchen and perhaps a chance to relax a bit.
Retirement offers the chance to do new things, renewing family ties, taking time to relax, to travel, to share time with others. In the next few months we are invited to visit Germany, Cyprus, Japan, Finland, San Diego in the USA, Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo in Brazil, Abu Dhabi, a tour of Taiwan and a second visit to the USA. Retirement means no more routine work referring papers for international journals, setting and marking exams, preparing courses. But it means travel, friendship, family and a future. Retirement? What retirement?
The first job was to publish the book my brother Graham and I have just written about Wellingborough Grammar School, on sale from October 28th 2006. Click here to see our visit to Grammar School Old Boy Sir David Frost to publicise the book. Click here to learn how to obtain a copy! Hear Graham talk about the final details on Radio Northampton: Life goes one!