I could never quite get over my amazement that I was no longer subject to the strict timetable by which schools run. I could find myself, in the middle of a Monday morning, driving up the M40 on my way to a meeting instead of keeping to the timetable. My husband and family also had to cope with change. Weekends were no longer my own - volunteers are not available during the week and my concern for the all age church and for the leadership of worship meant that I was frequently preaching on Sundays.
Having run my own school there were times when it was quite hard not to be 'the boss', when I ached to interfere in the way that things were managed. Fortunately I was surrounded by very able people who encouraged me in what I was doing and with whom it was possible to think creatively and to put ideas and visions into practice.
Gradually things came together: my knowledge of children, in school and in the church; my experience of working with adults, teachers and local preachers; my training in music, speech and drama; my theological education; my experience within the family; my philosophy and understanding of the learning process. I had never worked so hard in my life, but I had never enjoyed myself so much.
After five years I moved on to become Children's Secretary for the Methodist Team, which gave me even wider opportunities, culminating last year in the privilege of being Vice-President of the Methodist Conference. Looking back I began to feel that all of my life had been a preparation for these recent years.
Last week I retired. I find people are quite worried for me. "How on earth are you going to cope after all that activity?" they ask.
But experience tells me that it is exciting to move into a new phase of your life, that unimagined doors will open and then it is a question of whether you’re brave enough and have the strength to walk through them.
That's where God comes in.
What does it mean to be retired?
Fresh from retirement, and the excitement of a year as Vice President up to the 2004 Conference, Judy Jarvis reflects on her own working life, the changes it has gone through, and the adjustments that sometimes have to be made, particularly to fulfil a vocation!
I spent the first half of my working life in school. I taught 50 'mixed infants' in Stafford, 'B stream' 11 year olds on a housing estate in the Black Country, 12 year olds in a school then designated ESN (M) (Educationally Sub Normal - Moderate) and children with special needs in a big middle school in a multi-cultural area.
I then became Deputy Head of a Combined School for 5 to 12 year olds. After little more than a year the headmaster announced his early retirement and I became Acting Head. Shortly afterwards I found myself Head, a job that I had never expected to do. I come from the generation of women who expected to give up their careers as soon as they had children. I had thought that I would spend a great deal of my life in 'good works', particularly within the life of the church.
During this period I married and had two sons. I became a local preacher and Junior Church leader. I became involved with the support and training of local preachers in my District and through the Local Preachers' Connexional Committee.
I had a very busy, fulfilling, demanding life. Then a friend, who was a fellow headteacher challenged me. "You must look to the future," she said. "You're not the type of person to get stuck in a rut. You must move schools or do something different. Isn't there anything in the life of the church for you, I've always thought that was where you heart was."
So, at 48, I found myself becoming Children's Work Training Secretary in the Methodist Division of Education and Youth. It was a complete change of culture and lifestyle, it was a great new adventure, and a risky one at that.
So many things were different. I had to drive 35 miles to the place where I was based. Never confident at finding my way as a driver this presented a great challenge which became even more demanding as I started to travel round the country in the course of my work.
