I'm 68. 2 months ago my wife passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly.
I miss her so much.
Part of what hurts so much is we had plans, and now they are just gone.
I have an adult son that lives with me. ( was with "us") and he is great.
I don't know what Id do with out him.
I have friends and they check in on me and I do talk about it.
But it is still so hard without her.

Thanks for your honest talk about mental health, Lawrie. I hope your words of wisdom help those of us who often feel we are alone in our situation.

Thank you very much Lawrie for this honesty and yes like you said volunteering is a good way to learn as a human!

Naval Veteran here Lawrie, I left the Forces in 1978. Part of me didn't want to leave but it's fair to say I was conflicted. For a year or more I was fairly depressed. I'm not sure that I'd call it clinical depression but I'd go to a party to try & get out of myself but somehow I didn't feel engaged. It was as though I had a mini cloud just following me about wherever I went.The Pink Panther cartoon portrayed it fairly recognisably one episode. I did voluntary work with the Conservation Volunteers. They were doing a long term project at Rivington Terraced Gardens up in Lancashire at the time. Accommodation was also available for those who didn't mind kipping in a hayloft. I'm sure it helped. Long story short, the depression does go eventually, at least it did in my case. That said, I recognise that there are both veterans & civvies out there who have it worse than me so your advice is sound. BTW, I love steam traction too but I know that doesn't make me loco, quite the reverse in fact.

Thank you for such an honest video.

Thank you for the story Lawrie.

It’s been over a year and a month since I was first diagnosed with major depression disorder while already having autism since 2 years old. I have been withdrawing and cutting off some family members and I don’t exactly have any close friends anymore. I have been looking at my interests and I’m currently on holidays with a bunch of heritage railways in mind which has helped me to have something to wake up and something to look forward to in life.

After wanting to volunteer for ages at our local railway, Chasewater in Staffordshire, after my son turned 14 We've both been volunteering for the past couple of months, were there on day nearly every weekend and most Wednesday evenings.
We enjoy it and just turn up and do whatever needs doing, even if that does end up being a lot of chatting
We hope to see you sometime there😊

I can highly recommend volunteering.

I've been a volunteer at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (we met when you came to drive Glaslyn!) for over 30 years and I've made many many good friends that have always been there for me at both my lowestand best moments!

Thank you very much for this video. Things do get better, even if it has been hard to see it sometimes

Thank you lawrie. Regards Stuart

Brilliant story Lawrie.

Hi Lawrie, I get where you are coming from, my High School days were crap. I had friends but they prefered to bully me, only had 4 true friend . BUT IT NEVER LASTED AFTER I LEFT HIGH SCHOOL, I got through my days with my Art because thats the Subject I enjoyed & we had an Art Teacher who wanted to show the boys only how to do photography. I spent most of my time listerning when , I was not surposed too do so.  We did volunteer at a Heratige Railway & When Scouting Took over, Volunteering went out the window as we would keep up doing both. It wasent till I was Working at my local Primary School , that I ran into one of my high school bullies. I had to help train her, which I reluctanly did & when she relise one time that her own daughter , was turning into her a Bully. She stopped in her tracks & relised all the bullying she casused me, She Sheepishy Appogised & said we can work together, as were we chridren then & we are adults now.  My reply was just a Smile & I thought it only happen, because you saw your own daughter be a bully. Sad to say her daughter carried on , purly because her mother was placed else were. I miss my time going to our Heritage Railways & I have you as A Railway friend & my Two model Railway friends. I have been going to Carnforth Station & Preston, on the main Railway network to Video Deisels. I have relised there is nothing I like more than to Sit & watch them go by or Videoing them, I often Wish that Andrew is was Still here & taking me to our favroite Hertage Railways & that we were finally going back to GO & do, all the little trains of WALES OR FINALLY GO ACROSS TO THE ISLE OF MAN.

Thank you for being so honest Lawrie and for talking about mental health.

I have only recently stumbled across your videos and I really enjoy them.

I have subscribed and look forward to seeing what you do in the future.

Thanks for this as always buddy

Great video mate. I had a similar school experience.

Stuff that helps my mental health is going to church doing things for church, singing in folk sessions, a walk at the coast Dunwich if possible and a good bit of Steam smuts failed on that one this year.  I have lots of Facebook friends I can chat to who are all sympathetic which all keep me doing well.   February is my down month for a couple of reasons after which I brighten up.

A great video, and very brave of you to share some of those things from the past.

Excellent video Lawrie, I'm sure this will help quite a few people.

I had such a similar teenage experience. I can really relate x