Engelbert to the rescue

While the newspapers are full of job losses it would be wrong to believe that everyone views the prospect of losing their job with foreboding.

I was chatting with a friend at the rugby match on Saturday who has been weighing up the financial realities of retirement. He's in his mid-fifties in management after spending all of his career with the same employer so the prospects look pretty good. But the company still values his services and is in no hurry to see the back of him.

"How can I hint subtly that I want to go without making it blindingly obvious?" he asked. Another friend came up with the answer: "Download the ringtone of 'Please release me' for your mobile phone." Perfect.