It’s a little bit under eight years since Greg Fitzgerald stepped down from running Galliford Try without a role to go to, and the larger-than-life Vistry chief executive is offering me retirement tips.

The problem is, the self-confessed “maniac” workaholic has just taken on an additional role at £4bn-turnover Vistry. Not finding it enough, clearly, to be chief executive, he’s about to break all City protocols to become chair of the fast-growing partnership housebuilder at the same time. Oh, and by-the-by, he also owns and chairs £85m-turnover Devon-based regional housebuilder Baker Estates, much to the chagrin of his listed rivals, who doubt they would get such leeway from their shareholders.

So, all in all, it’s possible he’s the single least-qualified person in the UK to give advice on taking up the proverbial pipe and slippers.

“My advice is retire in April, don’t retire in November,” he says, referring to his own retirement from Galliford in 2016. “The weather’s shit. What are you gonna do with yourself? When I had a phone call in February or March [2017] from the chair of Bovis, Ian Tyler, I was very happy.”

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