Should I have taken a gift? Too late now?

[Smartsub]

I went to retirement drinks for an old colleague. Someone I worked with 10 years ago. Lots of the people there were old colleagues too.

I fully expected it to be after work drinks, buy your own, probably buy one for the retiree.

However, he had laid on a buffet and paid for all drinks all evening.

Should I have taken something?

Did others take gifts? Was anything organised - normally there's a whip-round for this sort of thing?

I didn't see any gifts. Probably those still working with him did a collection, but I wasn't invited to be part of it and it didn't occur to me to ask.

Hmm. If you don't have his address could you ask your HR to forward a card to him, thanking him for the lovely evening, and enclose a gift voucher maybe?

I'd send a card to thank them and wish them well, and if you feel like it, a small gift/voucher

I’d also send a card and a voucher. But they probably wanted to put on a spread and won’t mind

I'm not sending a voucher! "I didn't realise you'd pay, here's a contribution".

I thanked him on the evening and have sent a message since.

What's up with a voucher? I love getting vouchers

How awkward for you. I probably wouldn’t have taken a present either and agree a voucher might not be appropriate.
Is he local? Could you drop round a Rose for his garden?

My husband funded his leaving do - there’d been a process of redundancies and as ‘last man standing’ no one left to organise his.
it was a great evening but absolutely no expectations of any gifts.

No, just a thanks and wish him well is absolutely fine

It doesn't sound as if you did anything wrong. He was probably very pleased to see you. You could send a nice congratulations card in the post with an extra message about how lovely it was. He might appreciate you keeping in touch from time to time, some people struggle with retirement and feel a bit invisible, he may enjoy opportunities to chat more than physical gifts.

Leave it, then. I doubt he's worried about it.

Next time take a bottle, not worth worrying about though.

Off topic, but I hate vouchers.

They're just money that's been cursed by a wizard to be used in specific times and places, usually ones that I don't like and end up costing me more money.

E.g restaurant vouchers for chain restaurants I don't go to, have to travel to, and don't include drinks. Instead of saying "£20 towards a meal" that I'd spend in a nice local independent restaurant.

In this context I wouldn't give them because it's too much like giving cash whcj would surely be inappropriate but I also agree with you. There must be thousands (millions?) of pounds spent on vouchers which never get used.

Currently in this house we have two red letter days nearing expiry with no real time or inclination to do any of the things on offer within reasonable travelling distance.