Despite our efforts, we failed to interview anyone who had not been engaged in significant learning activities during their adulthood. The learning which they talked about took place both at work and outside work: in libraries, societies and community organisations, with friends and neighbours, and at home, as well as in educational institutions and training centres. It might be related to work or not; and in the latter case was quite often pursued as an alternative to, or substitute for, thwarted work ambitions. Much of it was not known about by their employers or colleagues, and many of the respondents wished to keep it that way. Many managers, for their part, appeared unconcerned or uninterested in what their employers did outside work, and in how this might relate to their work.