being a "good bloke" means shit these days. If your industry has too many employees and too little work then its inevitable. I think the key is having a good base of skills so your not stuck in one small sector. Theres a lot of people my way made redundant whove only done one thing all thier working life and now redundant dont have any transferable skills.

Also ageism is still alive and well regardless of what the law says. Over 50 and your fucked unless you really stand out for some reason.