Am I going to be able to retire? Will the bit I've saved now actually add up to enough, or are the markets going to become more unpredictable too?

No.

Nobody is saying this anywhere but the newsletter circuit but "retirement" will likely be revealed to be an aberration for about five generations - those that were able to retire between 1933 and 2040. Do not expect to retire, do not shape your future on your ability to retire, absolutely keep retirement as a goal but recognize that it's not an entitlement the way it has been portrayed lo these many years. The 'boomers will likely be the last generation to retire with any regularity. The secret to retirement is "magical" compounding interest and we're entering a period of potentially a decade or more where interest doesn't compound. For the past 15 years it's been compounding at half the rate everyone was expecting it to and that's punched a giant hole in the economy that nobody really wants to talk about.

Get good with cold frames. Those who succeed at intensive agriculture will enjoy a better standard of living than those who don't.

Sorry to be a downer. The tea leaves are particularly bitter and cloudy this morning.