>As the title says and my contract is running out - am I too old to go job hunting ? ( this is a serious question but feel free to wax lyrical )
I have seen a lot of job postings for C#, ASP .NET and SQL Server on Linked In. There seems to be more emphasis now in experience over degrees and certification. One thing we oldsters have to offer is our knowledge of business, not just code. That can be invaluable, especially to small businesses that don't have as much depth as the big companies do.

I think most jobs tend to start out as contract now, even if they are intended to turn into permanent positions.

Don't retire unless that's what you want.