Old pals’ act is just perfect
MAKING friends late in life can be difficult, which is why retirement developments are a lifeline for those who find themselves living alone. Having an old friend across the hall is a bonus on top of the freedom from worry about maintaining a home and garden that’s too big for one person.
Eileen Gorham and Vera Peters are among the lucky friends who ended up becoming neighbours when they both moved into apartments at Churchill Retirement Living’s King’s Lodge development in Maidstone, Kent.
“I’ve known Vera since I was 17, when we used to work together,” recalls Eileen. “We’ve been friends ever since and lived in Maidstone all our lives.
“In recent years we both found ourselves in a similar situation, having lost our husbands and each of us living alone in large houses that needed a lot of maintenance.
“Vera suggested that we go together to a Macmillan Coffee Morning at King’s Lodge, to help raise money for charity and meet some of the owners and have a look around.
“We liked what we saw and the people here were very friendly. Before we knew it, we’d both moved into our new apartments in time for Christmas.”
Vera adds: “I didn’t know if a retirement apartment would be the right thing for me, but I was very pleased to find that I could afford it, and the Churchill team were very helpful the whole way through.
“I used Churchill’s Selling Made Easy scheme and free removal service, which helped everything go smoothly.
“I do miss my house and the lovely big garden but I’m pleased to have made the move. Now I don’t have to worry about the expensive upkeep of a big house and garden any more.
“I’m right in the heart of town and I’ve got Eileen and a lot of other friends here who I can meet up with whenever I want to.”
The pair enjoy keep fit classes and Tai chi twice a week in the owners’ lounge, croissants and coffee on Sunday mornings, cheese and wine tasting, pub quizzes – even a murder mystery afternoon.
Vera adds: “On New Year’s Eve it was the first time in years I’d stayed up with friends to see in the new year and we had a really good party – it was wonderful!”
Jean Allin has downsized from a four-bedroom property in Bude, Cornwall, to PegasusLife’s Atlantic Rise in the same town. “I didn’t want to be in a flat, but a friend convinced me to come and look around Atlantic Rise and, of course, the minute I came into the building I loved it.
“That was it. I put my house up for sale,” says Jean, who felt she needed to live in town close to shops and transport.
“I bought my flat and had three friends come and visit me and they have also bought here. The first came with no intention of moving house because she was in a bungalow, but she just loved it.
“Another visited and said ‘I like it here’ and bought one. All this from just visiting my apartment!”
The friends all belong to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Women’s Institute and meet every day for coffee: “It’s nice to have a lounge where you can do that,” says Jean, 73, whose son lives in Singapore.
“There are no worries here at all.
“Before, I had to worry about upkeep all the time. Here, if a gutter fell off someone would just put it back up again.”
Churchill’s King’s Lodge in Maidstone has one-bedroom apartments for sale from £278,950 and two-bedroom flats from £349,950 (01622 965223; churchillretirement. co.uk), all with fitted kitchens and bathrooms.
PegasusLife’s Atlantic Rise is now sold out but it is selling apartments off-plan for another development in Cornwall, The Fitzroy, in Falmouth.
One, two and threebedroom flats will have views across Falmouth Bay and Pendennis Castle, with prices starting at £335,000 (01962 710700; pegasuslife.co.uk).