JOIN THE CLUB!
From Pilates to poetry, villages offer groups for all tastes, says Fred Redwood
TELEVISION presenter Richard Osman was so inspired by the people he met in a retirement home while visiting a friend’s elderly mother that he decided to write a book on the subject.
His debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, about a group of pensioners in a retirement village who investigate unsolved deaths, has been a surprise hit: critics love it and Steven Spielberg bought the film rights. ‘I was surprised because the place was really busy with people everywhere,’ said Osman. ‘Then, when you start talking to them, 70 and above, you think “My goodness there’s some talent, wit, wisdom and sense of mischief in this generation”.’
You’ll be pushed to find a Murder Club in a modern retirement development — but what you will find are special interest groups, from aerobics and Pilates to poetry and painting. Perhaps the most unusual is ‘ geocaching’, as enjoyed by Ann and Jan Vonk and friends from the Inspired Villages site at Millbrook, near Exeter.
Geocaching is a form of outdoor treasure hunting using GPS devices, in which participants use a set of co- ordinates to find ‘hidden treasure’ — the geocache.
Ann Vonk, 79, says: ‘We are such creatures of habit, we seldom stray from the beaten path. Geocaching opens up the world.’ There are 164 apartments and cottages at Inspired Villages, Millbrook ( inspiredvillages.co.uk).
A gardening club may seem tame in comparison but, in a similar way, it encourages residents to get to know one another.
Magpie Court, McCarthy & Stone’s development on the outskirts of Bristol, has only been open for 18 months. At first, the garden was bland and featureless but the newly formed gardening club, led by Margaret Oxenham, soon put that right.
Margaret, 79, says: ‘ Today I’ll walk out into the garden and I’ll guarantee someone will join me for a chat.’ ( mccarthyandstone.co.uk)
Retirement village companies are well aware of the importance of friendship groups. McCarthy & Stone, which has developments all around the country from Cheshire to Norfolk, commissioned research into the subject in July and found that half of the over- 55s said positive mental health is key. And 60 per cent said that their friends prevented them from feeling lonely.
In Wadswick Green’s Wiltshire development, Wendy Osburn, 78, who was one of the first residents when the site opened in 2015, is the driving force behind all manner of social activities.
‘You must learn to mix with people and enjoy life,’ she says. ‘I’m convinced it helps you live longer.’ ( rangefordvillages.co.uk)
Social clubs have helped residents in retirement villages during lockdown. Many, including Inspired Villages, set up Zoom chat groups.
At Castle View, Windsor, there are 64 apartments. Village manager Lisa Fisher says: ‘We celebrated VE Day, hold singing and even exercise classes on the balcony.’ ( castleviewwindsor.co.uk)