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Retirement living ELMBRIDGE NEAR CRANLEIGH
28 OCTOBER 2018 • MY PROPERTY, MY HOME
Retire in style
A study by the Journal of Public Health looking at the relocation of retirees found one-third of people moved house at the age of 65 years and over. Many are now downsizing to one of the UK’s well-designed retirement villages to find new friendships and excellent facilities. Grahame Anderson catches up with the globetrotting Diana Willcock who is revelling in the village she now calls home
front door safe in the knowledge everything will be fine on her return. And while this sprightly 78-year-old has cut back on her long-haul adventures, the wanderlust burns just as bright thanks to the retirement village she calls home. She explains: “I’d been living very happily in Argyle for 12 years with
W
hen Diana Willcock ventures abroad it’s a great feeling knowing she can close her
fresh air, greenery and open spaces in abundance. Te four-bedroomed house was too big for me to manage by then, so I was ready to downsize. “But with no immediate family
and having developed a couple of health problems, I needed to move somewhere offering support and security. Sadly, in terms of what we might call retirement villages, there was nowhere in Scotland along those lines. I had friends looking at places back down south but they
were hardly ideal, until I discovered Elmbridge near Cranleigh. I paid £260k for my two-bedroom ground- floor property a couple of years ago, and it’s worth every penny. “Te best thing is there’s a real
sense of family here, the security is excellent and we have first-class social facilities. If you want to be on your own that’s never a problem, and the landscaping and greenery is a joy. We’ve got some residents in their 90s, and this place just seems
to keep inspiring them. You could be miles out into the country and the properties are of the highest quality. I have everything I need here.” Back in the 1980s Diana was
the first female auditor at the then National Westminster Bank following a drive lead by Prime Minister Margaret Tatcher to get more women into management roles. She also worked on user- layout architectural drawings for the bank’s architects for a modern bank computer centre in London. Diana was able to retire at 48 to
a base in South Africa following a successful career in banking. It enabled her to pursue a passion for travelling and photography almost full time visiting places including Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, Australia, Te Falklands, St Helena, the Antarctic and South America. Each time on her travels,
Diana took a camera to capture photographs of the local wildlife. She now has a collection of more than 6,000 wildlife photos featuring lions,
leopards, elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, buffalos and other exotic animals. Her regular slide shows have gone down a treat with both residents and various groups held spellbound by tales of her amazing adventures. Diana regularly featured in bank publications and in-flight magazines, with colleagues fascinated by her exploits. Elmbridge has recently
undergone a multimillion pound regeneration project, with a new central clubhouse home to a main hall, restaurant, bar, lounge, private dining room, multipurpose function room, library, shop and GP surgery. Te latest development at the village is Arun House, a luxury apartment complex also housing four penthouse suites. Tere’s superb cottages and bungalows among 275 homes spread throughout 28 acres of landscaped gardens. Prices range from £390k for
a new one-bedroom ground- floor apartment and£420k for a pre-owned two-bedroom bungalow, to £795k for a brand-new luxury penthouse. Buying or renting at Elmbridge Village is easy with both part-exchange and rental options available. Life in the village revolves around
Elmbridge Manor, home to the Clubhouse, and a thriving social calendar keep residents entertained should they wish to get involved. Active independence is at the core of everything that happens, where there are plenty of leisure activities, hobbies and social clubs. Known as the largest village in
England, Cranleigh lies close to the A281, just eight miles from Guildford and in the north-west corner of Te Weald. Winterfold Forest is nearby, and of course there’s easy access available to London should residents wish to venture into the capital. Diana adds: “We need extra land
DIANA WILLCOCK
The best thing is there’s a real sense of family here, the security is excellent and we have first-class social facilities. If you want to be on your own that’s never a problem, and the landscaping and greenery is a joy
to build more retirement villages, but for those who can afford to do it or can afford any service charges, this is certainly the way forward. Retirement and downsizing can also be the key to getting the most out of your later years. I’d definitely recommend it.” As for the travelling, Diana is
looking forward to seeing both Iceland and Italy in the near future. But when she does return home, that special Elmbridge welcome will be waiting for her.
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