Churchill Retirement Living has given a warm welcome to its first new apartment Owners at Charrington Lodge in the heart of Oxted, where a thriving community is taking shape and the new properties are selling fast. The first wave of over 60s have been enjoying an independent and hassle free lifestyle since moving into the new development, which is perfectly located within easy walking distance of Oxted’s attractive high street.
Gwen and Mike O’Brien were the first to move into the Lodge, and they’ve settled in well already. Gwen says: “We’d had our eye on this place from a very early stage as we’d looked at a Churchill development in Orpington where we lived previously, but we decided to move closer to our daughter and her family who live here in Oxted. We reserved early and we were the very first to move in!
“We love it here, it’s a perfect location and a very sociable group of people who we are getting to know well already. We have a nice short walk to the shops and whenever we’re in town we seem to bump into each other and say hello.
“The best thing about living here is that it’s all brand new and clean. At our old house the garden was getting a bit too much to manage, but here we don’t have to worry about it, it’s all taken care of.
Michael and Penny Grimes were also among the first to move in, and they didn’t have far to come. Penny says: “We lived just across the road from the Lodge so we saw it being built and felt it would be a good option for us to downsize. Our daughter bought our old house, so it’s all worked out very well. She now has a place that suits her and her family, it’s just across the road so they’re nice and nearby, and we can go back and visit our old home which is lovely as of course we have lots of happy memories there.”
Tony Pugh and his wife Anne also have family connections in Oxted. He says: “We moved to be closer to our son and his family, now we see them a lot more and they’re very pleased to have us nearby. It’s great being so close to the high street too. I’ve sold my car and got a smaller one, but I hardly use it now as everything I need is so close. We’re very happy here.
Kay Holdich was grateful to Churchill for giving her a helping hand with her move. She says: “My property in Caterham was too much for me to manage, so when a friend suggested I should take a look at Charrington Lodge I thought why not. When I came here I fell in love with it straight away and with all the help I received from Churchill my move went very smoothly.
“The support and advice from their specialist downsizing service was invaluable. The adviser Doris helped me work out which furniture would fit in my new apartment and where it could go. She was great at helping me decide what to bring with me and what to leave behind, which is a difficult task when you’re on your own. Now I’m here settling in well and making new friends, all I need to do is finish unpacking!
“I love the fact that there are always people around, and if I get home late the lights are on in the Owners’ Lounge and everything feels safe and secure. It’s like walking into the Ritz!
Heidi Drury is another to enjoy the social side of life at Charrington Lodge. She says: “I moved here from a big bungalow nearby. I was pretty lonely there after my husband died, but moving here has changed that as I can see people and spend time socialising in the Owners’ Lounge as and when I want to. I have a great view from the balcony of my apartment which is at the front of the building, so I enjoy sitting there and watch the world go by.
“I was born in Switzerland but I moved here as soon as I was old enough. I wanted to learn the language, and I’ve always found English people so friendly! I met my husband here in England, we spent a few years in Geneva and Zurich but ended up back here and this is where our daughters grew up. My daughters were both very keen on me moving here and they’re glad to know I’m happy in my new apartment.”
Joe and Gill Branchflower had lots of happy memories in their old home, where they’d spent nearly 40 years, but they’re still glad to have made the move. Gill says: “The support we received from Churchill, and in particular Sales Executive Karen Hills, with the move itself was excellent, and our downsizing advisor Liesl was so reassuring. She helped us with the practical and emotional side of it all. The Churchill team also arranged lunch for us on the day we moved, which was a very nice touch as we hadn’t even thought about eating that day!
Joe adds: “The facilities here are excellent. The Owners’ Lounge is so nice and cosy, and our son can stay over in the Guest Suite when he comes down from Lancashire to visit. We’ve found it very peaceful here despite being such a central location, and another good thing about being so close to town is that we don’t need to rely on the car as much.”
Charrington Lodge is a collection of 26 one and two bedroom apartments with fitted kitchens, landscaped gardens with patio and seating areas, and a Lodge Manager to provide a friendly face throughout the week and oversee the day-to-day running of the development. Owners also benefit from a 24-hour call centre support system, a Guest Suite for family and friends to visit and an Owners’ Lounge with a coffee bar.