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82-year-old Magdalen from Cooper Lodge in Frinton-on-Sea has a clear message for anyone who wonders what retirement living with Churchill might be like:<\/p>\n
\u201cFree yourself from responsibility and rediscover your youth, but don\u2019t leave it too late! Move before you need to. There\u2019s a new life waiting for you!\u201d<\/p>\n
The retired \u2018Vocational Education Director\u2019 is firmly embracing her new lifestyle since making the move. \u201cMy new apartment has freed me from responsibility,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t have to worry about looking after my old house anymore, so I can concentrate on having fun instead. I\u2019m busy every day trying new things and contributing to helping other people. I\u2019ve got more than just a new property, I\u2019ve got a whole new life, and it\u2019s because of the people and the community we are creating here. Everyone is so friendly and down to earth, and I greatly value the support and appreciation of our Lodge Manager Rosemary Phelps.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve made lots of new friends and taken up so many new activities, both inside and outside the Lodge. I enjoyed contributing to all the social events we used to have prior to lockdown. I also joined the Essex Theatre Club and the local gym, and I was always out and about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided to give up my car last summer, as I didn\u2019t really need it anymore,\u201d she adds. \u201cNow I have an electric \u2018cabin car\u2019 which gets me where I need to go and is very economical. I call her Daisy and she\u2019s like another member of the family \u2013 we even gave her a little welcome party when she arrived!\u201d<\/p>\n
The mutual support Magdalen and her neighbours have given each other through the Covid-19 pandemic is a further example of the Lodge\u2019s community spirit in action. \u201cWhen the second lockdown came in I saw that our local \u2018Hat & Mouse\u2019 restaurant was offering meal deliveries, and their food is very nice, so with the help of my friend Christine we\u2019ve been taking everyone\u2019s orders and arranging a regular bulk delivery for the Lodge. We\u2019ve had help from the other Owners, safely dropping the pre-wrapped food off at people\u2019s doorsteps, and some other Owners have kindly organised the occasional glass of wine to go with the food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all been helping each other out with shopping, and ordering online deliveries for those who need them. I\u2019ve even been teaching one neighbour how to use an iPad so that she can get online herself. It\u2019s important to stay connected in these times, and I\u2019ve enjoyed regular Zoom calls with my friends all over the country, as well as regular telephone calls with my neighbours here at the Lodge.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Christmas she was up at 5.30am arranging \u2018Secret Santa\u2019 deliveries to neighbours who were self-isolating, and both she and Christine helped the local church with the preparations for its Christmas meal deliveries to people who were alone.<\/p>\n
After discovering the benefits of her new life, Magdalen is keen to encourage others to do the same. \u201cA friend of mine often reminds me of the saying that there\u2019s no point looking backwards, as you\u2019re not travelling that way,\u201d she says. \u201cI think it\u2019s very true, and I\u2019m looking forward to positive times ahead, especially when the lockdown is behind us. We\u2019re already planning a reunion gathering in the Owners\u2019 Lounge as soon as the rules will allow it!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cFree yourself from responsibility and rediscover your youth, but don\u2019t leave it too late! Move before you need to. There\u2019s a new life waiting for you!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n