Churchill Retirement Living has welcomed its first Owners at Goodwin Lodge in Deal, where a thriving community is taking shape. The age exclusive development on Ark Lane has seen the first wave of Owners move into their brand new one and two bedroom apartments.
Among them is Judy Beech, who moved to Deal to be nearer to her granddaughter and great grandchildren. “I absolutely love it here,” she says. “I’m 100% sure I made the right decision. I used to live in a duplex apartment in Dover, but I didn’t want the stairs. Now I’m close to my granddaughter and great granddaughter who is just 13 months old. They love coming here to visit, although my great granddaughter has done her best to dismantle my new apartment!”
Judy adds: “Deal is a lovely town, we have the seafront on our doorstep and countryside walks just a short distance away. Here at the Lodge it’s very quiet and peaceful considering it’s a residential area, and we have a lovely garden to sit and enjoy when the weather’s nice. I can walk into town every day for my bread, fish, groceries, and meat from the butchers. I hardly ever do a big supermarket shop any more as I like to support our local stores.”
Local people Jill and Bob Parkin agree.
We had a lovely cottage in Deal quite near to the Lodge,” says Jill. “But it was getting a bit cold and drafty for us, and a lot to maintain. We watched Goodwin Lodge being built and decided we’d like a top floor apartment looking to the south and west – I had my heart set on one particular apartment from a very early stage and made sure I was the first person to reserve!
“We have an allotment nearby which keeps us busy,” adds Bob. “We make lots of jams and chutneys with the produce we grow ourselves and it’s been a bumper crop this year. We’re active members of the local church, Jill does Tai Chi, and I’m also involved in the Deal branch of the Association of Men of Kent. Men of Kent has a proud tradition across the county, we organise all sorts of activities and have plenty of fun, and I’m always on the lookout for more members!”
Hair stylist Tony Langford has seen his health improve immensely since moving into Goodwin Lodge. “I’ve made lots of friends and enjoy the social aspect of living here,” says Tony. “Everyone kindly organised a 72nd birthday party for me in the Owners’ Lounge just recently, which was a lot of fun and we all had a good laugh together. I’m very happy with my new apartment and glad to have my daughter and other friends around.”
Lorraine Shakespeare, who has MS and is in a wheelchair, is enjoying life more than she expected since becoming one of the youngest Owners of a Churchill apartment. “I thought I was the least sociable person in the world,” she says. “But moving here has made me much more outgoing. It’s a nice environment and you’re not forced to socialise, but there are people to chat to if you want to. It’s made me more confident, as it was quite difficult for me before not being able to get out and about. I think isolation can creep up on you without you realising it.”
Margaret took the brave decision to move from her home in Warwickshire. and is very pleased with her decision. “I had lots of steps where I lived before,” she says. “There was also a big garden that needed looking after. I’d never even been to Deal before, but I liked the idea of moving to a Churchill development so I had a look at all the locations Churchill has. Deal sounded nice so I thought why not come and see it? I really liked it so I decided to come and live somewhere new – I have friends who live fairly nearby so I thought why not?”
Goodwin Lodge is located near the seafront and close to the heart of Deal, a short walk from the shops, restaurants, and other leisure activities on offer in the town centre, and perfectly located for local transport links. The Lodge comprises 41 private, self-contained apartments with spacious rooms throughout, considerately designed with the over 60s in mind, and a warm, comfortable Owners’ Lounge.
For more information on Goodwin Lodge, call 01304 899512 or visit churchillretirement.co.uk.