Linda Aldred and her husband Alan downsized to a one-bedroom bungalow at Grove Place Retirement Community. She explains why it was one of the best decisions they ever made.

My husband Alan and I were living in Portsmouth in an apartment overlooking the harbour. We were quite content there and hadn’t even thought of moving until we visited friends who had just bought an apartment at Grove Place.

We were enjoying life in Portsmouth. We were pretty active and sailed regularly and we had plenty of other things going on. But once we visited Grove Place, we decided we didn’t want to live anywhere else. The fact that care is always on hand was a big factor. It’s a great comfort when we look ahead to our older years.

We thought it would be hard moving into a one-bedroom bungalow, but it couldn’t have been easier. We moved here to make life more manageable so there was no need for us to have more than one bedroom. We have everything we could possibly need here.

On the day we moved in we decided no matter what kind of a mess we were in, we would go down to the lounge and have a coffee. So that’s what we did. Over the next few weeks, we gradually met new people and became fast friends with many of the residents. We loved our sailing in Portsmouth and thought that we would really miss that aspect of our lives, since life at Grove Place was so different, but we don’t miss anything about our old life.

We both love the clubs and activities and even small things like spending time in the lounge for coffees in the morning. Another highlight is the restaurant. The chef here is great and we were particularly impressed with the Christmas meals.

Grove Place really does feel like a five-star hotel. When they do something here, they really do go all out. They make sure everything is perfect.

I particularly enjoy choir club and the aqua aerobics in the private pool, and Alan can often be found learning to play snooker in the snooker room. When we want to go on a shopping trip, there’s a shuttle bus to nearby Romsey.

Grove Place is so welcoming and full of warmth. When you walk into the reception area in the morning, the  concierge is always there to greet you. The friendliness of the staff shows you that you are wanted and important. If you could bottle whatever it is that Grove Place has, you would make a fortune.

I would seriously advise people move here while they are still young enough to enjoy everything that is on offer. It might seem like a difficult task selling up and packing up all your belongings before moving, but it really is worth it.

Alan and I used to like going away for the new year celebrations. This year, we didn’t even bother. There was too much going on at Grove Place to leave. We just absolutely love it here.

To arrange a visit to Grove Place, please contact Sales Manager – Wendy Griffith on
T. 023 8124 4275 or E. [email protected]