Never too late for love at Chantry Lodge

87-year-old Joyce and George Dent met at school in Yorkshire in 1940 when they were just 11 years old. After leaving school, they both moved away and married other people, but by chance, they reconnected in 1990, and together with their partners, became close friends.

When Joyce sadly lost her husband in 1999, George and his wife were by her side, and vice versa when George’s wife passed away in 2007, by which time Joyce had moved to Andover to be nearer to her children. Over the following year, love blossomed for George and Joyce, and they decided to marry and moved into a new home together in Andover.

Joyce says: “When people hear our story of how we met, they always say how lovely it is. When I walked into that meeting in Leeds and saw George there, I was amazed it was him! It had been 45 years since we’d last seen each other. We were very fortunate to have found each other again. We have grown to be wonderful companions and we know how lucky we are to have each other.”

Eight years on, the couple decided that it might be time to downsize. George explains: “We’re in reasonably good health so we thought it’d be better to go through the upheaval of downsizing and moving sooner rather than later. We explored the idea of retirement living quite a lot. We wanted somewhere that offered independence, but with emergency assistance if required, close to local amenities and transport. Chantry Lodge certainly ticked all of the right boxes.

“We moved in two days before Christmas and have enjoyed getting to know our fellow Owners at the Lodge. Our two-bedroom apartment is the perfect size and we’re so glad we made the move when we did – we didn’t want to wait until it got to the point where we couldn’t take care of our house anymore. We wanted to stay in Andover, so we are so pleased that these apartments are available right in the centre of town.”

Chantry Lodge is a new development from WhatHouse? Award winners Churchill Retirement Living, consisting of 65 one- and two-bedroom privately owned retirement apartments and shared facilities, designed exclusively for the over 60s. The development is in a convenient location near local shops and amenities.

Designed for practicality, the spacious rooms in the apartment are both functional and attractive. The kitchens include a fitted fridge and freezer and a hob and oven at waist height. The bedrooms come with a fitted wardrobe and television and telephone points.

Owners can have friends or family come to stay in the guest suite at the development, and there are lifts to every floor. For peace of mind, the apartments come with a 24 hour emergency Careline system, and there is a fitted camera entry system. There is a lodge manager on site, and intruder and fire alarms are fitted.

The development has a wellbeing suite and a roof terrace, ideal for enjoying tea with friends, or for simply sitting and reading or listening to some music. There is also an owners’ lounge, which gives residents the opportunity to socialise, with events such as fish and chip suppers and tea dances.

Prices at Chantry Lodge start from £210,950.

Find out more about available apartments at Chantry Lodge from Churchill Retirement Living 

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