At 88 years old, retired steam engine driver Graham isn’t showing many signs of slowing down. A resident at Bupa Ashford Retirement Village, he’s just renewed his driver’s license, is a regular at Friday happy hour, frequent flyer at the village’s on-site gym, and an active member of Hornby Club.
Graham and his wife Marie were the very first residents at Ashford Retirement Village, purchasing their new home in March 2021.
“We liked Ashford because of its location and low maintenance lifestyle,” says Graham. “It’s just 500 metres from shops, the bus stop and medical facilities, and in Prebbleton there’s a supermarket, pharmacy, dentist, optometrist, audiologist and more. We also really liked the layout of the village, with plenty of space between each villa.”
Prior to moving to Bupa, Graham and Marie lived in Blacks Point, a small village near Reefton on the West Coast, for 21 years. Marie’s health issues triggered a conversation with their local GP, who suggested they move somewhere with access to better medical care and public transport, given neither were available in their current hometown.
Sadly, Marie passed away five months after she and Graham moved to the village. Having been married for 62 years, Graham found himself fostering new friendships and connections both in and out of the village, attending clubs in the community and heading off on village outings.
