For Marion and Maurice Butcher, and Janet and Alan Watson, moving to Churchill Living's Baker Lodge in Staplehurst has brought more than the benefits of a comfortable retirement apartment. It's also introduced them to neighbours who share their passion for travelling the world, particularly by cruise ship.
The two couples first met when Janet and Alan visited Baker Lodge to explore the possibility of making it their new home. Marion and Maurice welcomed them into the residents’ lounge, where a conversation over coffee quickly developed into a friendship.
"We were having coffee in the lounge and they came and sat with us. We just talked and talked and talked. It was lovely, and we haven't stopped since!" recalled Marion.
"I thought, 'Good heavens, you look to me almost too young!'"she added, remembering her first impression of Janet. "But they were delightful and we clicked straight away."
It wasn't long before they discovered one of their biggest shared interests: a love of cruise holidays, with both couples particularly fond of Saga Cruises.
"It was certainly one of the things we first mentioned. We realised we liked the same cruise ships and had exactly the same sort of interests," added Janet. "We all really enjoy cruising."
Finding the right place to call home
Before moving to Baker Lodge, Marion and Maurice had shared a large four-bedroom house in nearby Marden. They met later in life, having both been sadly widowed previously, and married in their late 70s.
They began to find the upkeep of a multi-storey property increasingly demanding and started exploring retirement living options in the Staplehurst area, which Marion knew and loved.
Initially, they were interested in the mews-style cottages at Baker Lodge, but a call from the sales manager about a ground-floor apartment overlooking the garden prompted them to take another look.
"Curiosity drove us to have a look in the first place, as I guess it does with many people," explained Marion. "We went to see the apartment and it overlooked the garden. It was on the ground floor and we looked at each other and thought, 'Yes, we could live here'.”
For Janet and Alan, the decision to move was prompted by Alan's deteriorating knee problems, which were making the steep stairs and large garden at their Rainham home increasingly difficult to manage.
Although Janet loved gardening and initially felt she wasn't quite ready to leave her home, she recognised that a move would make everyday life easier for them both.
"We'd looked at a few developments and had put the idea on the back burner. I was thinking perhaps in two years' time I'd be ready, but then Alan's knees got bad and he was really struggling, so we brought it forward," she explained.
"When we came to Staplehurst, as soon as we walked in, it just felt right. We met Marion and Maurice in the lounge and everyone was so welcoming. Alan just felt this was the place he'd like to be.
"I took a little bit more persuading because I felt I wasn't quite ready, but I did it for him and I'm really happy now that I have.”
The couple have also enjoyed discovering more of the local area, with Janet keen to make the most of the village's social and exercise activities.
"I like dancing and that sort of thing, so I've been looking into exercise classes. My daughter found a lady in the village who does line dancing, which I love, so I've been in touch and I'm going to go along to a class," she said.
"I've also done Fitsteps on cruises, so I'm looking into a local class for that. I like to keep fit and active in my retirement.”
A shared passion for cruise holidays
Their enthusiasm for cruising is something the neighbours can happily spend hours chatting about, swapping stories and comparing their favourite destinations.
Janet and Alan recently enjoyed a small Saga yacht cruise along the Croatian coast, with just 34 passengers on board. They have also completed a 100-night world cruise and are looking forward to another, even longer voyage.
"We’re doing another world cruise in 2028. It'll be 112 nights, although that will probably be the last really long cruise we'll do." she said.
Marion and Maurice are equally enthusiastic travellers, enjoying Mediterranean cruises during the summer and longer winter holidays, often spending around 30 days away over Christmas.
"We tend to go away over Christmas in the winter months, and Saga cruises are exceptionally good for that," said Marion.
The couples are particularly fond of Saga, with both highlighting the company's attentive service and the convenience of its chauffeur transfers.
"Saga are the best company, I feel, because they do everything for you and they really look after you, particularly if you're a single person on a cruise. They're really attentive," explained Janet.
Marion agreed, adding: "The staff are second to none. I'd always go back to Saga.”
Having previously completed the second half of a world cruise, Marion and Maurice have plenty more adventures planned, including a trip to Japan in 2028.
The freedom to lock up and leave
As well as giving them like-minded neighbours to share their travel stories with, life at Baker Lodge offers both couples something particularly valuable: the freedom to go away without worrying about what's happening at home.
For Janet, the security of knowing their apartment is safe while they're away is a major advantage, especially when taking longer cruises.
"One of the big things for us was the security. When you go on a cruise, you can lock up and leave and you're quite confident your property is safe and being watched over by friendly neighbours and the Lodge Manager." she explained.
"You don't have to get someone to come around and check on it. We used to have a friend come and check on the house, and you've always got that worry about what's happening when you might be away for two months or more."
Marion agreed, pointing out the added benefit of no longer having a large garden to maintain.
"Especially the garden. It's a big factor, and things like people putting out the wheelie bins!" she said.
Janet added: "We used to stop holidaying in the summer because when you put your bedding plants in, there's no one to tend them, so they die. We normally used to holiday more in the winter months because of that."
Now, both couples can simply lock their doors and enjoy their holidays, safe in the knowledge that there's no plants to worry about or house to look after.
A small but welcoming community
Back at Baker Lodge, the residents have established their own informal social traditions, making the most of the development's community and shared spaces.
"We have our coffee morning every Wednesday, which is lovely, and on Friday afternoon we have a nice boozy afternoon!" laughed Marion.
For Janet, the size of Baker Lodge is one of its biggest attractions, alongside its peaceful village location.
"Of all the previous retirement developments we’d seen, Baker Lodge is nice because it's smaller, and I think that's a bonus for us," she said. "It's in a small village, which, if you're reasonably active, has lots of lovely little walks around and a couple of pubs up the road."
For Marion and Janet, it's this combination of friendly neighbours, shared interests and the freedom to enjoy retirement that makes Baker Lodge such a lovely place to live.
As Marion put it: "We're very fortunate. We know we are."
