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<\/a>Anne Hobson<\/p><\/div>\n
Retired businesswoman Anne Hobson, 78, found room for no fewer than three antique dollshouses \u2013 one dating from 1740, as well as a toy shop and a grocer\u2019s shop in her bedroom at her apartment in Battersea Place, London\u2019s first retirement village managed by Lifecare Residences (www.lifecareresidences.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cI am so happy to have these lovely things around me and feel lucky that I have the space,\u201d says widow Anne who moved to her two-bedroom home a year ago.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though I had to either sell or give my other toys to my family it was important for me to bring these with me,\u201d she adds. The other treasure that made the move is Winnie the Pooh, an exact replica of the original bear made in 1921.<\/p>\n Her companion Christopher Buckmaster, 79, a former Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, has a collection of Napoleonic china spanning an entire wall in his penthouse at the development.<\/p>\n \u201cI am particularly proud of my collection of Napoleonic china. Originally made in honour of Napoleon, they were seized by an ancestor of mine after the Battle of Waterloo and subsequently handed down through generations of my family as an heirloom.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was looking to downsize, it was essential to move somewhere with enough room to display the special pieces in. When I was searching for a home within a retirement community, I instantly dismissed apartments that couldn\u2019t accommodate my collection.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Battersea Place, there is more than enough space to showcase my collection \u2013 I am so thrilled. I can also rest assured knowing it is all safe and secure. The range of security measures in place, from the concierge on the front desk to the key code system, helps me feel at ease too.\u201d<\/p>\n Christopher Buckmaster with his collection of Napoleonic china<\/p><\/div>\n For David Seabrook, 79, his collection of toy automobiles, on display in his apartment at Richmond Letcomb, Richmond village\u2019s development in Oxfordshire, is a reminder of his childhood.<\/p>\n \u201cI started collecting when I was a boy,\u201d he says of his 1,000 strong collection of Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky trucks and cars. \u201cIt is lovely to have the space to display them. And it was important that I was able to bring them.\u201d<\/p>\n His collection has also attracted a lot of interest from fellow owners. \u201cA lot of the residents come and admire them. And I try to change the display every year.\u201d<\/p>\n