It\u2019s a big question a lot of people face and one Ann had been thinking about a lot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be able to enjoy a flurry of travel and adventure,\u201d Ann decided.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d worked hard all my life, and downsizing presented an opportunity to release some equity from my current home, and use it to fund a long-awaited African safari I\u2019d always dreamed of.\u201d<\/p>\n
In May, Ann,\u00a0a retired secretary from Canford Heath in Dorset, fulfilled her dream by visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa, where she was able to experience breath-taking scenery and get up close to the wildlife in one of Africa\u2019s largest game reserves.<\/p>\n
She also took a helicopter flight over the spectacular Victoria Falls and enjoyed a Cape Town Cruise.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a dream come true\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing the animals in their natural habitat was a real treat, and being surrounded by bush plains and those magnificent star studded skies was a once in a lifetime experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Better still, Ann, who was widowed in 2005, didn’t go alone.<\/p>\n Dorothy Earlam (L) and Ann Girling<\/p><\/div>\n Since downsizing to McCarthy & Stone\u2019s Waterman House Retirement Living development in Broadstone, near Poole in Dorset, she has made many new friends and found a fellow soul-mate and companion in 80 year-old Dorothy Earlam.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hit it off from the start,\u201d says Ann.<\/p>\n \u201cWe immediately got to talking about our ambitions, plans we wanted to make and places we wanted to see.<\/p>\n \u201cDorothy is a very well-travelled lady. She enjoys her cruises and funnily enough she had one planned to South Africa.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately this fell through so I said to her, how do you fancy coming with me \u2013 we\u2019ll make an adventure of it!\u201d<\/p>\n As well as spending three nights in Kruger National Park, the two ladies took a coach tour to Victoria Falls and Table Mountain, and visited a Zulu village.<\/p>\n Moving to a purpose-built McCarthy & Stone apartment has not only given Ann the freedom to travel and fulfil her dreams it has also allowed her to enjoy a simpler lifestyle.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the everyday tasks that used to get in the way of me enjoying the life I\u2019d planned, have gone\u201d, she adds.<\/p>\n \u201cI have less housework and whilst I enjoy the garden, I no longer have to spend hours maintaining it \u2013 it\u2019s all done for us.<\/p>\n “My outgoings are slightly less than they used to be, as my utility bills and things like council tax are also reduced living in an apartment, and the sense of freedom I have gained from this is fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n Initially it was Ann\u2019s son and daughter who persuaded her to make the move and put her four-bedroom detached home on the market.<\/p>\n \u201cThey thought a smaller property that was easier to manage would suit me best. I was beginning to feel quite lonely on my own and started to worry about needing extra support in the future,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n The sense of community at Waterman House is one of the things Ann has benefited from hugely since making the move. Coffee mornings, film nights, and \u2018Strictly Saturdays\u2019 as Ann calls them, are just a few things she doesn’t like to miss.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf ever you\u2019re at a loose end or just fancy a chat, you can pop down to the communal lounge and you\u2019re bound to bump into someone. Everyone is so friendly. I really couldn\u2019t wish for more.\u201d<\/p>\n “I\u2019m a very private person so I like the fact I can pick and choose what I get involved in.\u201d<\/p>\n Fortunately Ann’s children are not worried about their inheritance. “All they want is for me to live my best years, and to be happy,” she says..<\/p>\n “I\u2019m looking forward to some delightful years of long lunches and pottering, keeping up with my swimming and yoga four times a week, and card making which I now do with another homeowner. Most of all though, I\u2019m just looking forward to some ‘me’ time again.\u201d<\/p>\n McCarthy & Stone is the leading developer and manager of retirement of communities. Its Waterman House development in Broadstone is made up of 36 one-and-two-bedroom apartments, designed for people aged 60 and over. Set in a prominent location, it has an array of services and amenities nearby, including a busy hub of shops, cafes and supermarkets.<\/p>\n Homeowners can enjoy an active and independent lifestyle, with the opportunity to benefit from companionship, and support from a dedicated House Manager who is on hand to oversee the day-to-day running of the development.<\/p>\n Two-bedroom apartments in Dorset are currently available at Clarendon House<\/a> in Poole and also Poundbury<\/a> near Dorchester.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/newclone.retiremove.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/FRI6148.jpg\")
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