News that a film of the hugely popular Thursday Murder Club book by Richard Osman is due for release this year starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan has put retirement villages back in the spotlight.
Richard Osman has said that he was inspired to write the first novel in the series after visiting his mother’s retirement village and seeing the lively community in action. His books’ characters spend their days delving into brutal crimes which makes for fabulous fiction but, in reality, what is it like to live in a retirement village?
Caroline Soullier, the Client Service Advisor at Middleton Hall Retirement Village in Middleton St George near Darlington, has worked there since the first independent retirement properties were built in 2007 and has seen increasing levels of demand for the estate’s dormer bungalows and apartments.
“Living in a community of like-minded people is the biggest benefit for most people who live here and I have a waiting list of people interested,” she said.
“Everybody approaches living in a retirement village differently. Some love the gym, swimming pool, and outdoor sport facilities which are on the doorstep, others are regulars in the art studio, library and at the weekly cinema nights.
“There is also a wide range of activities happening every day that people get involved with very much as they choose, from bridge and book clubs to tai chi, table tennis and yoga. We haven’t had a murder club set up yet but never say never!”
Caroline added: “Age is very much an irrelevance here, attitude of mind and outlook are far more important.”
As in the Thursday Murder Club books, Middleton Hall also provides a range of care services on site which operate separately from the independent retirement properties; providing luxury residential care including higher dependency care as well as unique family-style houses for those living with dementia.
Care Director Colin Inglis is a big fan of the Richard Osman books and says that there are just as many interesting characters who live right across the Middleton Hall community.
“The books are a wonderful depiction of a vibrant community very similar to ours,” he said.
“Residents living in our care services enjoy the added benefits that being part of a retirement village brings such as the pool and gym and other amenities, including a bowling green, boules pitch and pitch and putt, our Orangery café and our beautiful 45-acre estate.
“What is the same for everyone who lives here, whether in our care services or independent retirement properties, is that it’s the individual we focus on. If there’s one thing the Richard Osman books highlight, whatever your age you always have plenty to offer.”