Community at the heart of retirement living in Witney
While many of us enjoyed a romantic dinner for two this Valentine’s Day, thirty single residents at McCarthy & Stone’s retirement development Otters Court in Witney put community at the heart of their celebrations by spending Valentine’s Day together.
It was a conversation that took place in the communal lounge at Otters Court just after Christmas that first sparked the idea. Maureen Kelly (83), who owns a one bedroom apartment at the development, explains, “My son and his family were due to come to me for Christmas lunch but as a surprise, they whisked me off to a restaurant instead. While it was lovely being spoilt, it did leave me with a freezer full of meat! Living on my own, I never cook a roast so I was at a loss as to what to do with all the lovely food I had bought.
“I was chatting to some of the other residents in the lounge about my predicament and the problems of cooking for one when Barbara, the sales consultant at Otters Court, overheard and suggested we cook for each other. That way, no food would go to waste. We thought it was an excellent idea! Apart from four couples at the development, the rest of the residents at Otters Court are single ladies. We decided to give it a whirl and thought what better day to rally around each other than Valentine’s Day?”
News of the Valentine’s Day lunch spread around the development and it was not long until 30 residents agreed to get involved. Maureen continues, “We decided that each of us would bring something along to the lunch so there was enough food to go around. We did the cooking in our apartments and then brought the food down to the residents’ lounge to eat. We had roast beef and pork, roast potatoes and an array of vegetables and desserts. It was wonderful – and Barbara surprised everyone with a red rose each!
“As so many of us have lost a partner in recent years, it’s lovely to be part of such a close-knit community. Everyone at Otters Court is friendly and welcoming and there’s always someone to chat to in the residents’ lounge. As we’re all like minded people and enjoy spending time together, we often have social events but the Valentine’s Day lunch certainly took the most organising! On Valentine’s Day, you can’t help but think about your loved ones so, in their absence, what better way to spend the day than with friends?”
Otters Court is a development of 70 one and two bedroom apartments in the market town of Witney. The development is ideally located in the heart of the town with an excellent range of high street stores, a supermarket, post office, library and leisure centre right on the doorstep.
The apartments at Otters Court have been designed exclusively for the over 60s. Special care and attention has been paid to incorporate features such as 24 hour emergency Careline call points, electrical sockets at a raised height to reduce bending, illuminated light switches, a security entry system, easy grip lever taps in the bathroom and kitchen and energy efficient heating.
Residents at Otters Court can also enjoy landscaped grounds, socialise and relax in the communal lounge and invite family or friends to stay at the development’s guest suite. Prices currently start at £159,950 for a one bedroom apartment.
To find out more about the properties available at Otters Court, visit the show complex, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5.00pm, or log on to mccarthyandstone.co.uk.
