Moving to a home where she could entertain family and friends was vital to dolls-house maker Caroline Hamilton who moved to Battersea Place with her dog Lola two years ago
When Caroline Hamilton downsized from her five-bedroom home in Kew – where she had lived for 50 years – to a spacious two-bedroom apartment at Battersea Place, she was not surprisingly apprehensive.
However, Caroline, 78, who has a busy social life, is able to host and entertain family and friends on a regular basis. The retirement village, opposite leafy Battersea Park, has its own restaurant, swimming pool, spa and excellent transport links into town.
“I am entirely confident that my family will always be greeted warmly at Battersea Place,” she says.
“My children and grandchildren are scattered all over the world at present, but some of my family have just moved to Suffolk. Having them relatively close means that they can visit more often and come and go at any time to suit which is a great comfort to me”.
Earlier last year Caroline’s grandchildren took part in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party hosted at Battersea Place and she looks forward to them joining her next year for some of the annual festivities that are one of the many reasons making life at London’s first retirement village so happy for its residents.
This Christmas, residents were able to enjoy Caroline’s beautiful Christmas tree which used to be in her old home, and was much admired having prominent position in the residents’ lounge.
Caroline concludes: “I am very happy with my life here. I have a lovely home and I really appreciate the support of all the wonderful staff.
I am entirely confident that my family will always be greeted warmly at Battersea Place
“The fact that my family are able to visit often is the icing on the cake – I can enjoy my easier, more relaxed lifestyle and still have my children and grandchildren over to stay as I would do in my old house”.
Caroline Hamilton had lived the majority of her life in her family home in Kew. In 2012 she decided the time had come for her to move and she began her search for an easier and more manageable lifestyle in a retirement community.
Caroline Hamilton
“I’d been thinking about moving for a long time, well before I took any action. I was aware of some good options in Switzerland and Germany as there are some very reputable retirement operators there.
“At that point, I wondered if there was anything similar in England. Strangely enough, London friends who knew about my search received a brochure for Battersea Place, which they quickly passed on to me. The rest, I guess you could say, is history.
“When I purchased my flat, it still hadn’t been built – it was just a hole in the ground. But I used to be a dolls-house maker so I’m good at visualising spaces and taking measurements, which made it easier for me to picture myself living there. I chose apartment living as I didn’t want to have to look after such a large house and garden anymore.”
Location was also critical for Caroline, who rather bucked the trend by moving further into London, rather than away.
“I’ve never been too far from the centre of London, but with late night travelling becoming more onerous, I wanted to be as close to central London as I could. I love going to the theatre and travelling back and forth by myself from Kew was quite an effort. So it is a great advantage to be so well served by public transport as well as the in-house car service.
“My grandchildren who currently live overseas, also love coming to visit because we can all go out exploring together”.
