Getting bombarded with adverts re later life villages.

I get all that mail about retirement villages too. No way! Society consists of people of all ages, and I prefer to live among people of all ages. There is a family next door with 5 girls, aged 5 to 22, and a retired couple the other side. This is an old suburb, so a lot of people here are knocking on a bit, but not all, which is important to me.

I visit my friend, same age as me, 68, at a retirement village and although it is beautifully landscaped, with lots of facilities, I always feel claustrophobic there. Her 2 bedroom flat is quite large - I'm not sure why i feel that way. She is happy there, which is all that matters, though she does get out of the village as often as possible.

An acquaintance from U3A had to move into a one bedroom flat in another retirement village. His wife had left him and demanded her share of the marital home, but it had suffered from the 2011 floods, having been completely under water, so its value had plummeted. Then he had a mild stroke. People around him advised him to buy the unit, but he is miserable. He says it is like living in a small cupboard. Most of these horrors happened in 2012 - his own annus horribilis.

No OAP home for me - I'll keep going as long as I can and want, then be on my way

No retirement village for me. One of the reason I chose a large house to retire to, is that if ever I or we need to, I'd like to find a young family to come and join us here- in exchange for help with house, garden and cooking, pets, etc. We have 2 kitchens, so the house could be split into 2, with us having downstairs, and the family upstairs. Could be a recipe for disaster, but could be wonderful too. Perhaps a family from abroad, and I could help the kids with languages, homework, etc, and provide free accommodation and support both ways.

I was assuming that, because you are clearly set on your ways, Frank, and seem to like routine and repetition, that you might like the organisation of life in a retirement village. You'd probably be able to teach the other inhabitants quite a lot..

However, if Andie can't go, then you can't!

Another problem with 1 village I have visited is they do not take dogs.
I don't like to think of it but being realistic I don't think Andie has more than a 10 year life left.
I know I will be in my 70's but I hope to be able to give another dog a good life probably one which pulls a bit less.
Some people say you should not get a new dog after 70 but I don't think that applies in my case as somebody else in the family will have him if anything happens to me.

Frank

vegasmags

I think everybody who qualifies gets the over 60's reduced membership at the centre and they get their pensions.

I don't think anybody thinks they should be in a 50+ class from a physical point of view.

Frank

Vegasmags please, please don"t start him off on senior discounts !!!!!!!!

If they stop growing older at 49, does this mean they don't quality for senior discounts?

Ariadne

I don't think I would fit in to a retirement village very well.
One of the aerobics instructors who also teaches an over 50's class at another centre thinks I will not fit in there.
There are a few women who I went to school with still in the all age classes so they obviously do not feel they qualify for 50+ classes yet.
There was a 50+ class at the centre I now go to a few years ago but it closed due to low numbers.
Obviously people in Sutton Coldfield stop ageing at 49.

Frank

Or fit in well.

Perhaps they've seen your posts on GN Frank and think you might liven the retirement villages up a bit

Most retirement villages are for the over 55s so your well qualified Frank