Muriel Wakelin aged 95, has lived
at Richmond Villages Bede for thirty years. During this time, she has continued
to enjoy her passion for gardening, winning awards for her talent.
Originally from Nuneaton, Muriel
and her husband, Jeff wanted to remain close to their daughters, grandchildren,
and great grandchildren. Initially hearing about the village from her
son-in-law, the couple took the leap and moved to the luxury retirement village
in 1992.
Nature and gardening have always
been a passion of Muriel’s, and the beautiful surroundings and award-winning
gardens of Richmond Villages Bede proved the perfect setting for the couple to
enjoy their next chapter together.
Muriel continued to garden after
moving to the village and over the years has won numerous awards for her
transformative work to the garden at the front of the couple’s bungalow, receiving
multiple 1st and 2nd place awards beating off competition
from across the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.
Muriel comments: “My bungalow faces
the orchard, and my kitchen window overlooks the fishpond, so it’s fantastic to
be surrounded by so much beauty. When myself and my husband first moved to the
village, we had a holiday booked, and I remember thinking, ‘I wish we didn’t
have this holiday booked, I want to stay here, I love it here.’ I’m thrilled
that I’ve been able to continue my passion for gardening at the village, and it
really is the icing on the cake to have won awards for what I enjoy doing most.”
Despite her husband sadly passing
four years ago, the independence the village offers its residents continues to
be another aspect Muriel loves about the village. Attending exercise classes
prior to moving to the village, Muriel was thrilled she was able to continue
these and has even expanded her list of hobbies and joined a host of craft,
painting, card making, and poetry classes on offer at the village.
Reminiscing about her time living
at the village, Muriel said: “I absolutely love living here at Richmond
Villages Bede. Not only are the surroundings stunning, but there’s so much on
offer for me to get involved in, plenty of fun external trips, and everyone at
the village is so friendly. I’m friends with all my neighbours and enjoy
socialising with other residents around the village – there’s a real community
feel and spirit around here. I would urge anyone considering a move to the
village to take the plunge, you won’t regret it. I’ve lived here for thirty
years and am still finding that there’s so much to do!”
Richmond Villages Bede offers a range of retirement accommodation from apartments and suites to a residential care home, all of which are tailored to the individual needs of each resident.