Discover our stories here.
Stein Verle
"Born in Norway in 1934. I grew up on a little peninsula outside Oslo. In 1940, we were invaded by Germany. After the war, I wanted to be a stockbroker, but I became a naval architect and marine engineer instead. My career took me across Europe, working for Norwegian Veritas, where I met my wife and had four children.
When my wife developed Parkinson’s, I realised we had to do something. Richmond Villages provided the perfect solution, offering exceptional care for my wife in the care home while I live in an assisted living apartment under the same roof. Now, I relish my independence and enjoy activities, like bridge and bowling. I cherish visiting my wife daily. I go and see her in the morning and kiss her goodnight. It’s absolutely perfect.
Make the decision to do it yesterday, not tomorrow. Richmond Villages has been the best thing we possibly can do for both of us."
Mike Heath
I grew up in a farmhouse without electricity or running water. I dreamed of becoming a vet, but tried dentistry instead, which gradually changed to surgery and lead me to some ground-breaking research and teaching.
After two marriages and raising three children, I found solace in falconry and sailing. I almost lost my life bringing a yacht over from Holland to the English Boat Show in Force 11 winds ! I met my third wife, Meryn, at a ball. I told her that night, after dusting off my old dinner jacket, ‘It cost me 250 quid to meet you!’ We laughed together from the start and eventually got married on a cruise in the Mediterranean.
3 weeks for the price of 2
Audrey
I was born in a little place called Dawlish, in Devon. I grew up in a very large family and got married when I was 20. I went on to have four children and then...well, I was a housewife and mother. I just bought the children up - one happy family!
When I was 80, I was widowed, and I came to live in Crewe so I could be closer to my granddaughters. I then came to Richmond Villages Willaston for a fortnight holiday - but I never went home! I didn't know I had dementia so, if I've got it, I don't know when it started!
I'm very lucky to have my granddaughter and daughters working here - what more could I want? It's lovely - the staff support me with shopping, the washing, the ironing - they help me with absolutely everything. You're very well looked after. I don't think 'oh it's just another day...!'. I think 'I'm at home' and that's exactly what I feel like here.
Jennifer Bute
Growing up, I always believed that “It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you respond to what happens to you.” This mantra guided me when my school refused to help me apply to medical school because they believed girls were meant to be nurses, not doctors. I set my sights on Barts, the best medical school, known then for its reluctance to admit women. I applied on my own, writing a compelling cover letter, and to my delight, I was accepted.
My career in medicine was extraordinary and fulfilling. I took on the immense challenge of running a 200-bed hospital in rural Africa. Often, I was the only doctor available. It was a wonderful accomplishment, and I didn’t think I could ever do something like that without God’s help.
Brian
I was born in 1931 in Reading and grew up in a terrace house with my parents and older sister. My father went to work and my mother took care of us children and the home. My mother would walk me to school and back every day and I remember in the infant class drinking a third of a pint bottle of milk each morning, courtesy of the local authority I imagine! In the early afternoon, the whole class would sleep in the hall on camp beds.
Children of wartime working class families were brought up without any of the luxuries today’s children enjoy. On Monday evenings, we would bathe in a tin bath in the kitchen, filled with kettles of water boiled on the gas stove. My parents instilled a strong family bond that has been with me all my life and is now reflected in my large and loving close family.
Vicky
My name is Victoria Rodgers, though most people call me Vicky. I grew up as an only child, which fostered a close bond with my parents and encouraged me to develop strong friendships.
My education at Leavington College for Girls provided a solid foundation for my future. After school, I went to university and trained as a teacher, spending many rewarding years in the classroom. My last teaching position was at St. Joseph’s Convent in Kenilworth, a wonderful school where my daughter also thrived academically.
My childhood was filled with unique experiences, like travelling to Paris with my father, who had a business there. My academic interests leaned towards the sciences, although my art teachers saw potential in me. A memorable influence was my headmistress, who shared her experiences of living in India through ‘The Jungle Book’.
Frank
I am Frank and I am 103 years old. I started work when I was 14 - it was very hard grafting in the 20s. The first job I could get was a grocer’s errand boy, working 54 hours per week for 10 shillings.
I took home 9 shillings and 10 pence, my mother had 9 shillings and I had 10 pennies to last me for the week.
I left home to go into the royal air force when I was 19 – life changed completely because of the war. I was originally accepted for flying duties, however, to begin with I was a founding member of the RAF regiment.
I went to Canada for flying training after leaving the RAF regiment and I was away for 7 months in Canada but before going there, a mutual friend of my wife and I, she said ‘you’ve got to meet Betty’, which I did. I went one Sunday afternoon to meet her and her family. (I met the family before I met her!) She was working in the afternoon with a school friend when her father said, ‘there’s a good chance here’.
Basil resident
My life began in Northumberland, but I grew up in Staffordshire, moving there when I was very young. The war years framed my childhood, with restrictions and challenges, but I found joy in sailing. This passion started early and stayed with me well into my eighties.
School was an adventure of its own, from prep school to a boarding school that felt like a Soviet labour camp. Immediately after, I went into the army for my national service. After serving, I headed to university and started my career.
One of my fondest memories from childhood was sailing with a keen science master we called ‘The Admiral’. He took us to places like the Norfolk Broads, instilling in me a lifelong love for the water. I enjoyed sports too, though I wasn’t an exceptional athlete.