Testimonials

In a reversal of the usual exodus of retired people to seaside towns, Jean and Jack Smith have moved from traditional haven Eastbourne to Redhill in Surrey - back to the area they grew up and raised their families in. The attractions of Crystal Palace (of whom Mr Smith, 83 is a devoted supporter) and the proximity of their family have proved stronger than the often dreamed-of coastal retirement, especially as their house and garden were becoming difficult to manage.

The couple are now enjoying a secure and carefree lifestyle at Linters Court, McCarthy & Stone’s Assisted Living development in London Road, Redhill where they have a brand new one-bedroom retirement apartment overlooking the landscaped garden. At Linters Court household maintenance is taken care of; round-the-clock support is available in the form of Careline; there are staff on the premises 24 hours a day and residents can eat their meals in a waitress-service restaurant.

It was Mr and Mrs Smith’s daughter Heather, who lives literally round the corner from Linters Court, who suggested the move - knowing that her parents were struggling to cope with the maintenance of their seaside home.

Mr Smith said: " What is truly marvellous is the great sense of security we feel here. What is truly marvellous is the great sense of security we feel here. It is things like the emergency call system and the camera entry system which is linked to the TV in our room which give us such a feeling of security and wellbeing. It is almost like living in a four-star hotel. When we were living in Eastbourne even everyday household chores, maintenance tasks and tending the garden became something of a burden. Whereas in our younger days, we took it all in our stride and were more than up to the task, we found that we were struggling to cope.”

“We are so happy to be here because when we were trying to move we were in a chain of five. McCarthy & Stone were absolutely brilliant. McCarthy & Stone were absolutely brilliant.They pulled out all the stops to ensure that we were able to sell our place and facilitated our move here to make it as painless as possible."