Eastlife January 2019

suppose we are still ‘empty nesters’. The kids have grown up and now have homes of their own,
I so there’s just the two of us.
But it doesn’t feel as though we’re living in an empty
nest any longer. We’ve moved to The Croft at Baston
where our new home is ideal for our new circumstances –
and our new lifestyle.
The old family home was far too big for our needs once
the last of the children moved out. And looking after the
garden was becoming a real chore. The kids never did
much around the house, but at least they mowed the
lawn!
ADVERTORIAL
Empty nest – but full life
Moving to The Croft at Baston – a tranquil village
between Bourne in Lincolnshire and the city of
Peterborough – has allowed us to bank quite a bit of
cash.
We sold the old house at a very good price and spent
much less than that on our new one. Now we’ve started
spending the money we made as a result. We’ve bought
a new car and next week we’re off on a winter cruise –
the first of three holidays we have planned for this year.
Not that we feel any need to get away from here. There
is a real sense of community at The Croft and, although
we’ve only been here a few weeks, we’ve made some
good friends. We’ll feel much more relaxed on holiday
knowing they’ll keep an eye on the house while we’re
away.
And by the time we get back we may have some
new neighbours. The second phase of The Croft has
just opened, offering a small number of new homes
alongside the completed first phase. It is extending the
community but keeping it at a modest scale.
The whole development is designed to provide over-
55s – like us (whether retired or still working) – with the
independence of owning our own homes, combined with
the benefits of being part of a community of people with
a similar outlook on life.
The properties are mostly one and two-bedroom
bungalows located around attractive walkways and
gardens, creating a pleasant residential environment. All
of them have been designed to need minimal ongoing
maintenance – and our garden is a lot smaller than the
one we left behind, so there’s less mowing and weeding!
The village itself has a number of shops and excellent
pubs with restaurants.
We bought one of the larger bungalows so that we have
somewhere for the children to stay when they visit. They
have already been down a couple of times because it is
so easy to get to.
Of course, they expect to be picked up from the station
in Peterborough – which is only a few minutes away – but
if we want to go into the city ourselves, the frequent bus
service provides an easy alternative to using our brandnew
car. It does mean we can both have a couple of
glasses of wine with lunch without having to worry about
driving.
We really don’t think of this as an empty nest. It’s a full life at
The Croft in Baston, and we’re enjoying it to the full!
14/12/2018 09:02