Eastlife February 2019

ADVERTORIAL
We should have moved years ago
How many times have you finally got around to doing something you have been dreading - only to
decide you should have done it years ago?
Getting my parents to move to the The Croft in Baston
wasn’t easy. Although they could see the logic of moving
to a smaller home nearer to their children, it was an
emotional wrench to leave the old family home.
So, we spent months debating the ‘pros and cons’
– while I was clocking up hundreds of miles going
backwards and forwards. And although the kids loved
seeing their grandparents, car journeys with youngsters
can be a bit of a nightmare.
It’s not that Mum and Dad need looking after. They are
both fit and well. My father is still working, well past the
age at which many people retire.
But increasingly when we visited, we were being asked
to help with tasks around the house – especially jobs
involving ladders such as clearing the gutters that Mum
didn’t want Dad doing any more.
And we could all see that this was only going to increase
in years to come.
So, eventually, they moved. And they are having such fun
that Mum now says they should have moved years ago!
Not only that, they made money as a result of moving.
They sold the old house for a good price and spent much
less than that on their new one. Now they’ve started
spending the profit – a new car and a winter cruise.
And I think the pressure on Dad to retire is less than it
was. Mum was often lonely in the old house on her own
all day. Now in just a few weeks she has made many new
friends – there is a real sense of community at The Croft.
And the community is growing – although not too
much. The second phase of The Croft at Baston has just
opened, offering a small number of new homes.
It is extending the community but keeping it at a
modest scale.
The whole development is designed to provide over-
55s with the independence of owning their own homes,
combined with the benefits of being part of a community.
The properties are mostly one and two-bedroom
bungalows located around attractive walkways and
gardens. All of them have been designed to need
minimal ongoing maintenance – so Dad doesn’t need to
go up ladders any more!
Because my parents bought one of the larger bungalows,
there is somewhere for the children to stay when they
visit – which gives us a weekend off. And because they
are just a few minutes away, life is easier all round.
Baston itself is well located, just alongside the A15. And,
if my parents don’t fancy driving, the frequent bus service
provides easy links to Peterborough and the market town
of Bourne.
Not that they seem to feel any need to travel. Baston
itself has a number of shops and two excellent pubs with
restaurants.
So, it was a good move. And, yes, they should have done it
long ago!