Alice Styles, Atherfield House resident

When, in January 2007, Alice made the move from her home in South Wales to Atherfield near Reigate in Surrey she had to leave behind a 3 bedroom house and fifty years worth of furniture and belongings. But what mattered to Alice were not her material possessions but her son, daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter who all lived in Surrey. The physical distance between them all meant that visits seemed to finish before they had begun and the gaps between their weekends together felt enormous. The only solution for Alice was to make the move south. This was a big upheaval and Alice admits to missing Wales from time to time. But on the positive side her family are now no more than 8 minutes drive away and she sees them most weekends. She also goes out with her daughter in law on Tuesday afternoons to local garden centres and coffee shops.

Alice enjoys a life which is active and sociable. When she first moved in she made a very good friend soon after her arrival which made all the difference. Her neighbours, she says, are friendly but give her the option to be as ‘private’ or sociable as she wants.

Alice joined the coffee morning club not long after she moved in, which is not so much a club, but simply the chance to have coffee with a few residents in the lounge. She plays bingo with other residents and visitors, pops into Reigate to visit the shops and is a big advocate of the local community centre in Woodhatch where you can do everything from bingo to dancing.

She loves her flat which has big windows which keeps it light and cool. Everything works and it’s comfortable and homely. The convenience of having sheltered housing officer Lorna on hand is also a bonus.

Nieces, grandchildren and friends of grandchildren fill Alice’s life with chatter and laughter. She is like a surrogate grandma to all her grandchildren’s friends who all compare her flat to a 5-sta

r hotel!