Joan Francis (left) and Joan Thompson (right)
Date: April 2007
TOGETHER AGAIN - AT RICHMOND COVENTRY
Cousins Joan Francis (86) and Joan Thompson (85) grew up together in Coventry during the 1920s. Today, the pair has been reunited at Richmond Coventry, a retirement village built and operated by Richmond Villages, after seven decades to enjoy their twilight years together.
Miss Thompson has moved into an apartment in the retirement village, after leaving her family home of 70 years. She says: “It was desperately hard to leave somewhere I had been so happy. I had considered how I might continue living there, including getting a stair lift, but concluded that it wasn’t going to solve any of the other niggling problems that I’d started to experience. I was struggling to do some of the weekly shopping and it was a big house to look after on my own. I knew in time I wouldn’t be able to maintain it as I would like.
“I was aware of Richmond Villages as I had a friend living at Richmond Nantwich, and my cousin, Joan, was able to tell me all about life at Richmond Coventry as she was already here. I decided it was time to move while I could make the decision for myself, and although it has been a big upheaval, I’m very happy in my new home.”
The cousins now live just a short walk across the courtyard from each other and enjoy going for meals in the restaurant and sharing other activities. Joan Francis says: “We have many happy memories of the time we spent as children. In addition to attending the same primary school, Little Heath, we spent all our free time together, and now love flicking through old photographs and reminiscing about family life.”
“I moved into the village two years ago after my second husband died. Previously we lived on the Isle of Wight but I wanted to come back to my roots to be nearer my family. My son helped me find Richmond Coventry. He lives in Fillongley so close enough for regular visits, and now that Joan has moved in I am enjoying village life even more, and I’ve been able to introduce her to the new friends I’ve made since living here.”
Both cousins appreciate the care and assistance that is available to them 24-hours a day should they need it. Joan Francis says: “I’m not as steady on my feet as I used to be and have had a couple of falls recently.
“I was able to alert staff by using the alarm I wear around my neck. They were with me in seconds and could give me medical attention straight away.”
Richmond Coventry, which has just celebrated its 15th birthday, has undergone an extensive refurbishment and expansion programme over the last two years and now offers three different levels of accommodation to suit the varying needs of residents aged 55-plus. There are village apartments for independent living, serviced apartments with some level of care, and care bedrooms for those requiring 24-hour attention.
Other facilities include a beautician, bowling green, hairdressing salon, library, lounge area, restaurant, and village shop. There is a wide variety of social events, including, bingo, crossword mornings, supper clubs and daytrips to nearby towns and villages.
Properties at Richmond Coventry are available for purchase from £90,000. Richmond Villages has three other villages at Nantwich in Cheshire, Painswick in Gloucestershire (due to fully open this summer) and Grange Park in Northampton (due for completion this autumn). For more details, please contact the sales office on 0845 607 6405 or e-mail info@richmond-villages.com or visit the website at www.richmond-villages.com
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Editor’s note:
The two Joans went separate ways after primary school. Joan Francis went to Broad Heath secondary school and Joan Thompson attended Barrs Hill.
Miss Thompson then went on to attend Bangor College before becoming a teacher, then headmistress of Whoberley Hall Primary School, where she presided for 23 years. She never married and took early retirement at the age of 58 to look after her elderly mother. When her mother died, Joan satisfied her wanderlust with trips to Canada, Russia, India, France and Zimbabwe.
Joan Francis meanwhile worked in an office briefly after leaving school before marrying her first husband, Ernie in 1942. The couple were married for 40 years and Ms Francis played bowls for Warwickshire County. Eight years after Ernie died she met her second husband, Les and moved to the Isle of Wight where she played bowls for the island’s own county team.
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Ref: RV08/2007
Joan Francis (left) and Joan Thompson (right) |
 Joan Thompson (front) and Joan Francis (back) |