Twelve happy years (and counting) at Epsom Village

Elaine and Ivan believe that retirement must be enjoyed to the fullest. Their recipe for happiness is to lead a creative and active lifestyle, spend time with friends and family, and to always keep a positive attitude. They have been living at Epsom Village for more than 12 years and their cheeky sense of humour made them loved from the get-go. “The first time we visited the Lounge, we ended up convincing all the residents to go outside and dance the conga!”, confesses Ivan with his contagious laugh.

Elaine and Ivan decided to move to Epsom Village because of its location. The village is close to the heart of Auckland City and just down the road from fashionable shopping in Newmarket, leafy Cornwall Park and the Auckland Domain. They instantly fell in love with the friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to participate in so many social events, including the weekly village’s trip to the countryside.

Ivan owned a building company for more than 30 years, building residential and commercial buildings. Elaine worked as a dressmaker, a Secretary and Personal Assistant. Retirement hasn’t put an end to their creative minds. After moving to Epsom Village, Elaine discovered her passion for creating handmade cards. “I always wanted to better myself. That’s what I do with the cards; I research on the internet, I experiment, I also used to go to paper and craft fairs in Australia, I get the ideas and then I adapt them.”

Elaine was a very shy person until the couple moved to Epsom Village and Ivan encouraged her to be more sociable and start mixing with people. “Now he wishes he could get me to stop talking!”, she says with a cheeky smile, immediately reflected by her husband. The couple certainly add spice to our retirement village and they’re always keen in participating in dressing up events. Their costumes are sure to provoke admiration and laughter among all the other residents!