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Real Living villages regularly host inspirational speakers, and one of the most remarkable this year was Grant Sharman, a Board member of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists—an internationally recognized society of disabled artists who create art using their mouth or foot. Grant’s incredible journey captivated the audience as he shared his life story—how a childhood accident reshaped his future, leading him to become an accomplished artist, a wheelchair rugby team captain, and a gold medalist. His resilience, talent, and determination left everyone truly inspired.

Each of our villages offers a perfect blend of independent retirement living with companionship, lifestyle, and security. And each one has its unique charm that our residents rave about. At Epsom Village, residents love the central location, the stunning views of Mt. Eden and Sky City, the modern, well-appointed apartments, and the friendly community where you can opt in or out of as many activities as you like.

Auckland is full of hidden gems that make for a fantastic day out, and one of them is West Lynn Gardens in New Lynn. Our villages organise weekly or monthly trips for residents throughout the year, but they definitely make the most of the warmer weather by visiting special destinations during the summer months. Epsom Village residents recently enjoyed a stunning sunny day at West Lynn Gardens, where they strolled through the beautiful grounds and, of course, visited the enchanting Butterfly House.

Check out the wonderful view you could have if you moved into our beautifully renovated Loft Apartment at Epsom Village. Rarely available, this one-bedroom apartment is priced at just $580k and it has balcony views to the city and Sky Tower. Epsom Village is set amongst the gracious homes in leafy Ranfurly Road, a home that offers companionship, lifestyle and security.

Epsom Village's Christmas parties are becoming legendary, standing out for their imaginative and unconventional approach. This year, they hosted a Rockabilly Christmas party featuring the one and only Pacific Elvis. It's safe to say Elvis stole the show, getting most of the residents up and dancing to classics like Blue Suede Shoes, Viva Las Vegas, Love Me Tender, and Suspicious Minds. It was truly a party to remember!

The festive season is in full swing at Epsom Village, thanks to the delightful visit from Dio’s youngest pupils. Every year, these adorable 3- and 4-year-old performers bring joy to our residents with their heartwarming Christmas concert, making it a highlight of our social calendar. This year’s carol selection was a hit, with the energetic rendition of “Pop Bang Crack” stealing the show.

"I loved my job, and I know not everyone is fortunate enough to say that—this was my true blessing." Our superstar Village Assistant at Epsom Village, Penny, is embarking on a new adventure in the South Island, and she shared heartfelt words of gratitude during a special farewell morning tea organised in her honor. Penny dedicated over two years to Epsom Village, and during that time, she became deeply cherished by all the residents.

At Real Living, we are dedicated to the well-being and happiness of our residents, and it's heartwarming when their family members notice our efforts. Recently, we received a touching letter from Heidi, the daughter of a resident at Epsom Village, expressing her gratitude for the positive impact on her mother’s life. Heidi's letter highlights the incredible transformation and joy her mother experienced after moving to Epsom Village.

Epsom Village recently enjoyed an inspiring visit from the Epsom Community Patrol, one of the newest additions to the 170 community patrols across New Zealand. Rod and Alan, the leaders of Epsom Community Patrol, delivered a highly engaging presentation on the crucial role these patrols play in enhancing local safety and building community connections.

It’s been a wintry week in Auckland, with rain, hail, and strong winds, but things warmed up on Thursday at Epsom Village with their Hawaiian party to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The evening’s highlight was a vibrant hula dance and music performance that had everyone in high spirits. The village has already raised an impressive $1,000 for this important cause!

They say grandmothers are the best bakers, and at Epsom Village, they certainly make the most of it! This August, residents showcased their baking skills in a delightful Bake Off competition. The three dedicated judges, who had both a discerning palate and a great sense of humor, had a tough time choosing winners from among so many delicious creations. It’s a hard gig but somebody has to do it!

Epsom Village hosted a spectacular Olympic feast to celebrate the start of the Games in Paris! The midwinter dinner, a highlight of the village's social calendar, was a tremendous success with its Olympic theme. The lounge was adorned with pictures of renowned New Zealand athletes, and the menu featured delectable dishes from France, Italy, and Germany. The evening was complete with residents dancing to lively entertainment provided by artist Reuben Simpson, who performed classic hits from the '50s, '60s, and '70s.

At Real Living, while our dedicated staff teams ensure tasks are completed, it's our resident volunteers who truly make the world go round. Every year, Epsom Village hosts a beautiful Thank You Morning Tea to express our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable contributions. Take a look at the pictures we captured during the event – the smiling faces speak volumes about the joy of giving and the spirit of community at our villages.

Epsom Village's annual Take the Plunge challenge was a resounding success! Each year sees an increasing number of residents take part in this lively and community-bonding occasion, diving into the village's outdoor pool on the Winter Solstice. Participants, including brave residents and staff, often wear costumes to add to the festive atmosphere. The award for best costume undoubtedly went to Dianne, who dressed in a full 1920s ensemble, complete with a Titanic-themed safety ring.

Epsom Village has been very fortunate to host Susan Jordan, a choreographer with 50 years of experience who now leads SeniorsDance. They offer dance lessons for people aged 60 years and over in Mt Albert and Henderson. Our residents at Epsom Village thoroughly enjoyed Susan’s engaging and fun spirit, and they all had the opportunity to practice some of her easy-to-learn movements inspired by contemporary dance.

We're still in awe of the incredible talent showcased by the students from the Diocesan School for Girls during their performance at the Mother's Day Concert in Epsom Village. This is the second year that the girls have come to the village to celebrate this occasion with our residents, further strengthening our special connection with the school.

There's only one thing that can make you happier than a kitten... and it's a bunch of kittens! Last week, the residents of Epsom Village were treated to a visit from Lonely Miaow, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and care of stray and abandoned cats and kittens. Lonely Miaow brought around 12 very friendly cats and kittens who loved mingling with the residents, having cuddles, and of course... getting into mischief.

At Real Living, some of our staff members are renowned for going above and beyond to ensure the happiness of our residents. Epsom Village is fortunate to have two of these superstars, Les and Penny. This remarkable duo excels not only in their respective roles but also in bringing joy to the residents, particularly through their talent for dressing up and acting.

When it comes to garden parties, Epsom Village steals the show! The central garden, adorned by a magnificent oak tree, provides an idyllic backdrop for an alfresco gathering featuring delightful music (courtesy of Jim Joll), delectable nibbles, and the Village Manager's signature cranberry mocktail.

If you're looking for a Christmas celebration like no other, Epsom Village is the place to be. This year the village organised a Mystery Christmas party with the surprise appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The residents had clues to unlock and mysteries to solve, while they enjoyed a five star menu and delicious Christmas treats. Sherlock made sure that everyone finished the dinner unharmed... but they certainly had a night full of friendship, joy and laughter!

The Junior girls of the Diocesan School for Girls visited Epsom Village for their annual Christmas concert. They sang traditional carols that delighted everyone, but they also incorporated some more modern songs to their repertoire, like the Gingerbread man rap. A wonderful way to kick-start the magic season and remind us of the true spirit of Christmas: generosity.

Some of our residents are larger than life, with experiences that could be written in a book… or in Barbara’s case, several travel journals! Barbara’s adventures started when she was 19 years old when she did her first trip around Europe. She hasn’t stopped travelling since then: she’s been to 45 countries, including Uganda, the Galapagos Islands or Cambodia.

Connecting with the community is one of the main core values we have at Real Living. One of our residents at Epsom Village, Diana Burslem, visited St Joseph’s school in Orakei to share her passion of writing with the children. Diana writes books for Red Rocket Readers and she was a teacher for 40 years so she was totally in her element at St Joseph’s. It’s a good thing she was because the little ones only asked about a million questions!

Our superstar chef at Epsom Village, Nick Seaman, has more than 40 years’ experience in cooking. He loves his job because “feeding people is like nurturing them” and working in a retirement village allows him the chance to get to know his diners. There’s nothing that Nick can’t tackle, from a Pink Ribbon breakfast to an international midwinter dinner.

At Real Living sometimes we like to follow the traditions, and other times we like to try something new. For the past two years Epsom Village has moved away from the classic Christmas theme for their midwinter dinner. This time, the village decided to celebrate that the residents are travelling overseas again after the long Covid break with an internationally inspired dinner.

This week we’re celebrating National Volunteer Week sharing the story of our amazing volunteers at Epsom Village. This amazingly huge display is what the residents have collected to send to war-ravaged Ukraine. The lot includes stationery, toiletries, sanitary and baby items, toys, and on top of that, around 260 hand-knitted and crocheted pieces by our own talented residents.

If there’s one thing that our residents know how to do well… it is to have fun for a good cause! Real Living Villages raised a whooping $2800 for the Breast Cancer Foundation with the Pink Ribbon breakfasts they held during May. At Epsom Village a sea of pink covered the lounge while the residents enjoyed succulent Eggs Benedict to raise funds for breast cancer.

Hats off to the Year 8 students from DIO who organised a Mother's Day Concert at Epsom Village to celebrate this special day with our residents. The village was very impressed with the girls' talent when playing classical pieces such as "The Skylark" and "Spring Butterflies". The students got all the residents singing and happily tapping their feet with popular songs like “Dancing Queen” and “Yellow submarine”.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society. Today we would like to pay tribute to this honourable profession by sharing the story of one of them. As a young girl, Nell couldn’t stand the sight of blood, but she studied hard to become a nurse and she devoted her life to this profession. At the end of her career she worked nine years at Mercy Hospice: “I call it my soul work."

Auckland Zoo is celebrating a century of life this year, with many special events including the opening of its South East Asia Jungle Track. Epsom Village didn’t want to miss the fun and their residents were lucky to visit the zoo on a very sunny day. Lots of animals were enjoying the warmth outside, so our residents got close and personal with the giraffes, the siamangs, the meerkats and even the two new tigers!

Our Community fun day at Epsom Village was a roaring success. More than 200 people visited the village on Saturday including lots of families with little children, who had the best time with Lolipop the Clown and the colourful dance show from Peru. On top of having a great time, the village raised more than $650 for the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle. Well done Team Epsom!

At Real Living we’re very proud to have some very talented artists among our residents. One of them is Dorothy Tomlinson, an accomplished opera singer with soprano roles in La Traviata or La Boheme. Being 90 years old, Dorothy has been retired for a long time, but that doesn’t mean that she has stopped sharing her expertise: now she’s in charge of the Talent Group at Epsom Village.

At Real Living one minute you're at the village at the next one...you're in Hollywood! Epsom Village organised a very glamorous Christmas party last week where all the residents and staff pretended to be attending the Oscars. The event ticked all the boxes: delicious food, great friends, lots of laughs and a proper awards ceremony, delivered by Mrs Claus and... the Grinch!

With Halloween fast approaching and Christmas around the corner, there’s no doubt that the sweet season has started. John is one of our most charming residents and he also works part-time at Kea cookies, a New Zealand company established in 1988. Alongside his daughter and son-in-law, John bought the factory a few years ago and since then he’s became an expert in golden syrup, icing cookies and new flavours such as lemon coconut.

It’s time to celebrate! At Epsom Village they were so happy with the ending of the Traffic Light System that they decided to throw a big party. The residents invited their family and friends, the village opened the pool, they had a sausage sizzle and a Happy Hour with Live Music. At the end of the evening most of the villagers were up on their feet showing off their dance moves!

It’s a universal truth that grannies make the best soup, so at Real Living, we’re blessed with some of the best cooks in the country. Diana not only makes a soup that is good for the body and the soul, she’s also one of our most active, social and friendly residents and in her spare time she also writes poems and children’s books.

Epsom Village raised $650 for the Cancer Society with a very successful Happy Hour to support Daffodil Day. The event included a Raffle sponsored by local businesses, with Hell Pizza Epsom and the Florentine Tea Room as their top donors. There was also a fierce cocktail competition with the Mighty Margarita and the 80s classic Fluffy Duck fighting for the top spot.

Elaine and Ivan have been living at Epsom Village for more than 12 years, and they couldn’t be happier. They love the location, the gardens, the social events, and the organised trips to the countryside. They’re some of the most popular residents at the village; with their friendly attitude and cheeky sense of humour, they certainly add spice to retirement life!

At Real Living our communities have a strong sense of purpose. Epsom Village’s midwinter dinner raised $350 for Save the Children: Ukraine Children's Emergency Fund. On top of that, the residents had the best fun dressing up in blue and gold, enjoying Ukraine-inspired food and celebrating their special friendships.

Some of our villagers are so vibrant and energetic that when they turn 90 they give us a big surprise! Eileen is one of the most active residents at Epsom Village. She organizes the Cinema sessions and the Quirky Quiz, she joins most social events and tags along to all the trips. And she doesn’t look one day past 70!

Easter is a time of tradition, togetherness and joy. Our residents have shared lots of special moments with their Real Living families. They participated in a Cornhole competition with the Easter Bunny as a referee, they had a Happy Hour with fabulous Easter bonnets and some residents let their creativity shine - just have a look at this charming chicken for the best Easter egg hunt!

At Real Living we love Ireland’s National Day so today we’re sharing one of the favourite ways to celebrate it: baking Irish Soda Bread. Louise is one of our residents and star bakers and she has a tried and tested recipe for this popular Irish staple.

When it comes to outdoor parties, our stunning gardens offer the best backdrop. Epsom Village had an Al Fresco Party this week to celebrate all the birthdays that fell into the 2021 lockdown. It all started with some quiet melodies, but at the end all the residents were dancing to Abba under the old oak tree.

You don’t need to be retired to move to our retirement villages. With an entry age of 55+, many of our residents still work part-time or even full-time. Take Mel for example, she’s the Practice Manager of a busy Orthopaedics surgery, and she also has a very busy social life, inside and outside of the village. Moving to a retirement village allowed her to live to the fullest without the hassles of home maintenance.

Auckland City Hospital has 100 Blue Coats volunteers, way-finders who make sure that patients and visitors find their destination without stress. Epsom Village residents Margaret and Lesley are two of those volunteers. They love helping people and find this role extremely rewarding.

At 77 years of age, Neville swims 2km three times per week. While most of us are having our first coffee, he’s down at the beach to train. His devotion for exercise started when he was young: he has 11 marathons under his belt, innumerable medals, and he is the current New Zealand Ocean Swim Series champion in his age group.

Epsom Village celebrated Halloween with a spooky parade and Happy Hour. The residents dressed up as witches, skeletons, monsters and even a hippy lady from the seventies. After so many weeks in lockdown, the parade brought some long needed good laughs to the village.

We’re overwhelmed by the kindness shown by high school student Annabelle Liang. With the help of her friends, she has written more than 90 letters for Epsom Village residents to ease the loneliness of the lockdown. Thank you Annabelle, Jojo, Sebastian and Johnnie from King’s College for such a heart-warming initiative!

Epsom Village celebrated International Cat Day with a special Happy Hour last week. Residents came dressed up as their favourite cat characters… including a special appearance by a real cat! Celebrated on August 8 every year, the day is used to raise public awareness about cats and to learn about ways to keep and protect them.

Happy International Friendship Day! Real Living villages are full of real friendships, like the one that Gail and Colleen have. They met in Epsom Village almost 8 years ago and they became best friends. They love going to cafes and restaurants or just strolling around the village and sharing a coffee or a glass of wine.

Stunning performance by the Madeleines Trio at Epsom Village. The trio has worked internationally in musical theatre and now they’re back in New Zealand to perform wonderful songs from the 1920-1950s. The residents followed the popular melodies with big smiles and a bit of toe tapping.

Who can imagine a barbeque or a party without a bowl of homemade Kiwi Onion Dip? The creator of this all-time classic, Rosemary Dempsey, lives in Epsom Village. She’s the first resident to share a recipe for our new series “Real Ingredients” by Real Living.

David Harmes has been able to fulfil his childhood dream at Epsom Village: woodworking. He spends a few hours every week at the Village’s workshop creating gorgeous ornamental pieces, old-fashioned children’s toys, and unique designs such as the Concentric Spheres. His motto: “If a human can do it, I can too!”.

At Real Living we also try to play our part in protecting the environment. Our retirement villages at Epsom, Remuera and Warkworth have a complimentary electric car for the residents to use. The Electric VW Golf, known as the e-golf, is the car that Epsom Village started using at the beginning of April.