Meet Sherry and John Barr at Fleur-de-Lis Wantage

“The most important thing we have gained from moving to Wantage is being closer to our daughter and the rest of the family who aren’t really far away and the regular support of our son, Kevin, still living in Surrey”. 

Sherry and John Barr, both in their late 80s, had respective careers in finance and communications with GlaxoSmithKline. They moved to Fleur-de-Lis Wantage in 2021 after living briefly in a large retirement village near Ascot. 

They had previously lived in a large ‘upside-down’ riverside house in Laleham-on-Thames, Surrey, for some 25 years but decided to downsize and move closer to some of their extended family. Their recently relocated daughter, Denise, was looking for somewhere for them to live when she came across Fleur-de-Lis Wantage, she thought “they would absolutely love it”. 

They moved a few months after John had a serious fall hampering mobility and found the apartment at Fleur-de-Lis Wantage was perfectly suited - as it has a wooden floor and is a ground floor apartment, allowing the couple to maintain their independence. Another bonus is having the guest suite right opposite them to accommodate visiting friends and family.

When Sherry and John first moved to Fleur-de-Lis Wantage they told us “there was a friendly and relaxed feeling when coming here”. They thought it was good to have the help and guidance of the Lifehost, Rachael. John explained “it helped us to settle at a time made more difficult by covid restrictions with the friendly advice not only on the apartment but also the style of the facility and the friendliness of the community. Rachael has continued to be a valuable source of information and guidance”. When they were moving in they also made the most out of our Homemoves Service, “this was very helpful especially when some of our family couldn’t help out. Literally all I had to do was get driven here and they did all the work for us”. 

Sherry continued: “Additionally, Wantage has absolutely everything as you can walk to most places or take a short taxi ride. We have the opportunity to walk out to the high street, you only have to go across the road and you’re there. There is also a market twice a week and there are so many hairdressers in this place I have lost count”. 

On top of the specifications and qualities of their apartment, Sherry and John were attracted by “the really lovely lounge” which is a warm and relaxing social space, the perfect place for people to read a nice book or enjoy a glass of wine with family and friends. Sherry tells us they make the most out of the communal lounge “we watch the television if they have got a film on or take part in quiz nights. On Fridays, once a month, a mobile ‘chippy' provides a fish and chip lunch cooked in his van”. 

The location and facilities are great but the Barrs emphasised “the most important thing we have gained from moving to Fleur-de-Lis Wantage is being closer to our daughter and the rest of the family who aren’t really far away and the regular support of our son, Kevin, still living in Surrey”. 

Fleur-de-Lis comprises 32 beautifully appointed one and two-bedroom homes set in the heart of this beautiful town. There are plenty of things to do on your doorstep with the market square just a short walk away and an impressive selection of shops, cafes and restaurants.