This month we have a focus on retirement living. North of the harbour bridge, we have some fabulous options for our older folk looking to enhance their lifestyles and enjoy their retirement years. One of those options is The Poynton retirement village located close to Takapuna and Milford. During February we popped along to the Metlifecare-operated village to talk with two residents who are really in the swing of retirement village life, having both called The Poynton home for over a decade. Bill Jaques and Lillian Bennett actually moved into the village within months of one another back in 2014.

Bill Jaques spent 31 years in the Navy, also worked for the Auckland Harbour Board and the port company. He’s had a lifetime of involvement with the sea, living in Devonport, being a member of the Devonport Yacht Club (he’s still involved) and rising to the rank of commander in the Navy.
Bill joined the Navy aged just 15, going on to specialise in hydrographic surveying. This involved lots of sea time and boat work, plus, in those days, some land surveying, mathematics and chart drawing – a mix he says he found very satisfying. He served on the ‘Lachlan’, on exchange in HMS 'Cook’ in the Pacific, and in both of the 72-foot surveying HDMLs 'Takapu' and 'Tarapunga'. He eventually captained the HMNZS 'Monowai'.
Life on the water didn’t stop there. Even after he and his late wife Sally retired, they bought a half share of a barge on the waterways of Europe and spent nine summers (New Zealand winters) exploring!
Bill and Sally sailed for many years as members of the Devonport Yacht Club in their Whiting 29. Bill has served on the club committee, as sailing master, clubhouse captain and eventually treasurer. Now in his mid-80s he’s slowing down but still enjoys an involvement with the club and also fills the treasurer role at a Devonport-based not-for-profit trust.
Sally and Bill, along with their much love dog Gromit, moved into The Poynton in March 2014. They decided on a two-bedroom third floor apartment.
“It was clear to me that Sally’s health was failing so it was time for us to sell our Devonport townhouse of 26 years and find something that suited our needs,” explains Bill Jaques when quizzed about how his move to retirement living came about.
“Sally was in North Shore Hospital, and I was driving past The Poynton daily to visit her. Sally and I had discussed the move to a retirement village, and at one stage I had even joined a friend for a visit during an open day at The Poynton. Ironically the friend never moved in, but I went back for another look when Sally was in hospital, and we together decided it was the place for us. Eleven years on I have no regrets; it is a great lifestyle.
“We loved our life in Devonport, and we missed it. But it was time to move on. Our home was on a hill, and it was not going to get easier for us.”
Bill says that for the first couple of years he continued with outside interests. When those came to an end he found croquet on his doorstep in the village. He has really enjoyed it – both the game and the people. He continues to play regularly.
 “Sally and I really enjoyed the ease of apartment living and the circle of great friends we have made. As Sally’s dementia worsened, I became more and more her caregiver. However, being in the village, I was able to leave her alone occasionally to play croquet and have some social life. Sally passed away two years ago. Now I’m on my own, and slowing down somewhat, I take great comfort in the support that is around me at The Poynton. It is a lot better than ageing alone. Some may resist the move to retirement living and leave it too late. Looking back, we made a very good decision to come to The Poynton when we did. Gromit loves it as well. He was an ‘SPCA special’ and just three years old when we made the move; he’s now 14 and loves watching me play croquet and the local walks.”
Lillian Bennett moved to a brand-new ground floor one bedroom apartment at The Poynton in April 2014. This was two years after Noel, her husband of 50 years, passed away suddenly.
“Noel and I had looked at The Poynton as an option for our retirement lifestyle during the year prior to his passing,” explains Lillian. “He was very comfortable living at our Takapuna home so wasn’t ready to move. It was a shame; he would have loved it here.
“When we lost him suddenly, I stayed in our Hauraki home for a year before I decided to have a look at The Poynton again. I told my two sons that I was ready to investigate the options. We ended up deciding on the one-bedroom apartment that was under construction. Not only was it brand new and I could have a say in the fit-out, being on the ground-floor it was also perfect for my pug dog Paddy. Around six months later we were in our brand-new apartment, and we loved it.
“At that time, I was one of several new residents who moved into our new block. I have made some wonderful friends at The Poynton over the past decade, and we all look out for one another. We have travelled together, played hundreds and hundreds of games of croquet and had lots of fun. I feel like I am never alone.
“When I first moved in, I was presented with a croquet mallet by the late Claude Monk, who was making them himself in the Men’s Shed. I will be forever thankful for that gift as it made me get involved and play the game with other residents. I have progressed on to coach and organise croquet at The Poynton. Croquet is now part of my daily life, and I enjoy it immensely.”
Lillian turns 92 in May and has some advice for those considering retirement village living.
“Just do it,” says Lillian. “The Poynton has been wonderful for me, but there are so many good villages around now to choose from. We visit some of the local villages playing croquet from time to time and they are all very nice. Forget about the money and investment and all that stuff. Deciding to move into a luxurious and safe environment like The Poynton is an investment in a lifestyle – and it’s a very comfortable lifestyle.
“I moved here in my early 80s, and looking back Noel and I should have done it earlier. It has been wonderful for me on my own but would also have been a wonderful lifestyle for us to share – so comfortable, safe and secure. It’s home. My kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren love coming here and we even have our annual family Christmas party in the café and lounge area.”
Bill and Lillian’s experience and endorsements confirm what we already knew. Our local retirement villages are fantastic!