Chertsey, Surrey
Mickle Hill, Pickering
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stapleford, Cambridgeshire
Corsham, Wiltshire
Alex Simpson (85) and his dog Toby, an 11-year old West Highland White Terrier, moved to Wadswick Green in July 2022 where Alex purchased a spacious two-bedroom apartment in Ash Lane for £525,000.
At the time, Mister Simpson’s terminally ill wife had already been living in a care home which led to his decision to downsize and move out of their family home of 20 years; a barn conversion near North Cadbury in South Somerset. He comments: “It wasn’t an easy decision to sell our family home but it was the right thing to do at the time. It was important to me to live in close proximity to my wife’s care home as well as my daughter. Wadswick Green was perfectly located between both locations in a semi-rural setting and when I learned that Toby could come with me, it was the obvious choice for us.”
Throughout his life, Mister Simpson had dogs so the thought of moving without Toby was unimaginable. “Toby is good company and always follows me around everywhere I go, which means I never really feel alone. He has been a real trooper throughout the move to Wadswick Green and, whether he knows it or not, helped me feel at home more quickly”, Alex says.
Besides giving emotional support, Toby encourages Mister Simpson to stay active. “There are plenty of green spaces within the grounds of Wadswick Green which makes it very convenient for us to go for a wander out in the fresh air. Toby loves our walks as he knows that we will meet lots of other residents who have grown fond of him and make him the centre of attention. Given Toby’s curious nature, it didn’t take long for him to make friends with other dogs which inevitably allowed me to get to know fellow residents more easily.”
Seeing how quickly Alex and Toby integrated with the Wadswick Green community and how happy they were, his sister Angela and her partner decided to join and also bought a property. Mister Simpson says: “It’s great having my sister and brother in law here now as well. Angela is a big fan of Toby’s so we often meet up and spend quality time together.”
