It seems unbelievable nowadays, when retirement properties are ubiquitous in our communities, that 4 decades ago virtually no thought had been given to the provision of appropriate and adequate housing for later living.

In Warwickshire for example, older people made up only a very small proportion of the population, so the issue hadn’t been properly considered. At that time housing for older people typically consisted of bedsits, which sounds like a depressing solution to us today. But someone was thinking about a better solution for later living and an idea began to form.

How it all began

In 1974 Bob Bessell was Director of Social Services for Warwickshire and he began to recognise that there had to be something better than the limited option of a bedsit for people in the later years of their lives. In the years that followed, Bob’s idea of how to tackle the problem progressed and Retirement Security was born. Incidentally, the name was chosen on a train travelling across Canada when Bob found himself in the unusual position of having nothing to read!

Now for a piece of land to make the idea a reality. Pope Saint John Paul II visited England in the summer of 1982 for six days and although the visit was a great success, it was a costly event and assets would need to be sold. In the village of Tiddington near Stratford on Avon, there was a piece of land owned by the Church which had been earmarked as the site to build a new chapel. This land now became available for purchase. Bids were placed and Retirement Security was successful, becoming the new owners of the land where Tiddington Court sits today.

Bob teamed up with an architect, a solicitor, a surveyor and of course his wife, Margaret has been heavily involved in the design of the Courts and their evolution over the decades.

Tiddington Court, the first RS court, opened in 1984

Tiddington Court opened its doors in 1984 as the very first Retirement Security Court. The Court’s very first owner, Mrs T. lived there until she was 103 years old, enjoying her independence for many years, with support when she needed it. It just so happens that there is another gentleman, Mr S. who, at age 102 also calls Tiddington Court home so it just goes to show that independence in a supportive community really does work!

Following the success of this first court, Retirement Security went on to build further courts, including Tannery Court, which was the first development for later living in Wales.

Timeline of our Courts

Retirement Security’s key to success

From the outset it was important that owners have a strong voice in the way their community is run, and this has always been part of the Retirement Security model. Bob is the first to acknowledge however that having that voice does bring a certain level of responsibility with it, but it has worked for 40 years!

We asked Bob his thoughts about the last 40 years and he commented that, like anything in life, there have been some fraught times and many good times but his belief in the ethos of the company has not changed. In fact, he believes in the product so much that he and Margaret bought an apartment and have
lived there for over a decade.

Bob commented that lots of people have contributed a huge amount over the years, but he recognises that there is lots still be done and change is inevitable. Here’s to the next 40 years!