BUDE retirees were joined by an Olympic sporting legend recently, when Dame Mary Peters visited McCarthy and Stone’s Pen Morvah to officially open the new retirement living development.

The decorated Olympian, who won the women’s pentathlon gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, spent the afternoon with staff, homeowners and their relatives at the development on Bramble Hill. After commemorating the latest milestone at Pen Morvah with an official ribbon cutting, Dame Mary delivered a talk on her sporting past.

Guests had the honour of meeting Dame Mary while they raised a glass to Pen Morvah and its future homeowners. All those who visited the development also had the opportunity to be among the first to take a look at the professionally-styled show complex, as well as the homeowners’ lounge and landscaped gardens.

Dame Mary said: “I was delighted to be invited to Pen Morvah in Bude to mark the development’s official opening and to meet local people. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to chat to homeowners there, reminisce about the good old days and share my gold medal with them. I was so inspired by some of their stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to everyone at what is a truly remarkable development.”

Kevin Sims, regional sales and marketing director for McCarthy and Stone South West, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Dame Mary Peters, as well as so many familiar faces from the local area, to Pen Morvah to mark its official opening. Pen Morvah is a stunning contemporary development, benefitting from an in-house management team, designed so that homeowners can enjoy their independence for longer.

“We are committed to delivering an exceptional lifestyle at Pen Morvah and, as such, the development has a beautiful setting with landscaped gardens and luxuriously-appointed accommodation. What’s more, with the maintenance of all external and communal areas taken care of, homeowners can spend more time enjoying their retirement with family and friends.”

Exclusively aimed at the over 60s, Pen Morvah comprises a stylish collection of 31 one and two-bedroom retirement living apartments, which offer Bude retirees the opportunity to downsize and maintain an active, independent lifestyle, surrounded by like-minded individuals.

Facilities at Pen Morvah include a stunning homeowners’ lounge, ideal for socialising with friends, landscaped gardens fully maintained by the experienced on-site team, plus a convenient guest suite should homeowners have friends or relatives to stay. A dedicated house manager takes care of the day-to-day running of the development, while a security entrance system and 24 emergency call points provide homeowners and their families with additional peace-of-mind.

Prices at the development currently start from £220,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and £290,000 for a two-bedroom apartment.

More than nine out of ten customers would recommend McCarthy and Stone to a friend, ensuring it has received the full five star award for customer satisfaction from the Home Builders Federation for 13 years running. McCarthy and Stone is the only UK housebuilder of any size of type to achieve this accolade for 13 years, which is every year the awards have been run.