Local retirees this week gave a warm welcome to TV personality, Charlie Dimmock who joined them to celebrate the official opening of a new Retirement Living development Oakingham Place, Wokingham on Reading Road.

The development has proven to be very popular as 80% of the apartments are now sold.

Charlie, who stars in the BBC’s Garden Rescue show, led the celebrations at Oakingham Place, where the popular gardening guru gave an exclusive demonstration on creating the perfect potted herb display, before performing a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to open the development.

Guests at the event spent time getting to know Charlie as part of a candid Q&A session in the beautiful communal lounge over a glass of fizz and delicious light bites, before taking a guided tour of the superb facilities within the community.

With more than 27 million Brits – of which over half (51%) are aged 55 or above - considering themselves keen gardeners, guests at the event also had the opportunity to put their horticultural skills to the test by creating a potted plant display of their own.

Commenting on her visit, Charlie said: “I was delighted to be invited to Oakingham Place for the official opening. It was wonderful to meet with all the new homeowners and their guests and to be a part of the celebrations here in Wokingham. It’s lovely to see so many people show an interest in gardening especially now that summer is fast approaching.”

Sam Burley, Divisional Sales Director at McCarthy Stone, said: “The official opening was a fantastic occasion and our guests thoroughly enjoyed meeting Charlie and learning about her illustrious career. On behalf of the team and our homeowners, we’d like to say a huge thank you to Charlie for making it such a memorable experience.

“Oakingham Place provides a unique brand of retirement living in the local area with independence and community at its heart. With a wealth of social activity on offer and a friendly management team on-hand, homeowners and their families can enjoy peace of mind that everything is taken care of, and help is nearby.”

A full and varied lifestyle is on offer at Oakingham Place, with 34 one and two-bedroom luxury retirement apartments designed to meet the specific needs of the over 60s, and enviable shared spaces where new friendships can flourish.

These include a spacious lounge and attractive landscaped gardens, along with a handy guest suite for when loved ones stay overnight.