2:53pm Saturday 5th December 2009
By Julian Robinson
IT may be the clean Forest air, the thriving community spirit or even the healthy woodland walks.
But whatever their secret is, golden oldies in one Hampshire village appear to have discovered the elusive key to a long life.
According to research, the 3,400 residents of Brockenhurst will on average live to at least 89, making it the community with the second longest life expectancy in the country.
The New Forest village appears to be a prime place to live for over 65s, with an average of them going on to enjoy at least another 24 years.
Brockenhurst town councillor Martin Lockwood said the varied activities on offer as well as the countryside location helped boost the quality of life for older people in the village.
He said: “You have got a good community, good transport links and there are many activities on offer for over 65s.
“In Brockenhurst you are never more than 100 yards from being right in the Forest.
“A lot of people are keen on walking – there are lots of walking clubs and where ever you go there are people out and about walking their dogs or strolling through the village centre. Certainly Brockenhurst is a brilliant place for fresh air.”
Meanwhile Lymington also appears in the top ten list, compiled by business consultants Watson Wyatt.
Stockbridge in the Test Valley comes in nineteenth while New Milton, Fordingbridge and Ringwood all placed highly.
Topping the list was the Somerset village of Montacute, where pensioners claim growing and eating their fruit and veg makes all the difference.
At the opposite end of the scale, residents in Bootle, Merseyside were found on average to have the shortest lives after 65. Communities in Cumbria, Lanarkshire and Greater Manchester also placed in the bottom five.
Chris Perry, director of Age Concern Hampshire, believes there is a simpler reason why some communities performed better than others in the research.
He said: “There is a direct correlation between life expectancy and income.
“I suspect that some of the people living in Brockenhurst and Lymington will have retired there having had high paid jobs in the past.
“I think a lot of it has to do with affluence.”
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