MEADOWPARK, BRAINTREE: John Fleming - Managing Essex's first retirement village

“My responsibilities are pretty much all-embracing,” he says. “And when I’m off-site or busy somewhere else in the village, the emergency phone in the office automatically switches through to the Peverel care line.

My office is in the John Ray Pavilion which is the central ‘hub’ of the village, and I am thoroughly enjoying being right in the middle of things.” John, who had a 22-year career in the RAF when he travelled the world as part of the RAF’s dedicated police force, lives with his wife and daughter in Colchester.

“We had promised a regular mini-bus service and I am currently renegotiating this,” he says cheerfully. “The service we first took on was good but not able to cope with all our demands. So I have been in touch with Braintree District Council who could not have been more helpful.We also have provision for a small shop which, when we open it, will also come under my remit. My job is to make life for the residents as trouble free as possible - and I am thoroughly enjoying it.”