A new Churchill Living development in Eastbourne has been named in honour of a stalwart of the local community.
Allingham Lodge on Upperton Road has been named after Henry Allingham, a longstanding figure in the town’s community and one of the last surviving British veterans of the First World War. Henry lived in Eastbourne for over 40 years and was awarded Freedom of the Town in 2006.
The new Lodge name was suggested by winner Rosemary Skiggs as part of a competition run by Churchill Living to name its new development. Mrs Skiggs, who has lived in Eastbourne for 16 years, was presented with a cheque for £100 at a special naming ceremony.
Mrs Skiggs said: “When I saw the competition advertised, I wanted to pick a name that was strongly connected to Eastbourne, so I immediately thought of Henry Allingham. He was a longstanding figure in the town’s community and was one of the last three surviving British veterans of the First World War. He was also the last surviving founder member of the RAF, the last man to have witnessed the Battle of Jutland and the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service.
“Henry was a great example of long life in Eastbourne. Born in 1896, he was 113 when he passed away in 2009. He was Britain's oldest man, and for the last month of his life was recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest man alive in the world. He jokingly attributed his longevity to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women!" He was a wonderful character and I think this is a lovely way to remember him.”
Anne Scherrer, Regional Marketing Manager for Churchill Living, said: “Churchill Living likes to involve the local community in choosing the names for its developments and often does so by running a competition asking for suggestions. We received a vast number of entries for the new Eastbourne development but we particularly liked the local connection that Mrs Skiggs’ entry had and look forward to launching Allingham Lodge next year.”
Allingham Lodge, which is currently under construction, is located just to the edge of the town centre and will comprise of 61 privately owned, one and two-bedroom, self-contained retirement apartments, with features such as a video-entry system, lift to all floors, a 24 hour care and support system, and a Resident Lodge Manager.
Communal facilities include an Owners’ Lounge, Guest Suite and landscaped gardens. Like all Churchill Living developments, the location has been chosen for convenience and is within easy walking distance of the wide selection of shops and amenities of Eastbourne town centre. It has good public transport links and is less than a mile from the seafront.
Allingham Lodge is due to launch in Summer 2017. For more information or to register your interest, please call 0800 458 1857.