The Vale Living

The Vale Living Elegant, contemporary, high-spec apartments to rent for retirement living at the Vale. Expertly designed for maximum comfort and easy entertaining.

Secure, gated development. Lounges, bar, restaurant and cinema room. Bespoke support services available.

Daffodils are showing their sunny faces and the tulips will not be far behind to underline that spring really is on its ...
02/03/2026

Daffodils are showing their sunny faces and the tulips will not be far behind to underline that spring really is on its way.

It has already done so at The Vale Living where members of our art group stole a march on the seasons with a vibrant tulip workshop.

Inspired by Monet’s Impressionist tulips, a full house created their own beautiful interpretations - from vases in soft, delicate hues to bold blooms in striking reds and yellows.

All of our participants have shown great promise in their artistic journey. Proof that once the art bug bites, it is hard to let go, we were delighted to welcome back one member who had missed a few sessions. She had enjoyed them so much, she had promised to return – and so it proved.

Well done to everyone who took part!

Many people who move to The Vale Living are downsizing from a larger family home – and for many of our current residents...
02/03/2026

Many people who move to The Vale Living are downsizing from a larger family home – and for many of our current residents, it has been a positive and liberating step. Letting go of unused space and the upkeep that comes with it can make everyday life simpler and more enjoyable, while still keeping the room you need for the things – and people – that matter most.

Beyond your apartment, you’ll benefit from the reassurance and connection of a supportive retirement living community at The Vale Living. Our friendly team and like-minded neighbours help create a warm, welcoming place to call home — where your independence is always respected and support is available if needed.

The Vale Living was delighted to welcome a return visit from Emma Fleming of The Streatham Society. Her talk explored Va...
20/02/2026

The Vale Living was delighted to welcome a return visit from Emma Fleming of The Streatham Society. Her talk explored Valentine’s Day and the romantic exploits of local residents.

Emma briefly traced the history of Valentine’s Day which included a spell for you to capture a lover’s heart. She highlighted notable lovers who had lived or tied the knot in the area, including the 1970s wedding of actor, Hywell Bennet to Cathy McGowan (Ready, Steady, Go) and Roger Moore to his first wife, the ice skater, Doorn van Steyn.

The talk then shifted to ‘The Streatham Worthies’, a literary circle who frequented Streatham Park. Perhaps the best known names here were Samuel Johnson and Hester Thrale who maintained a 20-year ‘intimate friendship’ before falling out with each other.

Finally, an unsolved Victorian murder mystery known as The Charles Bravo Murder or the Murder at the Priory. This was a tangled tale of relationships and conspiracy. The recently-widowed heiress, Florence Ricardo, struck up a friendship with Jane Cannon Cox, a governess, and eventually invited her to become a live-in companion at The Priory, her house on Tooting Bec Common.

Whilst she was married to her first husband, Florence had an affair with Dr James Manby Gully. Later, in an attempt to regain her respectability, she married Charles Bravo. The marriage was not a happy one – and certainly not for Charles – who died from poisoning by antimony. The resultant detective case pointed the finger at Florence, Jane and even Dr Gully, but no one was ever convicted.

The talk and the mystery murder sparked lively discussion amongst our audience, The Valees, as they sat down to a delicious lunch. Everyone had their own theory as to ‘whodunit’ but they were no nearer to solving the mystery as the Victorians had been.

Our thanks to Emma for providing such a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some of our Streatham residents who have been lucky and sometimes less than lucky in love.

Sleep is a fascinating subject and whilst we have learned a lot about what happens when we sleep and why sleep is necess...
12/02/2026

Sleep is a fascinating subject and whilst we have learned a lot about what happens when we sleep and why sleep is necessary, there is so much we still don’t understand.
The Vale Living residents were recently given fresh insight into this absorbing top with a visit from Bronte Sherborne, who shed a little more light on the science of sleep and the vital role it plays in all our lives.
Bronte’s session explored what sleep is and why we need it, delving into the neuroscience behind what happens in the brain during sleep, its impact on memory and how much sleep we truly require. She also shared practical tips and invited thoughtful questions on how to improve sleep quality, sparking lively discussion among residents. One common myth was firmly dispelled: that we need less sleep as we get older.
Everyone went away with something to think about and a few new ideas to help them enjoy a better night’s sleep. Sweet dreams!

The first art workshop of 2026 at The Vale Living turned its attention to apples. With a nod to the exhibition ‘Anna Arc...
12/01/2026

The first art workshop of 2026 at The Vale Living turned its attention to apples. With a nod to the exhibition ‘Anna Archer: Painting Light’ which is presently showing at The Dulwich Picture Gallery, our group members were encouraged to begin their work by focusing on form. Anna Archer’s work is known for its bold use of colour and her exceptional ability to capture light like no other. These were our next steps.

Students set to work, starting with simple circles in pencil. The apples were painted on a background of delicate, striped linen fabric with successive layers of colour gradually added to create the fresh, green apples.

With gentle music playing in the background, courtesy of Classic FM, our apprentice artists, including one resident’s daughter visiting from Australia, became absorbed in their work. There was still plenty of time to chatter (very much part of the enjoyment and purpose of our sessions) about artistic ambitions and personal hopes for the year ahead. There is clearly very much to look forward to.

In the meantime, many walls throughout The Vale Living are now awash with bowls of tempting green apples, brought to life with reflected light.

Anna Archer: Painting Light continues at The Dulwich Picture Gallery until 8 March. Further information at: www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk.

After all the demands of a hectic pre-Christmas week, our residents enjoyed the opportunity to channel their creative ta...
22/12/2025

After all the demands of a hectic pre-Christmas week, our residents enjoyed the opportunity to channel their creative talents into a soothing and therapeutic flower arranging session.

Little white ceramic pots were begging to be filled with a mix of greenery, fragrant blooms and a touch of sparkle. The finishing touch was a country-cottage style leather gift tag.

As always, with some expert guidance from their tutor, participants rose to the challenge and produced a selection of charming arrangements that made the perfect gift and a delightful display to grace any Christmas table.

On behalf of all our residents and staff here at The Vale Living, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy, peaceful New Year.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at The Vale LivingChristmas is well on its way and there has already been a ...
16/12/2025

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at The Vale Living

Christmas is well on its way and there has already been a positively festive whirl of events at The Vale Living.

🎄🎅Residents donned their sparkling finery to enjoy a delightful, early Christmas dinner. The opportunity to ease down a bit came the next day in the form of a yoga session. Gentle exercise, stretching and deep breathing helped to relax but also re-energise both bodies and minds. Nothing was too demanding – not even the ‘tree’ pose that brought everyone together to create a cheerful forest of human Christmas trees. Our Christmas carol singing is always a highlight of The Vale Living’s yuletide calendar and so it proved again. It was a pleasure see our yoga and dance teacher Kathryn attend and join in the singing. We also welcomed longtime friend, Father Steffan, from St. Peter’s, together with the choirmaster, to lead the session. The repertoire included a beautifully sensitive rendition of ‘Silent Night’, as well as ‘We Three Kings’ with a solo from one of our residents. Volume levels rose for a hearty rendition of ‘Hark the Herald’, before a full-throated finale of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’. Laughter, conversation and good cheer continued as everyone made their way to the Bistro, where the celebrations carried on over an enjoyable and sociable lunch.🎄⛄❄️

Bags of Christmas FunResidents at The Vale Living demonstrated that art can be practical as well as beautiful as they le...
05/12/2025

Bags of Christmas Fun

Residents at The Vale Living demonstrated that art can be practical as well as beautiful as they learned how to use stencils to decorate useful tote bags.

Under the encouraging guidance of our artist-in-residence, they had a practice run to transfer and colour in the stencils on paper before moving on to their ‘Fab Dab A Do’ Christmas bags.

There was much fun to be had as they had to concentrate on doing several steps in a set order. Some succeeded in dabbing on the colours better than others, but the final results, featuring designs that ranged from Christmas trees and fairies to penguins and big, striped cats, were a great success. Indeed, Andrea was so thrilled with hers, she couldn’t wait to use it for her shopping the next day.

As with all of our art classes, there was a lot of chatter, enjoyment, laughter, creativity and new skills learned.

Oh La La - French Evening at The Vale Retirement VillageResidents at The Vale Retirement Village were treated to a wonde...
02/12/2025

Oh La La - French Evening at The Vale Retirement Village

Residents at The Vale Retirement Village were treated to a wonderful French-themed evening this week, filled with charm, laughter and the unmistakable spirit of Paris!

The dining room was transformed into a little slice of France, with tables dressed beautifully and residents donning glittery French berets for the occasion. One of the highlights of the night was Michael, who came dressed as an “Onion Johnnie” - complete with strings of onions and classic Breton flair. His outfit certainly added authenticity and plenty of smiles!

Guests enjoyed an exquisite menu featuring French favourites including rich, tender Coq au Vin and a perfectly caramelised Crème Brûlée for dessert. The aroma, flavours and presentation transported everyone straight to a candlelit bistro by the Seine.

The evening was filled with shared memories, cheerful conversation and more than a few attempts at French phrases “Bonjour!” “Magnifique!” “Très bien!” echoed around the room, as residents reminisced, laughed, and soaked up the atmosphere.

It was a beautiful celebration of food, culture and community.

A big thank you to our team and residents for making the evening so warm, joyful, and truly magnifique!
Vive la France at The Vale!

As the trees turn to shades of amber and burnt umber, The Valees latest art master class used the seasonal, falling leav...
18/11/2025

As the trees turn to shades of amber and burnt umber, The Valees latest art master class used the seasonal, falling leaves as its inspiration.

Using the flame-coloured foliage on the tree in the grounds of The Vale and the leaves from the oaks on Streatham Common, our artists learned how to put down a ground for their painting. One person suggested using a sponge to create the dappled backgrounds. The resulting, stippled, effect proved to be perfect. The students then learnt brush stroke techniques to carefully overlay the delicate oak leaves.

Painting like this brings benefits for everyone, helping with cognitive skills and maintaining dexterity in hands, fingers and wrists. Of course, working in a group, as our residents do, also brings the social advantages of a shared experience, joy and pride in an end product plus a cup of coffee in the Bar & Bistro.

There was lots of laughter as participants remembered the Tony Hancock film The Rebel, which portrays him as an amateur artist who moves to Paris in a bid to be taken seriously as a professional. The song, Autumn Leaves, also sprang to mind and the group was about to launch into before realising that they only knew the first line.

As the session drew to a close, the completed artworks drew much admiration from all and everyone looks forward to our next class.

The Hills Around Streatham — A Journey Through TimeRome was famously built on seven hills but did you know that our own ...
06/11/2025

The Hills Around Streatham — A Journey Through Time

Rome was famously built on seven hills but did you know that our own local area has five?

Emma Fleming of the Streatham Society made a welcome return visit to The Vale to enlighten an audience of around 30 people on the fascinating history of the uplands that surround us. We were also joined by Lee and Kirsty from local law firm, Anthony Gold Solicitors, proud supporters of a number of local community initiatives.

The five hills in question were Streatham, Brixton, Herne, Tulse and Sydenham. Emma captivated us with tales of the ghostly figures that have haunted these slopes to the origins of the names. ‘Herne’ is likely based on herons, Brixton is mentioned in folklore as Brixistane, a Saxon name meaning ‘the stone of Brixi’ and ‘Streatham’ derives from ‘Street Hamlet’ (on the street).

Continuing the journey through time, Emma took us forward a few centuries to the Crystal Palace in Victorian times and onwards to the modern day art deco buildings of Streatham High Road. There was lots of discussion about the changing name of the local night club from the Locarno to the Cats Whiskers to The Studio. Several residents had tales of their own to share about this local dance venue.

Conversations and recollections continued over a delicious lunch and this, being a Friday, was a perfect way to start the weekend.

Spooky Fun at The Vale Living’s Hallowe’en Dinner. Hallowe’en never goes unmarked at The Vale Living Retirement Village ...
05/11/2025

Spooky Fun at The Vale Living’s Hallowe’en Dinner.

Hallowe’en never goes unmarked at The Vale Living Retirement Village where our residents love a themed evening and a chance to dress up.

With the Bar & Bistro transformed with cobwebs, pumpkins and ghastly, glowing lights, it was like a scene from a film as a variety of witches, wizards and ghouls appeared after dusk.

Spectacular home-made hats were a particular focus of conversation as our spooky guests sat down to devour a suitably themed, delicious menu.

There were fiendish jokes, cackling laughter, tales from times gone by and even some croaky voices as the evening wore on. Suddenly, before the official witching hour of midnight struck, our spirit gathering mysteriously melted away leaving only the echoes of a ghostly gathering and the distant sound of laughter.

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93 Knollys Road
London
SW162JR

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The Vale Living

The Vale Living. Luxury retirement apartments available to rent in South London.

At The Vale, we've been able to utilise our knowledge and passion that we have gained from building and managing purpose built and bespoke luxury retirement villages and care centres for over 30 years. But our experience in providing high quality accommodation and care for older people goes back much further.

It was in the early 1980s that our chairman, Dr Nick Dhandsa, a trained physician at St Thomas’ Hospital, London founded a company called ANS plc. ANS was an innovator and in the 1990s, offered assisted and independent living in 200 purpose-built units on its care campuses around the UK which are the origins of our sector today.

An apartment at The Vale enables you to live a truly independent life in your very own secure environment and community. Our facilities include a garden bistro bar and restaurant, library, hobby room, wellness suite and on-site hairdresser facilities. If you require additional care in the future, our team is on hand to provide the support you require and to give you security and peace of mind that we are here to help as you need.