Meet the residents who make Alan Walker Village feel like home
At 91 and 86, Glen and Bernice have shared a lifetime of love and adventure. But they've also weathered loss.
Widowed at 36, Bernice was left to raise three young daughters while Glen traded his career in ballet for a steady path in electrics.
A second chance at love
Their story is one of second chances. Six years after Bernice lost her husband, she met Glen on a blind date.
"And we haven't stopped talking since," she smiles.
Together, they raised five daughters and have embarked on whirlwind adventures, including flying across Australia in a homemade plane Glen built himself.
"I used to give him sandwiches and coffee mid-flight," Bernice laughs. "Until I realised if he choked, I'd have to land the plane myself. After that, he had to wait until we landed."
With a twinkle in her eye, she adds, "It's called love."
A reluctant move
When a new chapter beckoned, Glen hesitated. He wasn't sure he was ready to leave behind their Carlingford home of 50 years.
"Ten years ago, I was still working. But it got to the stage where the pool and garden were too much," he says.
But he gave the idea a second chance, changing his mind after visiting Alan Walker Village.
"We saw the unit and I thought, 'Yeah, I can live here'," he admits.
Bernice says with a rueful smile, "He did not want to come here. And now you'd swear it was his idea! And he's got himself a nice Australian native garden – it keeps him busy."
Bernice, on the other hand, had no hesitations about the move to Alan Walker Village.
"We've got a sunny unit," she says. "In the morning, you can lie in bed in the sun. It's lovely."
Not long after moving in, Bernice realised her sister once lived in the village, and that it borders the former Dalmar children's home – now Wesley Dalmar – where Bernice fondly remembers volunteering at the sweets stall back in the 1970s.
A community that feels like home
Glen and Bernice have slowed their pace of life since moving to Alan Walker Village, but both agree it's the best move they've ever made.
These days, Glen's electrical skills are put to use wiring up village concerts and events. Bernice, meanwhile, is best known as the 'scone lady' because once a month she gets up at 4.30am to bake up to 100 scones for a community morning tea – a tradition she started to encourage neighbours out of their units after Covid-19.
The gatherings now draw around 80 residents.
"It's about getting people talking," she says.
Glen and Bernice are happy they've kept their local doctor and community ties, while gaining new friends and hobbies.
"It feels like we've come full circle," Bernice reflects. "This place is friendly, supportive and caring."
Glen agrees, summing it up simply, "This is retirement. Exactly what I thought it'd be."
About our retirement villages
Wesley Mission operates two retirement villages in Sydney – Frank Vickery Village and Alan Walker Village. More than 400 people call these villages home, creating neighbourhoods where safety, affordability and community help make the retirement years some of the best years.
