102-year-old emigrates to New Zealand because her care home is closing

A British pensioner is emigrating to New Zealand at the age of 102 because her care home is closing. Louise Sydes, 102, has decided to relocate 11,000 miles away after council chiefs announced they would be closing her old people's home in Hawkhurst, Kent. The local authority has offered to rehome the grandmother but she has decided to move to Auckland, where her daughter lives, in the hope of a better quality of life.

She said: 'I'm very thrilled about living there, in New Zealand, it's lovely. I have been before, I like the climate and I like the food. I am really looking forward to being with my daughter, that's what matters. I will not miss the weather here but I will miss my friends who I have known for many years, and Midsummer Murders.'



The closure of Bowles Lodge, Hawkhurst, Kent, is part of a plan to change residential care in 11 of the 16 homes run by Kent County Council. Mrs Sydes, born in Coventry, moved to the home in March 2010 but is now the last remaining resident ahead of the closure. Mrs Sydes, who has three children, last visited New Zealand four weeks after celebrating her 100th birthday.

Speaking from New Zealand her daughter Sue Pearson said she was 'excited'. She said: 'Usually family members are only allowed to come for six months but we wrote to the minister of immigration who granted us permission for her to come and live with us. We are very excited and we think it's really wonderful.'

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