Residents in the affluent village of Hartley Wintney can expect to live long lives (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Bret Henderson stood at his in the centre of Hartley Wintney on a bitterly . He has lived in the area for 45 years in total, and, going by the latest estimates, he could be hanging around the for a good while longer.
Hartley Wintney has been ranked by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as the place in the UK where men can expect to enjoy – 83.44 years on average for those born between 2021 and 2023. The district is sixth on the leaderboard when it comes to women, but female residents are still have a life expectancy of 85.89 years.
spoke to people in Hartley Wintney after visiting Aldershot. The British Army town, located just seven miles away, is in Rushmoor which was recently in the country.
“I wouldn’t have thought there was that much difference between here and there, actually,” Mr Henderson said. “There are some issues that they have over there that we have over here, that’s for sure.”
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Bret Henderson runs a fish stall in Hartley Wintney (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
As an example, he cited NHS waiting lists, as the areas are in the same catchment area. Mentioning Frimley Park Hospital, the businessman said that it has the same pressures as every one does these days.
But the fishmonger, who used to work in the corporate world, acknowledged that he lives in a “very wealthy area” which brings “a certain outlook”.
“It’s a great sense of community,” he added. “We get great support from the local people around the stall and the shop.” However, Mr Henderson added that “it’s tough for everyone at the moment”, and locals are making “different choices”.
Even in this affluent village, some local businesses have recently closed, such as The Cricketers pub. “They just weren’t getting the footfall,” Mr Henderson said.
The produce available at his stall, for example, is seen as more of a luxury item, and some customers are nowadays buying from him once rather than twice a week.
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The village is located in Hart, where men can expect to live the longest lives in the UK (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
A 62-year-old woman, who wished not to be named, had her mouth full after snacking on a pastry from the William Dyer deli on the high street. After finishing her last bite, she said: “Take up golf; they’re all in their 80s.”
The woman, who lives in nearby Camberley, but visits the village often, was not surprised at the high life expectancy in the area, as some of the octogenarians have a 17 handicap. “I love it,” she added, “absolutely love it.”
She continued: “And we did look at buying here a few years ago, but we didn’t. Our neighbours have moved here. There’re a lot of good schools in the locality as well.”
Her love of Hartley Wintney stems from “all the little shops”, including one that sells wine. She also meets friends in the village and browses antiques.
On nearby Aldershot, the woman added: “Years ago, my family were high up in the army… It’s like chalk and cheese; you’re trying to compare apples and oranges.”
Marie Jones owns the Sweet Shop in Hartley Wintney (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Marie Jones, 49, runs the Sweet Shop on the high street. She told Express.co.uk: “It’s nice. [There are] nice people.
“The schools are good, I guess that’s another reason [for the high average life expectancy], isn’t it? There are a lot of elderly people here, but also a lot of people come here because of the commute to London.
“And you’ve got the cricket green, nice places to walk. They’re old character houses but you get that in Aldershot as well, don’t you?
“The village has doubled in size since I’ve been here because of the couple of new housing estates.”
The fact that the A30 runs through the village benefits shops, Ms Jones, who has managed her shop for four years, she added.
But she caveated this by, like Mr Henderson earlier, emphasising that people either are not spending or are shopping online.
Express reporter Adam Toms visited Hartley Wintney (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
“Actually, I didn’t do too badly this year – probably about a percent down. I’m a small spend shop, so hopefully I’m not affected too badly.”
The businesswoman then described a rather nostalgic scene of a flood of schoolchildren in the shop on Fridays. “It’s a nice atmosphere; it does scare me, though,” Ms Jones said.
“I don’t worry too much about the shoplifters.”
Sophie Carlisle works at Auriol Wines, which is owned by her father. She described a “friendly” community in the village.
The 22-year-old added: “I really like it, but being a young person back from uni, I’d like a little bit more to do.
“But having a family here, it’s great, and it’s safe. You can definitely walk around at night and feel safe.”