East Dorset 'best for long life'

Steve Humphrey finds out why growing old in Wimborne is so beneficial

Residents in rural East Dorset are more likely to live the longest in England and Wales, according to research by the Office for National Statistics.

It showed women living in the district had a 86% chance of reaching 75 years of age and men had a 76% chance of getting to their mid-70s.

The research was carried out between 2005 and 2007.

East Dorset, bordering Hampshire and Wiltshire, includes the towns of Wimborne Minster, Ferndown and Verwood.

The district has grown rapidly from a population of 51,500 in 1971 to 83,800 in 2001- an increase of 63% over 30 years, according to East Dorset District Council.

'Healthy living'

The current population is about 85,300.

One Wimborne Minster resident, Anthony Oliver, 68, said: "It is a good area to live and I think people enjoy themselves here and that is what it is all about. Healthy living and a good atmosphere."

Meanwhile, 97-year-old Rev Canon Dr Leslie Vincent, a resident at Stoneleigh House Residential Home at Rowlands Hill, said: "I love to go out in the afternoon and walk around the river."

However, 19-year-old Kat Curlett was not sure about spending her entire life in Wimborne Minster.

"It is lovely but I would get very bored here, very quickly. I think it is a lovely place to retire to," she said.

East Dorset has a high proportion of privately owned housing - about 85% and unemployment is at less than 1%, according to the council.