SHIRLEY & DAVID

WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF A FULL LIFE?

ENJOYING THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE

Shirley and David have spent their lives surrounded by music. And retirement has only turned up the volume.

“We've done music all our lives,” smiles Shirley. David is a pipe player as well as a painter. “He even had his own orchestra.”

Happiest when sharing their passion with others, they’ve spent the past few years presenting around 300 talks. “We’d make books about Victoria and inside we’d exhibit many of David’s paintings, that’s how the talks started. At each event, we’d exhibit about 100 of David’s paintings. And they’d usually have a theme, like Lighthouses around Victoria.”

Social and active, Shirley and David launched themselves into daily life at Ryman’s Weary Dunlop Village. They often swim in the pool, enjoy fine dinners out, and have joined a village singing group where they take care of December’s theme. “We celebrate Christmas around the world with big paintings. It gives things a bit of personality and makes it all the more enjoyable.”

And Shirley’s a regular at the local café. “Oh, Shirley’s on about her seventh coffee card. So that's 70 coffees or teas! But that's alright, it's a great opportunity for extra meet-ups and socialising,” says David.

Which is what drew the couple to Weary Dunlop in the first place – social connection and activities. They both agree that Ryman has the right philosophy, and the team takes care of everything they need. “It feels like home and there’s a lot of variety.”

Shirley and David have created a busy retirement lifestyle. Active and social, they enjoy sharing their passion for fine arts with others. That is Shirley and David’s measure of a full life.