Royal Navy veteran loves his Devon home so much he bought it twice

A Navy veteran has revealed his deep attachment to his Devon home, having purchased it twice, after he moved across the globe to New Zealand. Brian Howlett originally signed up with the Royal Navy at just 15 years old, where he spent 17 years charting the seas as a radio operator.

Destiny struck while in Portsmouth at the young age of 17, where Brian met his future wife, Janet. The two wed four years later and eventually settled down in Honiton, purchasing their beloved home in 1977. Together, they raised two children there.

However, in 2002, after many cherished years, the couple sold their home post-retirement to be closer to family in New Zealand - not before asking the new owners to grant them the chance to buy it back should they ever decide to sell.

True to their promise, a call came in 2006 notifying the Howletts that the house was going on sale once more. Without hesitation, Brian and Janet travelled back to England and re-purchased their treasured property, moving back in during 2007.

Brian, now 88, lives in the house by himself since his beloved Janet passed away, and following a stroke, he receives care from The Good Care Group. With profound connection tied to the location, Mr Howlett expressed, "I have lived in my house for 40 plus years although I did sell it and move away to New Zealand for a few years.

"I missed it so much I bought it again when I saw it was up for sale, I couldn't not. It's where my children grew up, where I lived with my wife and where I have pursued my hobby. I used to be an amateur radio operator and would talk to people all over the world in my radio room I still have my Axminster radio all these years later and couldn't bear to part with it."

The Howlett family's journey began in Portsmouth, where they lived with daughter Debbie and son Gareth before relocating to Honiton in Devon. After leaving the Navy in 1969, Mr Howlett embarked on a career as a communications instructor with the Civil Service that same year and at one point worked in Saudi Arabia as his family stayed put in Devon.

Retirement came for Mr Howlett at the age of 69 in 2002 when he and his wife Janet decided to move to Dunedin, New Zealand, to be nearer to their daughter Debbie. However, the allure of their cherished home in Honiton, which held memories of their children growing up and numerous dinner parties, was too strong; they repurchased it at the end of 2006 and resettled there by early 2007.

Following the passing of his wife, after having a stroke Mr Howlett found himself needing care, leading him to a hospital stay followed by temporary assisted living. Nowadays, he is looked after by a carer from The Good Care Group named Winter, who resides with him for six-week periods, with two-week intervals when his other carer Monica steps in.

The managing director of The Good Care Group, Darren Kennedy, recently called on the government to support the elderly in receiving home care, emphasising both the benefits to their wellbeing and the relief it could bring to the strained health system.

"Almost all of us have spent our entire lives living in just a handful of homes, bringing up families, being brought up by our parents and growing up with siblings along the way," Mr Kennedy remarked.

"We are incredible at making attachments to things, whether that's pets, the wallpaper, memorable objects or the view of the garden. Our homes are where we have spent thousands of hours, filling them with material things that are precious to us, as well as irreplaceable memories."

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