Navy veteran, 88, tells of love for home he has bought twice

A Navy veteran has told how he loves his home so much he bought it twice – even returning to England from New Zealand after hearing it was on the market.

Brian Howlett, 88, who was born in Hull, joined the Navy at the age of 15 and served as a radio operator across the world for 17 years.

He met his wife, Janet, while working in Portsmouth when he was 17 and they married four years later, with the couple who had two children then buying a house in Honiton, Devon, in 1977.

Mr and Mrs Howlett remained in the home until 2002, when they sold it after retiring to join their daughter and granddaughter in New Zealand.

Before leaving, they asked the buyers of their house to let them know if they ever planned to sell it and to give them first refusal.

Four years later, Mr Howlett and his wife received a call to say the house was on the market – and returned to England to buy it again, moving in during 2007.

Mr Howlett now lives in the property alone, after the death of his wife Janet, and receives live-in care through The Good Care Group following a stroke.

“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,” Mr Howlett said.

“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 first lived in Portsmouth with daughter Debbie and son Gareth, before moving to Honiton in Devon.

Mr Howlett left the Navy in 1969 and was employed as a communications instructor with the Civil Service from that year, later working in Saudi Arabia while his family remained in Devon.

He retired at the age of 69 in 2002 and moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, with wife Janet to be close to daughter Debbie, who was living there.

They bought back their house in Honiton at the end of 2006, and moved back in at the beginning of 2007.

Mr Howlett said the couple had loved their Devon home, where their children grew up and they hosted many dinner parties, and could not resist returning to it.

Following the death of his wife, Mr Howlett had a stroke which led to him spending time in hospital and then temporary care.

For the past three years, he has been looked after by a carer named Winter, from The Good Care Group. She lives in his home for six weeks at a time, taking a break of two weeks when his second carer, Monica, takes over.

Darren Kennedy, managing director of The Good Care Group, urged the government to ensure older people are able to be cared for at home.

He said this would maintain their wellbeing, while alleviating pressure on the healthcare 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 said.

“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.”