Arthur Charlton and his late wife, Jean, lived in the same West Auckland home for most of their lives. It was the heart of their family. A place where they raised their three children, grew old together and built a life well loved. “We lived in that house for 60 years,” says Arthur. “And when Jean got very sick, we thought, ‘Well, we're going to have to do something.’” A local retirement village was their next stop.
Photography by Emily Chalk
Two years following their move to Miriam Corban Retirement Village in Henderson, Jean passed away in 2023 after a long illness. “I nursed and took good care of her,” reflects Arthur. “After five years of nursing someone – when you can’t go on trips or spend any money – you don’t know what to do with yourself. I had to start again.”
Unsure where to turn next, Arthur sought the assistance of a hypnotherapist, who he’d originally booked for Jean, to help him navigate his grief. “The hypnotherapist helped me out so much. I was really upset — I'd just lost my wife and I was all on my own,” he explains. “She said, ‘These are your golden years, Arthur. You've just got to absolutely make the most of it and do what you want.’ So, that's what I did.”
A lifelong interest in aviation, sparked by an uncle who served in the New Zealand Air Force, inspired Arthur’s first port of call. He approached the North Shore Aero Club and they offered to take him on as a student… on one condition. “They said I had to have a medical certificate and I said, I can get one of those! Because I’m over 75, I’ve got to get one for my driver’s licence anyway,” says Arthur cheekily.
Once the paperwork was sorted, Arthur was cleared to take to the skies. “I had my first flight last June so I've been going for over a year now. Because of the weather, I’ve only actually had 10 flights of the airplane — the rest has been theory. But I really love it.”
Arthur also finds joy in writing Google reviews for local businesses. He was a joiner by trade and despite being retired for some time now, still sports the personalised plate ‘JOINER’ on his Honda Jazz. So if anyone understands the value of genuine recommendations, it’s him. “I like to be able to help small businesses. If the places have had any adverse publicity, I try to turn it around for them,” he explains. “People ask me to do reviews sight unseen but I won't do it because that's not fair. You've got to have integrity.”
Arthur is chuffed to have achieved over one million views on his posts and photos to date. His enthusiasm is such that he's even had business cards made. “Everywhere I go, I pop one on the table but I haven’t been offered a discount yet,” he adds with a laugh.
With a twinkle in his eye, Arthur is certainly making the most of village life. “I've been nominated as the king of the retirement village. The paperwork’s been put through, it’s in the village magazine. I've even got a crown,” he says. “I’ve told them I can't do weddings or miracles, but I’d better start knighting people. I bought myself an Excalibur sword, just like King Arthur’s, from Temu and it's a bloody good one!”
“When Jean was really ill and I was looking after her, I didn’t see much of a future. But now that I’ve come to the village, everybody’s my friend. They like me because I give them waving cats from Temu and tease them,” he says with a grin. “I’m not allowed in the office anymore — not allowed to fraternise with the staff. I told them, I’m not fraternising with all those old timers! I’ll end up bloody old myself if I do that. You’ve got to try and keep yourself young.”
When Arthur isn’t occupied with hobbies or light-hearted antics, family is at the centre of his world. Whether he’s cheering on a weekend soccer match or hopping across the ditch to visit someone in Australia, his seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren keep him on his toes. As he proudly cites their personal, professional and sporting achievements, it’s clear they are his greatest pride and joy.
“I’ve got all these grandkids, but that's the benefit of getting married young,” he reflects. “Now, at 85, I look around with three generations of family and think how lucky I am, really.”
“No one can believe I’m bloody 85 with my attitude. I like to say — don’t forget, you’re not in your twilight years, you’re in your golden years!”
