Home is where the heart is, and for Sid Portlock, 95, and son Brian, 75, that is a retirement village on the outskirts of Adelaide.
The father and son are neighbours at Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village in Hope Valley, a place where they love spending time together.
It’s not often that you find a father and son living at the same retirement village. The typical age gap between parents and their children generally means they are not retirees at the same time, and if they are they have different needs and requirements.
But Sid and Brian are both happily living in separate independent living units at the Tea Tree Gardens Retirement Village and, although they see a lot of each other, they still view Father’s Day as a special time to get together.
Sid moved into the village with his wife Elsie 32 years ago, and Brian and wife Marion joined them in 2019.
Elsie, 94, relocated to a nursing home near the village about a year ago, to receive extra support, following a decline in her mobility.
“Our unit is halfway between dad’s unit and the nursing home. We didn’t choose to live here to be close to my Mum and Dad, but it’s great being so near,” Brian said.
“I also enjoy the activities here. I play croquet on Thursday mornings, and I ended up taking over the running of the bingo and I’m treasurer on the residents’ committee.
“In their earlier years, Mum and Dad were very much involved in the activities too. Dad still goes along to some events, he really enjoys the Anzac Day event, and everyone in the village knows him.”
The father and son were both in the armed services. Sid was in the Navy for 12 years, while Brian is a Vietnam veteran.
Growing up, Brian said he and his brothers looked up to their dad and mum who he described as “great role models”.
This is something Brian reflects on each Father’s Day.
“To me, Father’s Day is a time where I make sure I spend some time with Dad to show him how much he means to us,” he said.
“I think both Dad and Mum have both been a great example to my brothers and I with their work ethic and their moral standards.
“Growing up, there was no doubt that we were loved and cherished. I have great memories of the times we spent together, especially with Dad. We spent a huge amount of time in our yard playing cricket and bat and ball tennis and working in the veggie garden.”
For Sid, Father’s Day is a time when he really enjoys spending time with his two living sons, Brian and Stephen.
“It means quite a lot because they are both very good and kind to me. They help me out with anything – Brian helps me with my finances and Stephen helps me around the garden,” Sid said.
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