Student, 27, moves in with widowed RAF veteran, 95, who was ‘bored of living alone’ to save money on rent
A young student struggling with London’s extortionate house share prices has managed to beat the system by moving in with a 95-year-old widow.
Alexandra Knox, 27, from Newcastle, moved in with RAF veteran Florence Smith when she started a Masters degree, rather than a group of people her own age.
And now the pair have bridged the age gap and become the best of friends.
Just like her student pals, Alexandra splits the household chores with her flatmate, chills out with afternoon tv and even shares the occasional takeaway at their home in South West London.
The pair say they hit it off instantly and have a great time living together, despite having to explain their living situation to everyone they meet.
And they admit that despite students’ reputations, it’s often Florence who is the social butterfly coming home late.
Alexandra, a masters student at the Institute of Arts in London, said: “I was really nervous when we first met but we just hit it off.
“Flo is funny and really lovely to talk to and we’ve become good friends.
“We sit down and watch The Chase on TV together, we’ll sit down for a chat over a cup of tea, we’ll do some of the cleaning, it’s no different to living with friends as uni students.
“And she seems to go out more than I do! If we have to worry about either of us having a late night, it’s probably her.”
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Flo said: “Some people might feel a bit concerned about having a younger person living in their home, but Alexandra is lovely.
“I would call her a close friend. We talk about everything, just as I would with my other friends.
“It’s a bit strange to think I was already 67 years old when my housemate was born, but don’t think about it that much.
“I have told my friends about it, and some of them think it’s a bit strange. But the more they find out about it, the more they think it’s a very good idea.”
Florence, a World War Two RAF veteran, has lived in the south London home for over 50 years, sharing it with her husband Dan until he passed away just over 20 years ago.
Having retired from her job as a local authority social worker at the age of 70, and with her family living far away, she was left on her own.
To avoid feeling lonely, she signed up to house sharing with HomeShare – an organisation that matches an older person who wants company at home with a younger person needing somewhere to live – 10 years ago.
Florence said: “Sharing your home is a marvellous idea. Loneliness is horrible. You can get bored to tears being by yourself.
“Having someone else in the home makes a big difference. You don’t have to worry about falling over or hurting yourself.
“And more importantly it’s lovely to have somebody to talk to during the day. Even if we just see each other in the mornings for 15 minutes at breakfast, it’s some conversation during the day.
“There’s always a bit of give and take living with another person, but Alexandra and I have managed very well.”
Alexandra was originally ‘terrified’ at the idea of moving to London and living with an older person.
But she maintains it has made her experience in the capital much better, and has been a great way to beat sky-high rent costs.
